Lutheran Church of the Master

Pastor's Message

Welcome to the Lutheran Church of the Master 

Thank you for visiting our website.  If you have opened this link it is quite possible that you are curious about the flavour of our congregation.  This is excellent because curiosity and wonder is what leads us beyond ourselves into gratitude, compassion, generosity and awe.

I invite you to come and visit our church when our congregation has gathered.  This happens at 11:00 am on Sunday mornings, among other times.  

So what are we about?

In order for there to be a church there has to be people.  At the heart of the Christian way is humility. The root of this word is "humus", which is the same root of the word "human".  To be humble and human is the "be on the earth". The Bible provides many examples of earthy characters, like the folks who make up our congregation.

I'm a big fan of humus (not the Mediterranean veggie dip, but the complex carbon molecules that comprise our soil), as I happen to be a farmer.  Along with my family we manage a grazing operation on about 3000 acres. One thing that I spend a lot of time thinking about as a farmer and a pastor is what does an earthy faith look like in a cyber connected world?   I am grateful that the bible was written in a time when people lived close to the earth. These ancient texts have much to teach us about being human.

More than just the presence of people a church requires God.  We believe that God is compassionate. This means that God is willing to suffer with us.  We see this on the cross and we witness this in the care and concern that people express for each other in good times and in bad.  The name Emanuel means "God with us". And we believe that God is with us. Our Sunday gathering is an invitation to pause in a hectic world and re-centre our thoughts and posture towards God's good and gracious promises.

The last thing a church requires to be a church is mission.  God's mission is to renew and animate people and their communities with life. Forgiveness, healing, hope and companionship are some of the core tools that God employs for mission.   We believe that God has a mission for the communities that comprise this city, our neighborhoods, schools and workplaces. Because God gets involved with our earthy activities our everyday lives become holy endeavors.  Our efforts are conducted in faith that God will use our talents and relationships to renew and animate this planet with life. Abundant life. This is a big vision of God's mission and there is room for everyone.

We are a humble congregation.  We cherish God's compassionate involvement in our everyday lives.  With joy (and some fear) we ask God to lead us into our communities.  This is what we are about. It ain't fancy, but it's real. All are welcome.