Recently I spent three days in meetings with LCMC leaders from across our association. While we discussed many important topics, one stood out from the rest. Service Coordinator Julie Smith and Mike Wind, from our Global Mission Fellowship, put forth this question: What does it really mean for LCMC to become a truly global church?

 

For most of our history, we have been a largely North American association that included a minority membership of congregations on other continents. We currently have 1049 total congregations with 876 here in North America. Over the past year, global interest in our association has sky-rocketed! For example, Lutheran leaders of more than 1,500 congregations across the African countries of Liberia, Congo, and Nepal have expressed interest in joining our LCMC family. This is a thrilling development, but not without its challenges. In 2001, the 25 charter congregations of LCMC dared to dream of a global church body. Now, 25 years and over 1000 congregations later, we are on the verge of living into that reality in a whole new way!

 

As we prepare to flip the calendar to August, there is no denying it’s back-to-school time! Stores are showcasing all the school supplies front and center. Moms and Dads are taking their kids shopping for new clothes and shoes and backpacks and a never-ending list of things that every parent hopes will help their son or daughter learn and grow in the new school year. Soon churches will be blessing backpacks, praying for schools, and teachers, as the buses begin to roll. For many, the end of summer is a reminder of fresh starts and new learning.

 

What if this became a life-prompt for our discipleship journey? As I write this, we will soon be gathering in New Braunfels around the theme CALLED. Together we are exploring 2 Timothy 1:9 and are reminded that God saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not because of anything we have earned or accomplished, but according to his own purpose and grace. That is where the Christian life begins. Yet Paul does not leave Timothy, or us, there. In 2 Timothy 2:2 he instructs young Timothy what those who are called are to do next: What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

 

Have you ever sensed God nudging you? Ever get the feeling that God had something more for you in this life? If so, you are in good company! Across Texas and around the world, God still calls ordinary people like you and me into his extraordinary Kingdom work. The key question for us is how do we recognize and respond to being called? This summer, we will be exploring this question together. On July 24-25, Lutherans from across Texas will gather in New Braunfels for our 17th Annual LCMC Texas District Gathering. I personally would like to invite you to join us.

 

Our theme this year is CALLED, based on 2 Timothy 1:9: “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” This grounds our understanding of what it means to be called: not because we have earned anything, but by God’s own purpose and grace. The truth proclaimed here once again is that God delights in calling ordinary, unfinished people to be equipped and commissioned for Kingdom mission and ministry.

 

Ever think about what a calling is? Both Christians and non-Christians alike sometimes refer to their career, volunteer work, role, or purpose in their family or social group as a calling. One worldly formula is GIFTS + PASSION + VALUES = CALLING. But as followers of Jesus, how do we understand what it means to be called?

 

Our theme for the 2026 Texas District Gathering is CALLED, drawn from a single verse penned by the Apostle Paul in his final letter to Timothy, a young pastor whom he has mentored. In 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul writes: “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” In this single verse, Paul both proclaims the gospel while grounding for us what it means to be called.

 

Years ago, a pastor friend of mine invited me to consult with his congregation on vision and long-range planning. During this process, two younger men stepped up, full of energy and new ideas. Both felt called to do more than fill a pew. They were eager to help lead worship, give the announcements, and even willing to preach on occasion to mix things up. Here were two men already in the church who were ready to grow and go!

I could not have been more thrilled. What an opportunity my friend had to invest in and mentor these two young men! And, in my mind, one or both might end up being a pastor someday. But my friend was not thrilled. He didn’t doubt the men or their gifts. Instead, he confessed that he couldn’t get past wondering what people would think. He was insecure about his own role. He said, “If these young men are leading and preaching, people will start to wonder what we are paying the pastor for.”

 

 

It has been more than a decade since I pastored a church and experienced the special blessing it is to lead a community of faith in the Resurrection celebration on Easter morning. If you are a pastor, then you likely know what I mean. I remember fondly the anxious anticipation for crowds of people to gather and worship the risen Lord. As many pastors do, on Saturday night I would sit alone in an empty sanctuary and pray for God to fill the church and bring together those who needed to hear the Easter story anew. Sunday dawn would rise and with it, excitement as the church filled with all the familiar faces and many new ones, too. The greetings would ring out: “Christ is Risen! – He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Easter lilies adorned the sanctuary and special music triumphantly proclaimed God’s glory. For those of us entrusted to preach, it is a special privilege to share the greatest story ever told to a full room of eager listeners. All around the church on Easter Sunday there is a joy that is so powerful and uplifting.

 

But just seven days later, on the Second Sunday of Easter, I would often wonder, “What happened?” What happened to the joy and enthusiasm? What happened to the crowds and the packed sanctuary? What happened to all that was special the week before?

 

Each year in the season of Lent, Christians are invited to a familiar rhythm: slow down, reflect, repent, and return to the Lord. For many, Lent can feel like a somber season as it is often marked by fasting, self-examination, and reflection. Lent is all these things. But I also think that Lent can also be a critical season of preparation for our mission in the world.

 

As Christians begin their Lenten journeys around the world on Ash Wednesday, millions focus their attention on Psalm 51. Here King David pours out his heart before God in one of the most raw and honest prayers recorded in scripture. For context, David’s sin with Bathsheba had just been exposed. Confronted with his failure, he does not hide from the truth, minimize what he has done, or make excuses. David simply comes before God broken, exposed, and seeks God’s mercy and grace. And he prays, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and sinners will return to you.”

 

 

I love the Winter Games as they highlight sports you rarely get to see any other time. One of my favorite winter events is the 4-man bobsled. Four athletes climb into that sled, each with a specific role to play. The driver steers, the brakeman controls the finish, and the pushers provide explosive power at the start. To have a successful run, the team members each need to perform their task at peak performance and in perfect synchronization. The team members place absolute trust in one another as they set aside their individual pursuits for the team’s shared goal. They train together, sacrifice together, and either succeed or fail together. When they cross the finish line in record time, it’s not because one was great, it’s because four athletes became one unified team.