The other morning, as I came to the church, I was walking between the buildings and overheard a worker refer to our new church building as a “job site”. I never thought of our new building, nor our church, as a “job site”. But the more I think about it, the more I like it.It seems that such an image of the church building is a good image for us to carry, along with other images, that help us to be church.

When we think about the church as a job site, we know that we are going to go to a place which requires us to work.Within the Lutheran worship service, we hold to a service rooted in the liturgy.Liturgy means “work of the people”. We use liturgy as a working of words and actions to honor God.The liturgy is designed not to just be rehearsed on Sunday, but becomes a part of who we are as we take the liturgy with us into the world. The content of the liturgical worship is the actual summary, remembrance, and empowering of God’s saving and redeeming action in this world which continues to be embodied, delivered and sustained in Christ and the Holy Spirit.  This is not just what we carry, but this truly is who we are. And yes, with the help of God, all of this takes work.

The tools we bring with us to the job site are the gifts and talents that God has blessed upon His people as a whole and as individuals.Just like someone coming to the job site, we use these “tools” to help build up the Body of Christ.Our job site, or work place, allows for us to discover our tools, learn how to use our tools, and encourages us to help others discover and use the tools they have been given. Sometimes, we are called to train others so that they too may contribute to the building of the Body of Christ. (I often need training on this tool called the “computer.”I can’t tell you how often the following words have come from my mouth, “Oh… is that what that is used for.” Some tools we don’t even know we have!!)

The job site on which the church building sits, is a reminder that our job site, our church, is really a work space. And when we get new work space, sometimes it takes a while to figure out what we actually need in that space that will allow for us to be the most productive.  The work space is always transitioning to stay contemporary with the people we are called to work with and serve.And this is good because I don’t think Rhonda, our secretary, would like to be cranking out thousands of pages for our newsletter on the old mimeograph machine!!! After a few months, the fumes would cause brain damage.

Thanks to all of you who have helped make this new work space, this new job site, a reality.And as we continue to develop this new work space, bear with us as we figure out, in more specific ways, what the Lord wants us to do.And then see how the Lord will provide in order that we may acquire just what it will take to accomplish the Lord’s work, as we work together in our new job site.

In Christ’s love and Service
Pastor Dan