Pastor's Corner

170 years ago, families gathered at their new church.

Hopeful ears listened to the Word of God and received the Gospel.

Hearts were renewed by the grace of the Lord.

And hands were folded in prayer asking God to bless what may come.

Over 15,000 services later and still our ears hear the Word, our hearts are renewed, and our hands still lift before God all that is to come. By the same proclamation of the forgiveness of sins through the cross of Christ, we are connected to our founding members so many years and so many services ago.

170 years seems to be so far away, but we are more closely connected to them than you might think. It would only take one or two steps to find people who were connected in some way to a founding member. We have members who are close to 100 years old, and a founding member may have seen their baptism. If we are so closely connected to those who heard the first invocation at St. Peter’s, then how closely are we connected to each other today. This wonderful connection is possible because God first connected with us.

We are connected to God and each other through Christ. God formed this connection by sending Jesus to take on our flesh, washing us clean through water and Word, giving us His very Body and Blood, dying our death, and renewing us to a life in Christ. It is no wonder our mission statement begins with CONNECT to Christ, because with that beautiful connection we GROW in His grace and SHARE Him with others.

This month we celebrate 170 years of connection at St. Peter’s, and we will give thanks to God on Reformation Sunday for this anniversary. May we continue to have hopeful ears to hear the Word of God, hearts renewed by His grace, and hands folded in prayer for what God will do. These acts connect us to all our members as we give praise to God for 170 years of St. Peter’s ministry.