(Jesus is speaking to his disciples after his resurrection
and immediately before his ascension):
Then Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:45–48 nrsv)

This was part of the gospel reading on Sunday, Sept 30 when I was at Christus Lutheran Church, Camden. Christus was celebrating 125 years of faithful ministry in the Cramer Hill section in the city of Camden. Much has changed over those 125 years-both in the city and in the church.

When Christus was first started, it was as an outreach to German speaking immigrants. As the years went on, German gave way to English and then to Spanish. Today, worship is still held in two languages. The first building was resurrected during the Great Depression and the church has lived through wars, economic downturns, riots in the city, social unrest in the country as well as through times of great prosperity.

Through it all, through all of the changes in language and custom, through all of the ups and downs of life in Camden, the word of God has remained a source of strength for Cramer Hill and the people who call Christus home. Christus remains a vibrant place of mission and ministry to people of every generation.

We give thanks to God for all of the witnesses to the faith since those first disciples. It is through this unbroken chain of ancestors that we encounter the risen Christ today. Thanks be to God.

Contributed by Tracie
Monday October 8, 2012
Liturgical Year B: Week 46
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading:
Lectionary 27 (Proper 22)
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost