Excerpts From: The Messenger |
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"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2
"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Rom.12:13 "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." I Peter 4:9
Grace and peace to you all, members and friends of St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church. The summer went by me pretty fast, but it was filled with lots and lots of excitement and hope for the future. I was kind of wondering what story to share with you as we wrap up our celebration of St. Ansgar’s 80 years in ministry in Montreal. Then I came upon this beautiful story, which I think will help illustrate the point that we are a congregation within our immediate community.
The story goes as follows:
A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing! She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally, she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
'And what do you want?' The pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.'
'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.
'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'
'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.
'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'
The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?' 'I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'
'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago.
'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly. 'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'
'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. '
He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'
That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuron-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. 'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?' Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost….one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.
In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law. We all need miracles in life, don’t we? And I know you'll keep the ball moving! A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. But the treasure inside for you and me to see is the treasure of friendship God granted to us.
Thus, I take this opportunity to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your prayers and support, and thanks to all the church committees for their input into making the celebration of our 80th year of ministry such a success. I also want to thank the leadership of St. Ansgar’s who did a great job of maintaining the ‘fort’, and the lay ministers who filled in during my absence.
We do have one more great event coming up on Saturday, October 18, the final concert, as we wrap things up of our 80 years in Mission for Others in Montreal. I look forward to having the multi-choir sing in our little church in the spirit of thanksgiving “How far the Lord has brought us”.
Among the events that have taken place in our community of faith, I believe a theme that God has laid upon my heart for some time is the openness to practice hospitality and the emphasis is on hospitality. As most of you who know me well can verify, is that I speak a lot about things I have experienced, and this is one of those experiences. I also love to speak about the individual who has contributed in shaping my life and faith in God.
As my mother would say: To the house of a friend the road is never long.
In II Kings, chapter four, there is a woman in the town of Shunem who went out of her way to create a welcoming guest room for Elisha, a prophet of God. She made up a space on her roof (I'm guessing it was flat) and put a bed, table, chair, and lamp for Elisha to use whenever he traveled to Shunem. The Shunemite woman's hospitality meant so much to Elisha that he asked God to give her a child, and God fulfilled that request.
We may not all have a private room for our guests or be gifted with hospitality, but we can use the same principle of hospitality and see that our guests feel comfortable and experience the love and grace of God in our midst. I have been a guest in many countries and homes, and I know from the experience of being a guest how hospitality can convey God's love and grace in a personal way.
There is good in our world, but the opposite is also true, there are hurting people in our world, and it is my prayer that St. Ansgar’s will continue the tradition of being a welcoming Church, a place where individuals will find acceptance, love and friendship with God. In the desert of hatred, there is always the oasis of love. Our homes, our congregation (as small as we are) can become a ministry tool as we seek ways to make our guests feel comfort. As they experience our love for them, they would be drawn to the Creator of Love - God.
Finally, we will celebrate my tenth year of ministry at St. Ansgar’s, during our regular service on Sunday, October 19. A potluck lunch will follow the service marking a new chapter in the history and ministry of St. Ansgar’s Lutheran. My family and I and this congregation would like to extend an open invitation to all our friends, and members to come and celebrate and to share in the goodness of God’s blessing.
It is my aspiration that we look forward with hope, not backward, because when our memories exceed our dreams, then life is over. Memories are good, no doubt about that, but dreams are better. Therefore we must allow ourselves to dream new dreams for the future, for the Christian life is predicated by what we know in God.
Maybe there is a precious lesson we can all learn from this little girl Tess, that one dollar and eleven cents.... plus faith can go along way. May God help us to see our home and our congregation as a ministry to those who will be guests at any given time. We pray that they will be drawn to God as they experience godly hospitality in our home, and congregation.
I leave you some food for thought:
-Identify an area of ministry, where you might be able to share and minister to
our guests.
-Be observant who is sitting next to you,
if a guest(s) offer to help them find
pages of liturgy and hymns.
-During coffee hour make an attempt to visit and talk with our guests.
Remember to pray for them.
I also leave you with some points for reflection:
-Remember a time when you were a guest in someone's Church. What meant the most
to you?
-How can you be a ministry tool to guests?
-How might Christian hospitality differ from entertaining?
-How can you show God's love to those in your Church and home?
-What are some other ways we can create a welcoming guest room?
Happy 81st Anniversary St. Ansgar
Your friend, and pastor,
Pastor Samuel K. King-Kabu
Web Page prepared by:
Roger Kenner
& Jette Blair.
Content-New Topics Last Updated: 2008/12/17
St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church - Montreal