Go & Tell the Story

By Stephanie Lusienski, Administrator for Finance & Development Have you ever purchased a previously owned book, borrowed a book from a friend, or borrowed someone’s bible?   Often times these borrowed books have doodles on the edges, notes written in the white spaces, words that have been circled or prayers that were lifted up.   Often times there is as much beauty and grace in the margins as there is in the main story or the main text.   Jesus’ story begins with his birth in a stable…in the margins, and his life and ministry was lived out as he served the marginalized.    Lisa Nichols Hickman writes, “Why do we write or draw in the margins?   What’s wonderful about the margins is their potential for discovery, creativity and daily joy.   The margins offer a place for faith to develop in clarity and deepen in mystery.   The margins offer a place for hope to gain security, grace to gain awareness, and wisdom to fin...

By Stephanie Lusienski, Administrator for Finance & Development This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Houston, Texas and attend the 2018 ELCA National Youth Gathering.   I love attending Youth Gatherings because it energizes me and reminds me that there is hope in the world and there is hope because of the young people of our church.   It also shows me that there is a different lens in which to view the world…the lens through which our young people see it.   Youth Gatherings also challenge me to see things that I often want to ignore or want to deny their existence. There were many good presenters at this year’s Gathering; in my opinion, one of the best was Mr. Bryan Stevenson, the Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and an attorney who works as an advocate for the poor and the incarcerated.  Mr. Stevenson talked about the “power of proximity.”  He argues that justice and advocacy work is best done in proximit...