Emphasis Preaching Journal

The local Roman Catholic pastoral team and the Lutheran team began to meet monthly to talk about a common identity. At first discussion was tedious. The Lutherans went on and on about their merger, and the Catholics about the troubles in the Archdiocese.

One day amid the stifled yawns, one of them mentioned the housing problem in the community. They became animated in their discussion of this common struggle. The discussion flowed into the need for pantries, and clothing, and medical help in the community.

Plans were made and steps taken to work on the housing. They agreed to have pantry and clothing resources. In the next months they had to get the folks from the Episcopal church and the Baptist church to join them.

With all this work, they needed to worship together too, so they shared a “Good Friday” worship time by walking through the community. They stopped to pray at the places of “death” in the neighborhood where robbery, muggings, and murder had happened in the last year. At each place they prayed together and recommitted themselves to be good news in the community. And the Spirit of the Lord was upon them.