August 2014 – Pastor Anthony’s Letter
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The summer is in full swing, which means that your pastors are already looking and thinking about this coming fall. Soon Sunday School and Confirmation will be back in session. We have various Bible Study groups continuing to meet. Plus we will be adding a new women’s bible study group this fall, as well as studying another book of the Bible. And on top of all of this, we have a special day coming up in September (a reason to wear your gold Circle of Faith T-shirt)! It’s “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday.
“God’s Work, Our Hands” is the ELCA’s tagline or motto. If someone wanted to know what an ELCA congregation is all about, this motto or tagline would tell them exactly what a church in the ELCA is all about.
“God’s Work” – this is not our work. We are not the ones who decide what our church’s mission is. God tells us what our mission is. The work we do as a church is God’s Work, not our work. And God’s mission for His church is very simple, “Love God, Love your neighbor.”
“Our Hands” – we are the ones that do the work. We don’t create the plan, we just execute the plan. We are God’s servants, called to be His hands and feet in this world. We work for God.
This motto, “God’s Work, Our Hands” is our motto because we are the ELCA. On Sunday, September 7th, nearly 10,000 ELCA congregations will put on yellow/gold T-shirts and take to the streets in this world to be God’s hands and feet. Circle of Faith plans to take to the streets in Ceylon, Trimont, and Welcome areas on September 7th, joining with nearly 4 million other Lutherans to let the world know that the church is here. We are not here just for have nice buildings, but to spread the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ) to the world through our hands. We do not have a specific project set yet. So if you have an idea please share it with one of the pastors or a parish council member. We have already been getting some great ideas and we will be making a decision in time for the September Ripples of Faith.
Would you please join with me in putting on your gold Circle of Faith T-shirt and participating in God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday on September 7th?
In Christ,
Pastor Anthony
