Together, It Was the Best Sunday Ever
Written by: Pastor Justin Tigerman, Transitional Pastor
“No matter how this turns out, if anyone asks how this Sunday went, I’m going to tell them it was the best Sunday ever!”
This wisdom from a congregation member changed my outlook for God’s Work Our Hands Sunday. I was letting my nerves get the better of me. I had no idea what might happen when we would combine four congregations (St. Peter’s Lutheran, Hughestown; St. Peter’s Lutheran, Scranton; St. Matthew’s United Lutheran, Scranton; and Indonesian Lutheran Church of Scranton) for a worship, potluck, and service activity.
We prepared for the day with our 6261 Exploration Team, each church council, and a joint worship planning team to make the day special. We had musical and administrative talent involved. The question now was if everything would actually come together.
As I stewed on everything that could go wrong, little did I know that member was spot on: it WAS the best Sunday ever.
I was greeted in the parking lot by a member of Indonesian Lutheran Church in Scranton. Stepping into the doorway, the scent of curry chicken and American wimpies - an odd combination - filled my nostrils and brought a smile to my face. Downstairs, about 25 people from the congregations worked to set up the potluck. Upstairs, three musicians were practicing, laughing, and taking pictures together. What a start!
Worship opened with a Celebration of Community and the rest involved readers and leaders from each congregation, with portions in English and Indonesian. We enjoyed organ and piano duets with several special music selections. At the Passing of the Peace, participants took extra time to meet someone new. It was a marvelous atmosphere for worship.
Afterwards, we went downstairs for an incredible potluck. The majority of worship attendees stayed to enjoy a variety of lovingly prepared cuisine. After a few minutes of feasting together, Dcn. Kat Tigerman shared more about 6261 as a possibility for our future. She highlighted the flexible and inclusive framework to create a 6261 Ministry Community while empowering each congregation to be involved. The potluck and presentation were both “tastefully” done.
Then, the service activity. A group of volunteers began by organizing a table overflowing with school supplies from all four congregations to assemble school kits for neighboring schools and local youth shelter. We had extremely capable organizers from ages 5 – 70+ jump up and set out notebooks, pencils, glue, and other supplies. It was easy for everyone to make a kit! There were many pictures, smiles, and compliments passed around as members from each congregation commented on how wonderful the day was shaping up.
Our congregational leaders left God’s Work Our Hands Sunday riding a wave of enthusiasm. Worship was full, music was inspiring, food was amazing, the presentation was helpful, and the service activity was relational. We absolutely plan to do this again and would enjoy helping other congregational communities create a similar experience.
I am grateful to the many teams who contributed to the day. Most of all, I am grateful to all the encouragement each congregation provided to me and to each other to make God’s Work Our Hands 2025 the best Sunday ever…until next time!
