A communication of Calvary Lutheran Church, Golden Valley, Minnesota

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Rocks Cry Out

This past weekend, Pastor Steve shared a farewell message with all of us.  He reminded us of Calvary’s mission:  To lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  He reminded us that Calvary has and will always be a beacon of light to the community and to the world. 

As a mission-focused church, we seek to always go beyond the walls of the church, just as the early church did.  In part of his sermon, he reminded us about the many stones that had people’s names written on them and how they were placed in the form of a cross under the North Wing before the concrete was poured.  Those names on the rocks were names of people and loved ones who did not know Jesus Christ. 

I was reminded this week that several of those stones in the foundation contained names of a couple of my personal friends who I have been praying for all these years.  These friends are far from Christ.  While this was Pastor Steve’s final sermon at Calvary, his sermon pushed each of us to look forward and to continue the good fight of faith, to always remember why Calvary is special, to always seek to reach out to the hurting and disenfranchised, to always be that beacon of God’s light to a world that so desperately needs it, and to never forget the names on those stones.

While this past week was full of emotions as we said goodbye to Pastor Steve, it was also truly the end of the beginning.  When Pastor Steve came to Calvary, he encouraged us to go beyond the walls of the church and now as he retires he is still encouraging us to GO, to live out the great commission and the great commandment, not only as a church, but as individuals as well!  The mission of Calvary continues today and into the future, just as it began in 1947 when Calvary was founded as a church plant. 

Here’s a song to remind us of those rocks: "Ain’t No Rock."

To His Glory!
Pastor Carol

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