Oh, Blest the House

The joke is that we Lutherans have three Sacraments: Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and Potlucks.

Tonight, we had a great potluck at the building of our congregation, Friendship Lutheran Church. With us were some folks from several other area Lutheran congregations and some very special guests.

The guests were a family of four for whom and with whom we'll be building a Habitat for Humanity home this spring.

The "build," as it's called in Habitat parlance, is made possible by a grant from Thrivent Financial Services for Lutherans. This not-for-profit organization provides all sorts of top-notch financial products to Lutherans. Revenues, in turn, are poured into all sorts of projects that Lutherans undertake. Thrivent matches monies raised by Lutheran believers in Christ around the country, making it possible to extend and expand their efforts to share the love of Christ in practical ways. Funded projects might be community playgrounds, the uncovered medical expenses of someone suffering from catastrophic illness, planting community gardens, repairs on church buildings, or thousands of other things that benefit communities and churches.

Several years ago, Thrivent announced a major partnership with Habitat for Humanity called Thrivent Builds. Thrivent gives grants to local "branches," composed of Thrivent "members" from one, two, or three local Lutheran congregations which provide about 65% of the cost of a new Habitat home. It's then up to the branch members to help raise the remaining money, provide the labor, and, of course, undergird the whole thing with prayer.

In 2006, Lutheran members of Thrivent were part of building a total of 313 Habitat homes. That's one home every twenty-eight hours!

This year, Thrivent will provide core funding for the construction of 355 homes nationwide. The branch of which our congregation, Friendship Lutheran Church of Amelia, Ohio, is a part will build one of those homes this year. The purpose of tonight's potluck was to kick things off and to allow us to meet our newest Habitat family.

Our congregation has been involved with Habitat in the past and it's a truly rewarding experience. It's a wonderful thing to be part of working with a family to provide them with something many can take for granted, a home of their own.

The family itself, as you may know, also participates in the construction process, their labor considered "sweat equity," part of their "payment" for the home.

Getting the money together and getting this house built are real challenges. As I said in my message this weekend:

Late last June, when the Servanthood Team decided to set what they considered a modest goal--500 outside-the-congregation service hours by Friendship folks before the end of the year, I went along with them. But I wondered if we could make the goal. The fact is, you smashed that goal.

Now, we face another daunting task: Joining other Lutheran churches and others in the community with the construction of a new Habitat for Humanity home in New Richmond. I want you all to know right now: We can’t do it. But through us, the God we meet in Jesus Christ, can! Are you willing to believe in Him? Willing to rely on Him? Then, be at the Welcome the Higginses potluck tonight as we begin this new venture. While we build the house, Jesus Christ will build in us a sturdy, loving faith that reaches out to others. Jesus is the Savior Who turns our missions impossible into missions accomplished!

I believe that, precisely because I've seen Christ work through believers in the real world to bring real blessings to real people!

Tonight, we prayed, we ate, we received information, we took an offering for the project, and we sang a great old hymn, Oh, Blest the House. It seemed appropriate:

Oh, blest the house, whate’er befall,
Where Jesus Christ is All-in-All!
For if He were not dwelling there,
How dark and poor and void it were!

Oh, blest that house where faith is found,
And all in charity abound
To trust their God and serve Him still
And do in all His holy will!

Oh, blest that house; it prospers well!
In peace and joy the parents dwell,
And in their children’s lives is shown
How richly God can bless His own.

Then here will I and mine today
A solemn cov’nant make and say:
Though all the world forsake His Word,
My house and I will serve the Lord!

In the months to come, I think that we'll learn again the truth of what the Old Testament teaches: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1)