Pointing people to God
“Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people.”
This phrase came to mind when I visited our family farmland in rural La Crosse this spring, pictured on the cover of this newsletter. My brother’s cabin has a sweeping view of a coulee that is a part of the Black River Watershed. As I looked out, my eye rested on the white church steeple which crowns Hardies Creek Lutheran Church. The steeple anchors the whole view. How great to look out over this green valley full of natural beauty with a steeple pointing to the living God so present in all of it!
In terms of style and shape, steeples are as varied as the church buildings they highlight. But the meaning of the church steeple remains the same- to point people to God. In fact, that is the point of the church. From an architectural perspective, steeples orient us to a church building. From a faith perspective, the steeple orients us to God’s presence everywhere-in our individual lives, here in our community, and within the world around us. The steeple is a good metaphor for our life of faith because it exists for one purpose- to point to Christ. Each of us is a steeple in our daily lives as we point people toward Jesus through loving, forgiving and serving. Think of people in your life who stand in your landscape like steeples- reflecting God’s love and grace to you by their forgiving ways, acts of mercy and kindness, expression of care, and concern for your best welfare. Like church steeples, in terms of style and shape, we are varied too. But we all exist for one purpose- to point people to the love of God in Jesus Christ.
On your summer trips and right atop Midvale Community Lutheran Church, look for the steeples. When you see them, let them orient you to a church building. But also, let the steeple re-orient you to the main point of life- loving and serving Jesus by loving and serving others. May God bless the mission of the people of Midvale Community Lutheran Church: "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door of God's love for all people!"
