After the Meeting
Pastor’s Ponderings:
I am pleased our annual meeting went well and that we were able to recognize and thank all who contribute to the ministry and mission of Immanuel Lutheran Church here in Absarokee. Our call to mission and ministry is communal. No one can accomplish God’s ministry by themselves. It takes a congregation. We work together to carry out the ministry of Jesus Christ, not just in our corner of the world here in Absarokee, Montana, but throughout the state of Montana, the United States and the world. We can make a contribution and we can make a difference, when we work together, responding to God’s call to us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When we do this - responding to God’s call to mission - our lives become vital, exciting, energized. God is working through us; we are the handmaidens, and servants of the Lord. God is a part of our lives, a living presence with us. We discover, our ministry is exciting.
Ask the ladies of the Faith Circle how they feel in carrying out their ministry: the making of quilts, offering Fair Trade Coffee for sale, knitting sweaters, serving the congregation and community at various functions and events. Ask those involved in caring for our church facilities, those who govern the church. They make it possible for us to carry out our ministry and mission. Ask those who educate our children and care for them. They are helping to teach them about the love of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ and what that means for them in their lives. Ask what it means for them as they live out the ministry God call us to each and every day.
But our congregation is more than a civic club, classroom, or craft center. We gather together every Sunday to hear God’s Word proclaimed and to receive the sacraments. We come and gather to feed, nourish our Spirit, to discern God’s plan for us and to live in community as the Body of Christ in the world. We gather to experience the love of God and be disciples of Jesus Christ. We do this together, as Jesus tells us: “Whenever two or three are gathered in my Name, I am among you.” We gather as a congregation and worship God together, because Christ is present in our midst, we experience the Holy among us. Strengthened and nourished by God’s Word and promises to us, we go out into the world to proclaim the love of God by our actions. Through the cross we are liberated by God’s grace and called to go and share God’s love with others. Being a Christian is not a static activity. Being a Christian is a dynamic, active and involved activity with others. Don’t be shy about proclaiming and living God’s love for you in your lives. You never can tell when it will make a difference in the lives of those we meet.
I am pleased our annual meeting went well and that we were able to recognize and thank all who contribute to the ministry and mission of Immanuel Lutheran Church here in Absarokee. Our call to mission and ministry is communal. No one can accomplish God’s ministry by themselves. It takes a congregation. We work together to carry out the ministry of Jesus Christ, not just in our corner of the world here in Absarokee, Montana, but throughout the state of Montana, the United States and the world. We can make a contribution and we can make a difference, when we work together, responding to God’s call to us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When we do this - responding to God’s call to mission - our lives become vital, exciting, energized. God is working through us; we are the handmaidens, and servants of the Lord. God is a part of our lives, a living presence with us. We discover, our ministry is exciting.
Ask the ladies of the Faith Circle how they feel in carrying out their ministry: the making of quilts, offering Fair Trade Coffee for sale, knitting sweaters, serving the congregation and community at various functions and events. Ask those involved in caring for our church facilities, those who govern the church. They make it possible for us to carry out our ministry and mission. Ask those who educate our children and care for them. They are helping to teach them about the love of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ and what that means for them in their lives. Ask what it means for them as they live out the ministry God call us to each and every day.
But our congregation is more than a civic club, classroom, or craft center. We gather together every Sunday to hear God’s Word proclaimed and to receive the sacraments. We come and gather to feed, nourish our Spirit, to discern God’s plan for us and to live in community as the Body of Christ in the world. We gather to experience the love of God and be disciples of Jesus Christ. We do this together, as Jesus tells us: “Whenever two or three are gathered in my Name, I am among you.” We gather as a congregation and worship God together, because Christ is present in our midst, we experience the Holy among us. Strengthened and nourished by God’s Word and promises to us, we go out into the world to proclaim the love of God by our actions. Through the cross we are liberated by God’s grace and called to go and share God’s love with others. Being a Christian is not a static activity. Being a Christian is a dynamic, active and involved activity with others. Don’t be shy about proclaiming and living God’s love for you in your lives. You never can tell when it will make a difference in the lives of those we meet.
posted by RevLev at 12:50 PM
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