Pastor Eric's BlogSomething Bigger than Ourselves
When I was introduced to Lutheranism as a tweenager, one of my first impressions was, “Wow, it is really cool that this congregation is a part of something bigger than itself.” Having only ever worshipped in churches where the prevailing vibe was that they were a stand alone, independent church, I found Lutheranism’s connection to Synodical, Churchwide and World expressions refreshing. Even though I knew that not all of those Lutheran churches did everything exactly alike or even agreed on ever detail of their faith life, I still found the connectivity very appealing.
Fast forward some thirty plus years and for me, that appeal has not decreased one iota. Each individual Lutheran congregation isn’t alone, but is a part of something so much bigger. Messiah Lutheran does not just consist of 434 members, but some 68.5 million Lutheran Christians around the world. Of course, we also belong to the universal church, the Body of Christ. We don’t all look alike. We don’t agree on everything. We worship with different styles and using different words. We even interpret scripture differently. But, even with these differences, we all agree that at the center is Christ.
In spite of our differences, we are to let Christ alone be that which binds us and keeps us together. Christ alone is all that we need for unity and mission. Take as example the ELCA’s new Lutheran Malaria Initiative http://bit.ly/16FR3W . This is an effort to educate U.S. Lutherans about malaria, advocate for global health initiatives, and raise funds to help combat malaria. The ELCA and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, as well as the Lutheran World Federation are partners in this effort. The Lutheran Malaria Initiative is but one example of how we all connect together to accomplish something that is much bigger than any one church. It also is an example of how, even in spite of differences, we can be united in Christ for mission.
This is the beauty of our diverse and, as I said in yesterday’s blog, large family. We are able to come together, in spite of our differences, share our resources, our gifts, and accomplish much more than we could ever do alone. Wow! Isn’t it cool that we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.
