SEPTEMBER 2017
Christ Lutheran Church • Highlands Ranch, CO • Gathering † Gifting † Sending
We Are Church Together A Message From Pastor Eric “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” – Matthew 10:42 As the images, videos, and reports of the Houston and SE Texas area come through one after the other, my heart aches at each new story where loss and devastation seem so rampant. A son being offered a satellite phone to use by a news reporter to find out if his father is alive and safe… Two tents pitched on the slanted roof tops of a home submerged where a third of the front door is already below the surface as sheets of rain continue to poor down… Residents of a senior care facility wading in waist-deep murky water as they continue with their knitting while praying for their rescue… And on… And on… And on… I have been in supportive communications and shared prayers with Bishop Michael Rinehart of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. One of our sister churches in Rockport, TX reports “the steeple is gone; sky can be seen from the fellowship hall, nave and sanctuary; flooring is destroyed; and the columbarium has blown over with the contents dumped on the ground.” Both Bishop Rinehart and I firmly believe that in the face of such monumental disaster, the call for disciples to intentionally move toward the need and bring relief has always been a clear message from Christ Jesus. Our Lord says, “Go and serve. Go and help. Go in peace. Go and listen. Go and cry the tears. Go and love. Go and give. Go and proclaim. Go and rediscover hope. Go and be my church – my hands and feet and heart and voice. GO!” God reminds His children in Isaiah 43:2a that “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Once again, the people along the gulf coast of our nation cling to these words of comfort. They do so with great hope that the words will again be true – that God will be with them through the disciples of His church. It is the mantle we all carry alongside Jesus to be present in the midst of suffering and to bring light into darkness. As Lutherans, I encourage you to please prayerfully consider joining me in both of the following two options in offering your compassionate service.
First, provide immediate assistance by reaching out to Lutheran Disaster Response to offer your prayers and financial support. You can designate an additional gift through our congregation set apart for Lutheran Disaster Response. Your gifts make it possible to provide fast and effective support to communities in need, whenever and wherever a disaster may strike. You may choose to designate your gift to a specific disaster or give where the need is greatest. If you decide to give to a specific disaster, such as those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, your gift will be used 100 percent for that disaster unless more funds are received than what is needed. If this happens, your gift will be used to address a similar effort. To make these arrangements, simply contact Mrs. Anne Buderus at finance@clchr.org or by calling the church office at 303-791-0803. To learn more about this specific ministry, go to ELCA.org or call 800-638-3522. Second, I have joined with Lutheran pastors, youth ministers, parents & youth around the country to call upon the organizers of the ELCA National Youth Gathering to ensure that the greatest focus possible is achieved in using the opportunity for mission and service work by the 30,000+ Lutheran youth and leaders that are already preparing to come to Houston in June next year. Our church senior high youth will not only be attending the National Youth Gathering itself, but we will also be adding to our agenda additional missional service work to bring relief, help rebuild impacted communities, and forge new relationships that are rooted in the Gospel. Please also consider an additional gift in support of this event for our youth to take part in this life-changing opportunity. For more information, again, please contact Mrs. Anne Buderus. We ARE better when we are church TOGETHER!