From the Pastor

Begin By Listening
(Matthew 16:14-16)

September at Resurrection Lutheran Church is all about living out what it means to be disciples of Jesus together. Not only do we gather in regular weekly worship as we do all summer long, we also have a chance to take things one step further by journeying together with the Scriptures as our lodestar throughout the week.

You will recall that St. Peter’s confession in the gospels, prompted by Jesus’ famous question “Who do you say that I am?”, was preceded by another: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” I had always thought of that first question as a contrast to the second. I had always thought of it as a kind of foil: the world’s misunderstanding and faithlessness set in stark relief against the disciples’ God-empowered understanding and faithfulness. But David Schmidt, on the 1517.org website, highlights Jesus’ more important second question while also adding this about the first: “In discipleship,” he says, “we are following Jesus, but we are following Jesus in the world. We do not close our ears to the world around us. We do not try to silence its voices. Instead, we listen. But we listen with discernment.” Being a follower of Jesus, then, “begins by listening.” While that naturally and most importantly entails listening to Jesus, it also means listening to the world. It means tuning in to what others are saying about Jesus and matters of faith so that we may better know how to engage them with the precious Word of Life.

One way to listen to Jesus and consider what the world is saying about Him is to gather together around the Word of God and share what we are hearing. September at RLC gives us the chance to do just that. Have a busy schedule? This month there will be an opportunity to gather around God’s Word to match every RLC member’s calendar! Sunday mornings, Monday evenings, Tuesday mornings, Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings all have something going on. A detailed listing is available on the church website (just click here) or via the hard copy pamphlet already distributed at RLC worship services and available for pick up near our worship entrances. Who we say Jesus is will, of course, not align with what the world says about Him. But guided together by the Spirit and confessing Jesus before others, we open our ears to the voices around us, inviting those who engage with us to experience God’s love at work in the world. Invite a friend to come along, too! I hope and pray you will join us.

In peace and joy,
Pastor Jonathan