Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Where are we going?



Where are we going?



Caught up in traffic

Two weeks ago I was in Houston, TX for the “5:2 Wikiconference 2013”.  I was in Houston once before with my high-school band, but that was many years ago and I wasn’t driving.  This time I had to make my way from Hobby Airport, through downtown Houston and on to Katy, TX during the morning rush hour.  And I had no idea where I was going.
My car didn’t have GPS, but my phone did.  However, with the traffic as heavy as it was I was terrified to look at the screen to see which lanes I should be in and which turns, ramps and curves I should take next.  Add to that the less-than perfect diction of the computer generated voice coming from my phone, and you can imagine how stressful the drive might have been. 
Once I got onto Interstate 10 heading west, the highway was 6-8 lanes in each direction with a 3 or 4 lane “feeder road” paralleling the Interstate with “access roads” paralleling the whole system to allow entry into the local businesses along the corridor.  That meant, in some areas, there were 26 LANES OF TRAFFIC all running side by side by side by… well, you get my drift.  I felt like I was just one tiny red blood cell flowing along the circulatory system of Houston.  Even if I were in a wreck, I imagined I would have been just picked up, sloughed off, and absorbed into this huge metropolis, never to be seen again.
Have you ever felt that way?  Like you were just a cog in a machine?  That you were just going with the flow?  Or worse, that you were being swept up in something you hadn’t planned or bargained for and you didn’t know if you should try to “get off the roller coaster” or, if you should just “sit down, hold on, and get ready for the ride?”
At our church things are starting to happen.  Some are happening faster than others and in a couple of areas lightning seems to have struck and everyone is still trying to figure out “what happened?”  And it’s my hope, through all of this, that no one is left behind or decides to “get off the roller coaster.”

Where we’re going is where we’ve been

In the church some things are eternal.  Namely, the Word of Christ and the Sacraments which point to him and extend us his grace and forgiveness.  And in the midst of all this change these will always be visible, prominent and paramount.  Each of our externally focused ministries and efforts will always have in mind the hope that those we serve will one day receive faith from God’s Holy Spirit as we become “Jesus with skin on” to them in some way or another.
That also means that the worship life of the church will continue to be of utmost importance to us at Redeemer Lutheran Church.  Because those who are on the front lines of ministry need to be girded with the Word of God and strengthened by the Sacrament of the Altar, we will continue to emphasize faithful worship attendance to all those who call RedeemerOlathe their church home.  Moreover, as our older members are unable to attend worship and receive communion we have a brigade of Graceful Visitors and Communion Assistants who will help ensure that all those placed into our care are visited and regularly receive the means of grace.
Moreover, as our fellowship becomes more diverse in age, lifestyle and ethnicity, we will need to expand into other expressions of music and be more flexible in our liturgy to ensure that all who come to Jesus under our umbrella may hear Him in their language and in terms they understand all so that they might heed his calling to follow Him and his ways.  If worship planning, singing, playing an instrument, or audio/video work interest’s you, please give me a call.  Thomas and I want to put you to work!

New destinations

There was a time when most churches were dark during the week including ours.  That is not true today as our building has become a hotspot for all kinds of neighborhood activities, especially for families with children.  Redeemer is beginning to think of our parish as more than just the property at 920 S Alta Lane.  We are seeing the entire neighborhood as our parish, much like in the “old days”.

Our Neighborhood Schools

October 9th we will be serving dinner to the families at Rolling Ridge Elementary School as a service to them, so that they might have a nice fellowship meal with their families and neighbors.  We won’t be selling anything, we won’t be signing anyone up for any classes.  We simply want to be a good neighbor and to let them all know we care.  I hope many of our members will take advantage of this opportunity to meet new people with whom they might just be sharing heaven someday.  Why not start the introductions now?  To see how you might help, call the church office at 913-764-2359 and we will get you in contact with Kristen Willingham whose passion it was to start the ball rolling on this and is organizing the event.
One off our members who is on staff at a local middle school shared with one of her fellow missionaries at Redeemer that some of her students didn’t go out for football because they couldn’t afford the cleats and other equipment.  After networking with a few other people in town about how we might round up second-hand cleats we discovered a new sporting goods store in town that was excited to have the opportunity to outfit these individuals as the school staff deemed necessary.  By networking, prayer, and a few phone calls and meetings, more kids will be able to experience the joys and challenges that extracurricular sports can teach them.

Regional, National and Global  Mission Agencies

In addition to these partnerships, we continue to support Lutheran Urban Mission Agency with our donations of cash and food each quarter, Mission Southside with food, clothing, and volunteer hours, Olathe Public Schools with the Youth Mentors program, Children’s TLC, SafeHouse for Women, Lutheran World Relief, Faith Comes by Hearing, Food for the Poor and, we hope, Immanuel Lutheran Church and Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer  in KCMO for the next three years.  Other recent projects include the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, Lutheran Church of the Bahamas, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Moore, OK, and Immanuel Lutheran Church and their neighbors in Joplin, MO.
Though a very impressive list, we know it was not we who accomplished these things, but God, and that he has so much in mind for us to do.  In fact, many of our people feel much like Oscar Schindler at the end of Schindler’s List who wondered how many more people he could have helped if he had only done a little more?  The fact is, not all will be saved, but Christ desires that all at least are given the chance hear the Good News and our goal is to make that happen in our little corner of the world at least, and perhaps even farther, if it’s in God’s plan.

Where’ve I been, where am I going?

I spent the 24th through the 26th of September at the 2013 Wikiconference.  What’s a Wikiconference?  Well, it’s a gathering of 700+ ministry leaders, most of whom are LCMS, who gather together under the banner of Christ feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  What each of us brings to the table may seem insignificant until Christ, by his Holy Spirit, multiplies it into something, good, wholesome, and amazing. 
In addition to the great speakers (Australia’s Michael Frost, Kansas City’s own John Jantsch, Dr. Loraine Gonzalez, and Dr. Soong-Chan Rah) we could attend breakout sessions in the areas of Church Planting, Leadership & Coaching, Missional Communities, Multiethnic Ministry, Organizational Development, NextGen Ministry, and Worship Arts.  It was so good, I’ve already booked our staff to attend next year’s Wikiconference—it’s that good!—and I hope by then some of our other missional leaders might be able to make the trip as well.
In two weeks on October 13th-15th we have our Kansas District Professional Church Workers Conference (KSLCMS PCWC--for short!).  This conference occurs every two years and is an opportunity for ordained and commissioned (Teachers, DCE/MYEs, DCOs and Deaconesses) workers to earn some continuing education credits and present scholastic and theological papers to one another.  The theme of this conference is Catechesis (teaching the Bible/Catechism/Confessions).  Pray for Dave, Deb, Kristin and I as we head to Hutchison on those days, that we might get there and return safely and that we learn from our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Well, I’m sure this is way more information than you wanted to read but I hope it was informative and helpful for those who are walking this journey of faith with me.
Peace today and may the Lord bless all your days.
Pastor Perry