What does it mean to go out and make disciples? That can be a little threatening to Lutherans!
But this month we celebrate ways we celebrate revealing God to those around us. And we are going to hear about and celebrate many ways members of our congregation have shown God to others in their lives.
While we are only lifting up some in worship, I do know that members of our congregation do this all the time and may not even realize they are revealing God to others.
There is a quote that my husband put in your youth mission trip devotional which is what discipleship is about for me: “You may be the only Bible people read, you may be the only Christ people experience.”
What does that mean for you personally? How have you lived into that this past summer? How can you live into that in the transition of Fall?
The weekend of September 10 is “God’s Work, Our Hands” weekend for ELCA Lutherans. That means that people all over the country are going to be wearing gold shirts and being Christ in the world.
Check out the ELCA website www.elca.org for stories and pictures. Join us at the River Food Pantry to see ministry in action. Talk to your neighbors and friends who go to other Lutheran churches and hear their stories too. That’s a lot of people being disciples in one weekend!
Be inspired as we then gather for ice cream and a “ministry” fair of sorts in the education Center on Sunday September 10. There are many opportunities for quietly and boldly being Christ to others, come see if one strikes your fancy in the education Center after church that day.
The weekend of September 17 we are going to hear about our youth’s hands and feet in New Orleans. They will be leading worship that weekend and sharing some of their experiences they had in July being Christ’s disciples for the second time in the city.
Randy and Jessie Behlke went across the world to the Ukraine to meet up with many of the students and their families who have been here. They will be presenting stories of their discipleship trip this Fall. And they were the receivers of others being disciples as much as they were the disciples!
Our adults took their very first Mission Trip to New Orleans. They too will be presenting experiences of ways others were a blessing to them and they were disciples to others.
Each time you hear about people being the hands and feet of Christ, think about ways you have too. It can be as simple as enjoying a meal with someone who is lonely, calling up an old friend, helping someone at a store or smiling wide.
We are the only Bible people read, the only Christ people experience. Believe it and respond. In just the way God hoped you would.
