Dear St. Lukers,
Many years ago, we invited everyone to figure out their “life verses,” that go-to Scripture verse to ground you, keep you connected to God in hard times, and act as a compass for your life. I struggled with this exercise a little because there were so many verses that meant something to me. So, instead of a verse, I tweaked the rules and chose a chapter: Romans 12. I had heard a pastor say long ago that if you really want to strengthen your character as a disciple and a leader, use Romans 12 as a daily prayer, listening to Paul’s roll call of the characteristics of a follower of Jesus as a way to examine your heart and daily life. I did this exercise for a year, and it was very revealing to me about the inner workings of my heart and mind. Every so often I will come back to this exercise to get centered again.
Every August, we center our worship and preaching on the fundamentals of what it means to be a St. Luker. Whether it’s our core values, which have been around for 25 years: Christ-centered love lived out through Acceptance, Hospitality, Community, Discipleship, and Service; or sometimes it’s our missional purpose statement: Awaken disciples to reveal the Kingdom, reveal the Kingdom to awaken disciples. This year, as we stay with the lectionary readings for worship, we center on the rhythm of discipleship at St. Luke’s with Paul’s letter to the Romans through St. Luke’s 101: Learn God’s story, Live God’s story in community, Love God’s story through worship in order to Lead your life through God’s story. Our core values are expressed, and our purpose is fulfilled when all St. Lukers Learn, Live, Love, and Lead their lives like Jesus.
This month we have Learned Grace, Lived as the family of God, and this week...
