It began on Rally Sunday, September 13, ten weeks ago. We introduced our new fall Sunday morning worship schedule with the theme, "Because of Our Savior's ..."
Since that day our worship attendance at 10:30 has been consistent and continuing to grow. After our Wednesday evening Story worship, the Sunday morning 10:30 service tends to be our second largest attended service each week. Much of the attendance includes families with young children, as we had hoped we would see. Praise the Lord!
In addition to increased worship attendance we are thankful for such a good attendance at our Sunday morning Adult Education forums. There is good learning and sharing happening during those times. Relationships are being made, renewed and strengthened among the members who are participating in those opportunities. So, we have much to be thankful for this fall, so far.
This Sunday marks the other bookend to what we started on Rally Sunday. That Sunday we kicked off the theme, "Because of Our Savior's ..." This coming Commitment Sunday, we conclude the fall theme, "Because of Our Savior's ..."
In between those bookends many colorful signs have been filled out and hung up throughout the church stating the many and various ways people's (young and old) lives have been changed or impacted Because of Our Savior's. The past three Sundays and this coming Sunday, we have and will have heard from selected members of Our Savior's how God has blessed them Because of Our Savior's. We have called these opportunities for sharing, Ministry Moments. They've been inspiring and challenging as they have invited all of us to consider or re-consider the ways God has blessed us through this congregation and how we might want to respond in gratitude to God's amazing grace in this place.
You'll hear in this Sunday's gospel, the story of the Feeding of the 5,000. The story has three main characters - The Crowd, The Disciples and The Boy. They each ask a different question in the story. The Crowd asks, "What do I need?" The Disciples ask, "What do I have to offer?" The Boy asks, "What am I willing to give up?"
In this story we often think the miracle is how Jesus multiplies the small gift of food to feed thousands of people. However, this Sunday, we'll explore the possibility of the true miracle in the story being how the boy gave up all that he had (his meager little lunch) in order to meet the needs of others.
You and I will be encouraged and challenged this Commitment Sunday, to "Be the Miracle!" Simply stated, you'll be invited to ask yourself and your family, the question, "What am I/are we willing to give up?" The answer to that question will determine what we, as a congregation, will be able to do, in God's name, for ministry and mission in 2016.
Please take time to read the Narrative Budget that was handed out last Sunday
. Consider the ways that you and your family may be able/willing to help us close the gap between our projected income and desired expenses for 2016. You should have received an Intent of Giving card in the mail recently. This card is to be filled out and brought to worship with you THIS Wednesday and Sunday. The cards will be brought forward as part of a processional offering during all three of our worship services this week. This is intended to be a spiritual process for you and your family to participate in together. We give financially to our church as a response of gratitude for God's grace and goodness in our lives. When God's grace and goodness is experienced and celebrated, we become joyful, generous people who offer cheerful sacrifices to God. In that way, God will take whatever gifts we offer and will use them in ways we might never have imagined! This is spiritual stuff!!
Your generosity is unbelievably evident already
- in many ways! Recently you gave of your time and money to package meals that will feed 33,912 local children and their families through our Meals from the Heart meal-packing event on November 7. Over the past two Sundays, for the Union Gospel Mission, you have filled 64 grocery bags of food to help provide a thanksgiving meal for families in need.
Let's continue to "Be the Miracle"
this Sunday and in the year ahead. Pray about your financial commitment to Our Savior's in 2016 and as our Narrative Budget invites so well, "Be part of God's Story, as it unfolds at Our Savior's Lutheran."
