Humble Beginnings
“For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” - Zechariah 4:10
Today was our fourth total service, and third Sunday service, and by the grace of God, we’ve yet to have an empty chapel! Our gatherings have been small so far, yet we are promised “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” -Matthew 18:20… God has promised His church that He will not abandon us, and even in the smallest of gatherings, He is in our presence. I am constantly reminded of God’s majesty in these tiny gatherings… God does not favor the giant cathedral over the tiny chapel, nor does He favor the tiny chapel over the giant cathedral. God meets His people where they gather, in great numbers in the grandest buildings, or at the bedside of the dying hospice patient privately meeting with their pastor to confess their sins.
I am reminded of a story that LCMS president, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, told on a recent podcast, where he recounts a pastoral visit to a dying man in the hospital, and in this hospital room, the sacrament of Holy Communion was celebrated by these two men, and wouldn’t you know it, this sick and dying man recovered, was catechized, and received into full membership into the LCMS before peacefully passing away at a later date! God’s love knows no limitations, nor is it restricted for the grandest of stages… God often works quietly, in small and humble places. Stories like this fill my heart with joy, and encourages me to continue to pursue our work in our community confidently, even in the face of a “slow start”.
One can easily think back to the times of St. Athanasius, forced into exile in light of Arian pressure… The great saint was driven to celebrate the Divine Service in caves and homes, as he was pushed out of the regular places of worship by the Arians, and yet, in these humble places of exile, Christian Orthodoxy did not die, but rather, it flourished! Athanasius of blessed memory can be quoted as saying “It is a fact that they have the premises… but you have the apostolic faith. They can occupy our churches, but they are outside the true faith. You remain outside the places of worship, but the faith dwells within you. Let us consider: what is more important, the place or the faith? The true faith, obviously.”… Let us remind ourselves of St. Athanasius’ words here when we are discouraged, or feel as if we are under persecution, trial, and tribulation. For wherever the apostolic faith is present, God is there at work.
I am beyond thankful to God for His grace in guiding this mission through its first baby steps… Now is the time to rely on His providence and love for us to shepherd us into our work in this community, to share His gifts of Word and Sacrament with His faithful.
God bless you dear reader, and may God’s grace fill you with joy and peace as you live out your day to day walk! Live in service to your neighbor, and in fervent love to God, resting in His immense love and care for you.
Pax Christi!
-Rev. Adam Linder
