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I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Pastor Dave Risendal, the founding pastor of Esperanza Lutheran, and as we were chatting, I realized he probably had stories upon stories of the early happenings of Esperanza, some of which still shape this community still today. I’m hopeful some of these stories will come up in our fast approaching 35th Anniversary Celebration on the 23rd. But in my musings – as well as in some of my recent writings, I’ve begun to wonder more about the stories we tell. How do we tell our own stories, and how do we tell the story of what God has and continues to do for us?
I think a lot of us think our stories in life aren’t very interesting. And true, there are some of us who have lived more “exotic” lives than others. There are some of us who have traveled more, worked in more obviously dangerous industries, or perhaps had more dire challenges in life, but each life – and each story – has value and adds to the tapestry of this place. None of us can separate ourselves from the stories of our lives, which means those stories are worth telling. How we came to be a community together is also worth telling.
Because we know we come together to celebrate God’s grace among us and attempt to live it out, we know that this grace is central to the story of Esperanza Lutheran. That’s why every Sunday I hope that the overarching theme of our worship is a theme of God’s grace at work. Moreso than even this, I am hopeful that the story of God’s grace is apparent every single time members of our community gather together in service, fellowship, and learning. But sometimes the story that seems most obvious is the one that most needs to be spoken aloud. So how is it we tell the story of the things that God is doing through Esperanza, and how do we ensure that story is heard?
Sometimes doing the work is its own way of telling the story. The people who encounter the work directly can see and experience the story of hope and love that comes through Esperanza. These things are worth celebrating, and should never be discounted. Indeed, to tell the story, there should be something worth telling about. But sometimes, we do need to actually tell the story. Sometimes it’s important to let people know about what we’re doing who weren’t there to witness it, because by telling them the story, we offer them an opportunity to participate in that story as well. I’ve seen this at work through our partnership with Habitat for Humanity. We recently received a plaque celebrating completion of our 29th Habitat house. It’s an incredible achievement to have been able to help build so many homes. But if we weren’t vocal about the work, would others know we are doing it? The plaque is a visual reminder of the work that we are doing – but more valuable than that are stories of the relationships built through the work – friendships made between people, and lives transformed in love.
There are so many wonderful things happening at or through Esperanza that are worth sharing with the world. How is it that you tell the story of what God is doing through this place? As we tell the story of God’s love and comfort revealed through the work and ministry of this place, I pray that this story becomes an invitation for all who hears the good news of God’s love revealed in this place, so that others may join in the celebration of God’s grace that endures from generation to generation.
Pastor Chris
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