Special Blogs, Shared Stories
“St. Luke is such a vibrant community.” So a visitor from the Synod remarked to me after recently attending worship.
It is almost a trope, common enough to risk becoming cliché, for churches to describe themselves as vibrant. But to hear it candidly from a visitor, spoken with gentle curiosity and appreciation, was a beautiful reflection of this community at its best: walking in the Spirit together and bearing witness to Christ’s love.
You may have noticed several special blogs being promoted here recently, from a pilgrimage through Italy to Pr. Taran’s sabbatical travels and reflections. Soon, a third will follow our youth as they serve on their mission trip in North Carolina.
As I set out last summer to create a website that tells our story, welcomes visitors, and serves as an informational hub, I’ve been reflecting on what about these blogs has so captured the attention and imagination of the St. Luke community.
Perhaps it’s that these stories help us belong to one another, through Christ our Lord.
Take the North Carolina mission trip as one example. Only the youth can go. You, dear reader, likely cannot. But you can still participate in God’s grace at work. You can follow along. You can support them in prayer. You can share in their joy and in their service.
Having a shared story and a shared identity has been a core principle of the church since its inception. We are forgiven sinners, all of us in need of mercy. Rooted in that truth, as a faith community, we also carry one another. We share in one another’s burdens and joys.
It even shows up in our music. One of the most profound and beautiful things about the way we sing in worship is that when the world is too heavy, when you cannot give voice to a song, when the words get choked in your throat, the community sings them with you and for you. You don’t have to carry those words alone. The collective voice will minister to you in that time of need while you rest in the sound.
I think what our visitor observed that Sunday was the way this community shares a mission, gathers around the cross, and lives deeply into fellowship. It’s noticeable every Sunday.
These special blogs are an extension of that fellowship. They help ensure that the learnings, reflections, and experiences of various groups at different times are not theirs alone, but part of our shared story.
Through prayer, with Christ as the unbreakable bond between us across land and sea, we are joined to one another. That kind of camaraderie, that kind of shared life in Christ, makes for a palpable vibrancy at St. Luke.
Peace…
Charles Reinmuth, Worship Coordinator & Website Administrator
