Peace Lutheran Church
416 Wellham Ave.
Glen Burnie MD, 21061
Bringing Christ's love to all people and all people to Christ's love.
Message from Pastor JMe Lowden
"Let us go now to the banquet, to the feast of the universe. The table’s set and a place is waiting; Come, ev’ryone, with your gifts to share."
From the Salvadoran Peoples. Mass
“As God’s people in the Delaware-Maryland Synod, we celebrate the fact that God’s banquet table is open to people of every race, color, language, and ethnicity. We also take to heart our Lord’s urging to look at the banquet tables we set in order to see who is not there.”
“As a church with an immigrant history, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has for over two decades had as its stated goal to become a more ethnically diverse church. The ELCA recognizes that not only does it need to respond decisively to new mission opportunities presented by recent immigrants and minority groups in the population, its very health and renewal as a spiritual body are at stake in the ongoing demographic shifts. The Latino community presents the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with an incredible, largelyuntapped, resource of faith and spiritual power in that the majority of its members are religious. As a matter of course, they look for churches and pastors who will receive their gifts and support them in their walk of faith.”
Dear sisters and brothers of Peace, In Christ,
The words above are taken from the “Strategy For Outreach With Latino Persons In The Delaware-Maryland Synod” drafted in June 2007. Do you realize that we, at Peace Church, have been a part of this exciting outreach of the synod and the ELCA for over three years? In February, Pastor Manuel Caseres and his small but dedicated worshipping community of sisters and brothers from Central and South America celebrated their third anniversary as a mission outreach of Peace congregation. What a blessing!
During the last supper before his crucifixion, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet as a demonstration of the lives of service they were called to lead. He told them to be fruitful in their mission of outreach to the world. He prayed to his Father that they would be loving in their relationships with one another and in unity of purpose in the mission to share the word of truth of God’s love in Christ so that the world would believe (John 17). Together with Pastor Manuel and our Latino sisters and brothers, we are following our Lord’s call to service and outreach, and we are striving to answer his prayer of unity in love and purpose as we work together at Peace church.
Jesus warned his disciples that life in his ministry would not be easy, but he also promised that it would bring joy when we are committed to his mission of love and sacrifice. He called us to join him at the table of blessing where we will be strengthened in our faith and joined with him as one body, the church.
On Maundy Thursday, March 20, all of our church community, Latino and Anglo, will be gathered together to worship, to serve one another through foot-washing, and to share the meal of grace that Jesus instituted. We will, indeed, be enjoying a foretaste of the banquet-“the feast of the universe” -for our celebration of unity will also be the beginning of the Holy Triduum or the great Three Days of the church year: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. What a joy!
Join us for this and all other opportunities for worship, fellowship, unity, learning and blessing during this holy season. Check out the rest of this newsletter for further information, dates and details. The table’s set and a place is waiting for you!
Pastor JMe
