When I walk into New Creation on Sunday morning, I am hopeful that I will be lifted up. And I always am. The people, the message, the sermon, the atmosphere of candles, flowers, and great music always leave me refreshed and renewed.

Part of my Christian education included reading the Sermon on the Mount, especially the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–10. Those words have guided me since childhood, when I would accompany my mother to visit homebound relatives—just listening to their conversations and being present.

Over time, this shaped a personal practice. I visit friends in the hospital, drive disabled friends to doctor appointments, and help clean the homes of friends and neighbors when they are too sick to do the work themselves. I don’t announce, “I’m living out one of the Beatitudes.” I simply offer the help, do the work, and listen. This has become what I do and what I enjoy.

Wherever I live, and whatever church or spiritual group I belong to, I try to show up. Sometimes that means making a phone call. Sometimes it’s sitting with a dying friend, or even walking their dog. If I can be there, I am. The phrase I learned in my Lutheran church captures it well: “God’s Work, Our Hands.”

I’ve also been moved by Pastor Cristina’s sermon asking, “Who is my neighbor?” Her answer—everyone—struck me deeply. It reminded me that faith is not limited by walls, traditions, or titles.

In the past, I served on Church Councils. I was outspoken, restless with finance and procedure, and sometimes a “loose cannon.” Now, as age and brain fog occasionally slow me down, I find that writing helps me reflect and share.

So what does church mean to me? It is both the quiet and the lively: the candles and flowers, the music and sermons, the hands-on work of serving neighbors, and the community that always lifts me up.

New Creation Lutheran Church Member
Rosy