PASTOR’S CORNER
E-mail: jblawson01@gmail.com
So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Is. 55:11)
My grandmother grew up in the northern reaches of North Dakota. A place once described as being separated from Canadian winters by a barbed-wire fence at the border.
When she was a child the Lutheran church in her town would only hold services in German. By doing this the church kept out a number of people in the community. Why they did it we could only guess at. Maybe they didn’t care, they were comfortable with what they had, or simply they didn’t think of doing anything different. The consequences were many families had little association with a church or were completely unchurched. There were not many options for worship in my grandmother’s town, especially during those Depression years.
Eventually, the church called a new pastor. This pastor decided the church had to move beyond the walls of the church building and the church listened and responded. So, in the process of reaching out to the community English worship was introduced. This simple act opened up the congregation and numbers of families joined the church. One family was my grandmother’s.
I bring this story up because as Pastor I hear a desire by people to reach out to our community. To do this though, means that we have to listen and react to needs and cares of those around us. And many times to move beyond comfort zones. Because we don’t necessarily know who the Holy Spirit will send us. If we really grasp our faith we understand that it’s not people who are “perfect and without blemish” who come looking for Christ. It’s the broken, the tired, and the weak. And we need to be prepared to welcome them home.
In a few weeks, Kandace Cappello our evangelism director will be offering evangelism courses to help us reach out into our community who are desperate for Christ. I encourage you to find some time to attend. You never know when the Holy Spirit will give you the opportunity to share your faith in Jesus. Nor can you fully know the impact a few cherished words of hope will have on a person’s life. Because there’s more to my grandmother’s story.
By that simple act of a small Lutheran church, situated on the North Dakota plains, they reached many more people than they could imagine. And as I mentioned my grandmother’s family joined. But there’s more, by my grandmother becoming active she raised her daughters in the church. These daughters then raised their children in faith; one grandchild eventually went to seminary and became a pastor. God tells us that His word reaches down through the generations we just need to let Him work though us out to those desperate to hear.
Pastor Jerry
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