One of the gifts of our rich Lutheran theology is an emphasis on Word and Sacrament ministry: We believe that God’s Word and Holy Sacraments are powerful and effective. Through proclaiming the Word, washing in the waters of baptism, and sharing the bread and wine of communion, we are delivering the Good News of God’s grace and salvation. What a joy it is to be a vessel of God’s grace and deliver the goods!
One of the challenges, however, is to do this not just for those inside our congregations, but to a lost, broken, and hurting world that is in desperate need of what we have to give. I want to highlight one example of a faithful congregation who found a creative way to deliver the goods to their community on Ash Wednesday.
Hebrews 10:24 Community Church (LCMC) gathers for worship every Sunday in a strip retail center in the Dellview neighborhood of San Antonio. From this small, rented facility, Pastor Chuck Knudson and the faithful people of the congregation follow the Spirit’s lead to deliver the goods. They regularly seek to meaningfully connect disconnected people to the transformative power in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This year for Ash Wednesday, they setup a pop-up tent in their parking lot and a sign by the street: “Ash Wednesday: Ashes – Prayer – Coffee; Curbside Today! 7 am – 5:30 pm.”
Pastor Chuck was there throughout the day with various church members coming and going to assist as they could. Seminarian Blanca Betancourt provided ministry to Spanish speakers and all who came were blessed with the imposition of ashes and a reminder of God’s abundant and unwavering grace. And people came!
It all began in the morning with a trickle of women, some coming with their children or grandchildren. After a while, the word got out about what this faithful congregation was up to, and cars began to line up. It turns out that all kinds of people were eager to receive the Word and blessing that Pastor Chuck and Hebrews 10:24 was freely and faithfully delivering. By the afternoon, men of every age were also coming, including several who pulled up in their work trucks. As the outreach came to a close in the evening, the congregation gathered for a worship service and was joined by one of the families they had just met that day.
This story out of San Antonio is a great reminder of the privilege we have of delivering the Good News of Jesus Christ to our communities. As your congregation approaches Holy Week and the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, I invite you to consider how God is calling you to deliver the goods… not just to the congregation gathered on Sunday mornings, but to the community where God has sent you with a mission: “Go make disciples!”
