On Thursday night, I got to serve at the Banquet with other Gloria Dei-ers and at the end of the night, one of the staff there told us how many people we served (255) and then told us, “We didn’t solve world hunger tonight, but we did feed 255 people.” That’s something!
We could use a whole lot of somethings right now.
There are terrible things happening in the world. I suppose there always are, but it seems particularly bad at this moment. There are too many wars. Too many people dying. Too much hurt and pain and loss.
There are some things we can do. We can donate to organizations that help. We can pray for peace. We can serve and help and do. And these things are something. But it’s clear that we need something more.
This weekend, we are in the second week of the sermon series Everyone is Searching for Truth: What Christians Believe and we will hear the promise that in Jesus Christ, we are redeemed. Saved. Forgiven. Made new. Our confession as Christians is that Jesus has conquered sin and death, not magically removing them from our experience but taking away their staying power. Sin and death do not last. What lasts is forgiveness of sins and eternal life. As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 14:8, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. God holds onto us, no matter what!
And not just us, but all of creation. Including our neighbors who are in trouble. Our fervent hope – our belief – is not that the world will save itself, but that it has already been saved, in Jesus Christ, who has accomplished the final something – dying and rising so that we might be saved. And so we are. Thanks be to God.
Our mission at Gloria Dei is to proclaim that Good News loudly and clearly so that people know – because we know that faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit matters. Faith is something – and it matters! When we talk about stewardship, or sharing resources, it is always for this reason – that faith matters. Faith is what we are about! There are two stewardship events coming up; we hope you can attend. You matter to the mission we share, and these events will help you see how you can make a difference, impacting the faith life of the many people we get to reach through our ministries at Gloria Dei. The information on these events is below.
RSVP for our Faith Matters Stewardship Events on October 22 or November 5 from 5-7pm at Vinyl Taco to enjoy delicious tacos, hear inspiring faith stories from members, and gather a preview of our 2024 ministry plans. RSVP online or call the church office at 605-371-3737.
Peace to you! And see you at Gloria Dei.
Pastor Heidi
