Visiting Vicarage and General Update

General update at the end of this post.  This past long weekend Renae, Alexi, and I journeyed to Neligh and Elgin, Nebraska where I served my vicarage.  Alexi was born toward the end of vicarage and baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elgin (pictured above) by Pastor David Kuhfal.  Pastor Kuhfal and his wife, Tami, serve as baptismal sponsors for Alexi.

Pastor Kuhfal shepherds both Grace Lutheran in Neligh and Trinity Lutheran in Elgin.  This weekend I had the opportunity to preach at both, and I must say it was a welcome change preaching to congregations who knew my voice.  I also had the opportunity to conduct the Service of the Sacrament, something the congregations hadn't seen me do before.  It was a good reminder that vicars aren't vicars forever but become pastors and begin to shepherd in Christ's Church.  And it was a good chance for me to thank them for their service to the Church by continuing the vicarage program and preparing men to be pastors.  During Bible class in Neligh I presented on St. Silas and what I've been doing since they saw me last.

Thank you for having us to visit.  We were glad to come back to see you.  It seems like ages since we had been there, but then again I felt like we hadn't been gone at all.  Our intention is that this is far from the last time we return to visit.  The Lord willing we will come back again.

General update on St. Silas

We are currently working with a designer and realtor to submit a drawing and letter of intent to the owner of the storefront we would like.  Taking into account time for negotiating a lease agreement, time for the owner to build out the space, and time for us to make it look like a sanctuary, we will probably be in a storefront closer to Easter.  In the meantime we're investigating temporary places to meet for a few months.  Counting myself and my family, St. Silas currently stands at 13 people.  Others have expressed interest.  That's over 500% more than is necessary!  "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them" (Matthew 18:20).  Interestingly, the words "are gathered" are passive in the Greek, meaning we don't gather ourselves together.  Rather Christ himself gathers us together, which he has been doing and continues doing.  We're still in good shape to begin meeting for Divine Service on or before February 10th, 2013, the Commemoration of St. Silas.  I will post information on temporary location, storefront location, and services when I know more.

"And [Jesus] said, 'The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.  He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The earth produces by itself (Greek: automatically), first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.'"  Mark 4:26-29

In Christ

Pastor Andrew Richard

St. Silas Lutheran Church
www.stsilaslutheran.org
www.facebook.com/stsilaslutheran
stsilaslutheran@gmail.com