We had our first preschool chapel a few weeks ago in the outdoor worship space. Over two days, our seventy-five little ones gathered beneath the canopy of changing leaves and the autumn sky to talk about God’s amazing creation. We read through each day of the Creation story, finishing with a resounding, “And God saw that it was good!”
If you’ve ever been present for the children’s message, you know that the leader needs to be ready to respond to anything at a moment’s notice. A few years ago, as I was explaining the beauty and mystery of that Easter morning, a child piped up and declared, “Jesus is a zombie! He was dead, but is alive forever!” She couldn’t help but share her epiphany with the assembled community.
Little ones aren’t the only ones to have enthusiastic “A Ha!” moments. Lifelong learning is part of our Christian faith. We not only read Scripture and listen to sermons to gain new insight, but we also invest in new hymns and worship songs, dig deep into difficult conversations, expand our generosity to meet a need, explore new ways to serve, and stretch our hearts, souls, and minds in hopes of growing in faith.
We experience clarity in moments of prayer or meditation. A book, film, music, or conversation can illuminate a reality we hadn’t noticed before. Sometimes, we can’t help but blurt out our discovery to the world! We trust that God is not done working and growing in us.
Robin J. Steinke, President of Luther Seminary, declares, “[We] cling to the same hope that energized the first reformers half a millennium ago: God is at work, forming faith by the power of the Holy Spirit, and transforming the world through the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the hope that fuels our efforts in faithful innovation.”
This is a time of dreaming and living into a future filled with hope. All of us have recognized during this COVID season how our ministry needs to adapt to our new reality. As we build for the future of ministry at Lord of Life, formation in Christian faith and continuing growth as disciples will be essential. We need help and guidance as we continue to learn and grow as a people in this place.
We are making plans for the addition of a Director of Faith Formation in the new year. We are fortunate that our church is committed to growing and learning! Engaging a new ministry leader in this role will provide our congregation with a powerful focal point. They will work with individuals to discern their gifts and passions, and work with staff and other ministry leadership to identify ways to enrich our already vibrant learning and serving moments – allowing them to connect people with opportunities to encounter the promises of God and wrestle with issues of faith. The synergy created by having a staff member dedicated to individual discernment, and equipping and empowering leaders, will allow us to expand our spectrum of ministry.
As our world changes, so do the ways that God invites us to love and serve one another. God’s faithfulness to us and our enduring, creative response as a community of faith, allows us this time of dreaming and living into a future filled with hope. God told the prophet Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT). Those same promises spill into our lives, fueling us for ministry.
God is good!
Pastor Lowell