Holy Cross Lutheran Church

“There’s only some fish and bread.” Jesus asked the disciples to feed the crowd that has gathered to hear Him preach, but they couldn’t see past the size of the crowd and the size of the provision. How can some fish and bread feed so many? But what if giving has little do with the size of one’s offering but rather with faithfulness? A little boy in the crowd has some snacks - and he faithfully offers them for the sake of this good-news preacher. We have something to learn from a little boy with his snacks.

Provision is often a matter of perspective. The prophet Elijah is sent to a widow in a nearby town so that she can supply his needs. Yet, the woman has needs of her own - for her and her child. How can she provide for the prophet when she can’t provide for her own family? God asks us to provide financial resources to the church so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can advance. But, how does one do that when it feels like our finances are getting tighter and tighter? Today, we discover the nature of provision.

On October 31, 1517, an unknown priest caused a stir in the church - and the world - that has continued to reverberate today. When Luther posted his 95 theses, his intent was to relieve the burden so many of his parishioners were feeling. And yet people continue to feel burdened and weighed down. Luther relentlessly pointed to Jesus as the one who brings rest and freedom. What began in 1517 - an unwavering and unapologetic focus on Jesus - is EXACTLY what's needed today.

If we want to become fully human, then we must give our lives to the harvest field - where people are waiting to hear about Jesus. And statistically, they are waiting to hear about Jesus from someone they know. God has always been about bringing people back into a relationship with Him - and His Plan A is...you and me. We will never experience the surprisingly better life if we don’t give it in service of the lost.

The church is a diverse group of people with varied gifts — and those gifts are to be a blessing to one another. Our lives together are to be marked by serving one another in love so that when one weeps, we all weep, and when one rejoices, we all rejoice (Rom. 12:15). If we want to become fully human, then we must give our lives in service to the church — to the fellowship of believers in this time and place.