“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22
I took a pain killer before going to bed on Sunday, knowing full well that demons would stir up some wild folly of a dream amidst my slumber; and they didn’t disappoint. I awoke at 4 AM finding myself in a church with a failed Capital Campaign and the stewardship board had food vendors working the aisles during the sermon hymn selling coffee, soda, donuts and popcorn to bring in more funds for their project; frightening. I never attended or heard of a Haitian Lutheran church that had a Capital Campaign or served coffee and donuts before or after services. The church members wanted to build a bigger church and the members brought concrete blocks as they were able. I imagine that this Lutheran church and school at Pont Sonde was constructed using that same principle. They didn’t borrow but built as God provided them with the materials that were brought by the congregation members. And then the school was blessed with a Trinity/HOPE feeding program and in time, the school will be supporting that on their own as well. God provides. Ain’t God good? I close today with the words from the hymn ‘The Church's One Foundation’ that were written by Samuel J. Stone in 1866.
“The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord; she is His new creation by water and the Word. From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride; with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died. Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth, her charter of salvation one Lord, one faith, one birth. One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued. The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord, to defend, to guide, sustain, and cherish, is with her to the end. Though there be those that hate her. false sons within her pale, against both foe and traitor she ever shall prevail. Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed, yet saints their watch are keeping; their cry goes up, "How long?" And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song. Mid toil and tribulation and tumult of her war she waits the consummation of peace forevermore, till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest and the great Church victorious shall be the Church at rest.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay