Day 19 - Sister Parish

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

God’s Word

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” John 10:16

Sharing Faith

Picture…Joyful marimba music and eager voices lift praises to heaven in a Spirit-filled mingling of tongues. Minnesotans cluster around the altar with Central Americans, praying for one another and the world, together receiving the body and blood of Christ.

Description…Sister Parish teaches us to share our faith – our hope, our help, our sorrows, our joys – with Christians in other lands through a long-term relationship with a congregation in Guatemala or El Salvador.

Why… Jesus prayed that all his followers might be one. This unity transcends time and place and culture. With other Christians, we share one bread, we claim one Lord, one faith, one baptism. When one suffers, we all suffer; when one rejoices, we rejoice together. We are one in Christ.

Lives Are Changed… Live for a few days as the welcomed guest of a peasant farmer, or a widowed mother, and witness the faith that gives strength and courage to conquer hardship, poverty, and oppression. Become an advocate for the neglected people of the world.

Connect… Within the year, Sister Parish staff will link us with a community and we will be preparing for our first delegation to the South! Travelers may be teens, teachers, pastors, seniors – almost anyone. Meet for orientation in spiritual growth, cultural awareness, and language learning. Each traveler will need many sympathetic others supporting them at home through the ongoing work of building missions at CLC.

Prayer… Jesus, show us yourself in the faces of your beloved children around the world, who love and rely on you just as we do. Make us one in your name. Amen.

— Submitted by Jan Wiersma