Sunday, September 13 is Rally Day here at St. Luke’s Downtown. Traditionally, Rally Day served as the beginning of the new Fall season in the church and the opening of the new term of Christian Education. Both are true this year. Not only will we be moving to a new setting for the worship, we will again be offering classes for adults, children and youth. Our goal is to help fulfill our calling as a congregation to provide the resources for folks, young and old, to grow in faith, love, and obedience to the Lord.
The writer of Proverbs makes it very clear that helping a person grow in their understanding of the Scriptures and teachings of the church empowers them to live life more fully. As parents, many of us recognize that establishing a good foundation is critical to the future growth of our children. Whether it is in the areas of nutrition, physical well-being, relationships, or emotional health, giving our children the proper tools to enable them to journey through life is vital – not only for them but also for the community around them.
So too is instruction in the ways of the Lord. Parents are the keys to children’s spiritual well-being. While good instruction in the Christian faith is no guarantee of future faithfulness, no instruction generally leads to a lack of spiritual awareness. Therefore, helping children to learn the basics of faith, biblical teachings and worship practices give them the necessary foundation that can lead to a lively relationship with the Lord as adults.
However, for parents to help their children – or other adults as well – they too much be engaged in life-long learning. Study of the Bible, conversations around issues of faith, and gathering with others to engage those issues that we all face daily are means by which we as adult also grow in our faith. For many of us, who have had a good foundation, continued learning combined with participation in worship only increases both our relationship with God and our ability to help others in their relationship.
As Rally Day approaches, I hope that you will consider two things. First, to begin (if you haven’t already) or continue (if you’ve been here all along) to participate regularly in the Sunday morning worship service. Each service features not only wonderful music, engaging fellowship and excellent preaching (by a variety of pastors and laity), it also gives us all an opportunity to hear the Word of God and receive the body and blood of Christ.
Second, I encourage you to become engaged in our Christian Education programs. Each Sunday morning, beginning September 13, 9:00 am, there will be classes for adults. Gathered around a common text, the age-appropriate instructions will help each person grow in their faith and encourage them to help others grow in theirs.
The writer of Proverbs reminds us that having a good foundation is critical to our lives of faith and our communal journey with others. I hope that this Rally Day will be a time when you hear the word of Proverbs as a call to spiritual growth through worship and Christian education here at St. Luke’s Downtown.
