O Church, Arise!

lifeatctk ♦ October 6, 2023 ♦ Leave a comment

Dear Christ the King Family,

We all remember when our mom or dad would call us to get up in the morning and our reply would be “I’m up! I’m up!” as we snuggled deeper under the covers. It took a lot of prodding and not-so-gentle urging to get us up and going for the day.

In this Stewardship season, we hear the clarion call to action: “O Church, Arise!” God bids us to metaphorically get out of bed, wipe the sleep from our eyes, and face whatever pitfalls and challenges lay ahead, armed with the Gospel and a deep desire to proclaim and live out the love of Christ in full view of an increasingly secular world.

As your Head Elder, I daily pray for our membership, our Pastors, and our Church here on earth as we struggle to fight the good fight of faith. Let me assure you: when joined together as Christ the King Lutheran Church, we are more than able to rise to meet the overwhelming voices of hate, bigotry, anti-Christian rhetoric, and our own jealousies and worries, and bring the Light of Christ to shine on this darkened world. Arise, O Church!

As we approach Stewardship Sunday on October 29, I ask you to prayerfully consider your giving in light of the selfless sacrifice and bold witness that the apostles and other followers of Christ through the ages evinced in the face of temptations from the devil, the world, and their sinful selves. Through prayer, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and through a thoughtful, intentional giving effort, we can effectively equip our church to win souls for Christ through devoted, mission-minded ministries.

So, Christ the King Lutheran Church…arise! Stand firm! For your saving faith in Christ Jesus will carry His name forward in victorious battle throughout all generations.

Dave Swan, Head Elder