Christ Memorial was a church plant of Salem Lutheran in Affton in 1948. Our history is God “sowing seeds” and “bearing fruit.” What will he grow in the next 75 years? Martin Luther once said, “Even if I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant my apple tree today.” We continue to plant seeds for coming generations of gospel multiplication. More people loved in Christ, more people sent into the world.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matt. 5:7) You are the great Giver of mercy. Move me to show your mercy. Amen.
Word: Hebrews 11:9
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”
Meditation
Small Metal Plaques by Julianna Shults
One of the joys of my job is getting to visit and worship in beautiful sanctuaries around the country. I’ve seen some of our church body’s oldest sanctuaries, sanctuaries with famous architecture and stained glass, thoughtfully designed spaces to bring glory to our God. There is one thing I see in almost all of them: small metal plaques.
After you finish taking in your surroundings, if you look hard enough, you will find small metal plaques engraved with the name of a person or family who helped to purchase some element in the building as it was built or during a renovation. Sometimes it is a memorial. Others give more detail with dates and reasons for design. Still others simply hold a single name. While this may seem like the glorification or even idolization of those in the congregation who had financial means, I choose to see it differently.
It’s a reminder of those who have been loved and sent by God before us. They were Baptized into the same faith and worshiped the same God who sent His son to die on the cross to forgive our broken ways. And even years after they have reached eternity, a piece of them still remains. They are a part of the story of the Church, the same story we, by the grace of God, are continuing today. They left behind small, beautiful pieces that continue to help us far flung in their future joyfully praise the God we share.
Hebrews 11 feels a bit like reading a series of these small metal plaques. It holds a list of faithful believers who followed God through all kinds of struggle. God gave them faith to follow His commands, even when it seemed to others like folly. They walked in faith before us, loved and sent, sometimes never seeing the end result of their faithfulness. We read and know the stories, yet they still remind us that we too are all called to be one part, one piece of what God is doing. We can celebrate what the Holy Spirit has done in the past as the same Spirit works in our lives today.
Small metal plaques in old sanctuaries may seem insignificant, but I am grateful for the faithfulness they represent. Perhaps they, like Hebrews 11, help remind us about the stories of those before. I am thankful to be a part of the same story of the Church and I look forward to the day we will all worship Jesus together.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the faithful people you have loved and sent before. Help us to remember their stories of how you worked in their lives. Forgive us when we forget and help us to look forward to the glorious day when we will all worship you together. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer for Neighbors
· For my immediate geographical neighbors.
· For my community, neighborhood, town/city.
· For neighbors hurting from broken families, addiction, violence, abuse, poverty, sickness.
· For the eyes of the Good Samaritan, to see and help my neighbor in need.
Closing Prayer
O God of mercy, teach me to be merciful. O Humble Lord, show me the way of humility. You are the exalted King over all things. I worship you alone. Amen.