In preparing for a recent bible study, I came across a statement
about faith that I had not thought about in a while. The statement is, “Rooted in tradition,
grounded in worship, called to serve, allowed to dream.” I have been a Lutheran from birth. I didn’t realize how much of my faith is
connected to the Lutheran tradition until I was in seminary. I discovered how truly Lutheran I am. I love the creeds. At the installation service for Bishop Stacie
Fidlar we said the Nicene Creed. It was
beautiful to hear the 100-plus rostered leaders and several guests saying the
Nicene Creed together. The creeds
proclaim our faith in the Triune God, acknowledging our beliefs in God as our
almighty parent and creator of all, Jesus who was truly human who came for us
and for our salvation, and the Holy Spirit who works to sustain our
faith.
Worship is an important part of our lives as Lutherans. Worship is what feeds us each week. Being grounded in worship helps me throughout the week. For me, worship is a
wonderful way to begin the week. It is
my restart after a difficult week. It is
how I am fed, even when I am leading worship. When we gather for the Eucharist it is a
holy moment where we experience God’s unending grace. When we praise and worship God in our music
and spoken words, my heart, and soul are filled.
When we worship together, we experience God’s mercy, grace, and love
that grounds us and helps to sustain us. How do you feel about tradition and
worship?
Called to serve! Each
of us is called to serve in a different way.
Some are called to be worship leaders and others are called to serve in
other areas of ministry. My call to
serve as a pastor was so strong that no matter how much I doubted my ability to
be successful in seminary and to be a pastor, God continues to prove to me that
God is greater than my doubts. My call
came from God! I am grateful that God
did not and has not given up on me. How
are you called to serve?
I don’t see myself as much of a dreamer, there are times
when being allowed to dream is a great gift.
We can dream of what is to come.
These moments of being allowed to dream are sacred moments where we can
get lost in our thoughts and our hopes. What are your hopes and dreams?
“Rooted in tradition, grounded in worship, called to serve,
allowed to dream.” What does this statement
say to you? What does this stir up in
you?
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Katrina Steingraeber
