Dear Friends,
“You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14
First Lutheran Church of Boston has begun an exciting
new season of generosity—a season to Shine in Faith,
Mercy, and Joy to the broken world. We are writing to
invite you, our friends and family, to walk with us on
this journey.
The brokenness of the world is easy to spot: spiritual
hunger, poverty, war, hate—all manner of depravity—
envelope us with relentless force. With the best of
intentions, we seek Spirit-driven opportunities to clean
up the mess. But, how can we really know what role
we are meant to play in bringing Christ’s healing to our
planet?
Our question is: what activities Shine the brightest?
The answer is actually quite simple: We Shine our
brightest at the intersection where our gifts meet
the hurting world.
First Lutheran has mighty gifts, the most important of
which is our Faith in the Gospel—our Theology of the
Cross. We carry the message of Jesus, our Redeemer
King, who was crucified for our sins and then rose from
the dead to save us as His own. This message of Faith
is our greatest weapon against the darkness of the
world. It is our brightest light.
Our location in the heart of the city is another powerful
gift from God. Well positioned in the “Hub of the
Universe,” we have access to thousands of students
and young professionals who are far away from home
and in need of God’s Mercy. They come from every
corner of the globe to study and work. Our hope is
that the light of Jesus will Shine through our Mercy to
these young adults. Our further hope is that they take
the Gospel back home with them and Shine brightly
there.
Lastly, we Shine with the great gift of Joy! Our
worship services are infused with exuberant praise.
Nearly two decades ago, First Lutheran installed a
spectacular North German style organ—an instrument
perfectly suited to the music of J.S. Bach. Acclaimed
organists come from all around the world to play
glorious music for worshippers and concert-goers.
For us, these precious gifts of Faith, Mercy, and Joy
are precisely those gifts that God calls us to Shine
upon our hurting world. This is the intersection where
FLC Shines the brightest.
We invite you to look through the following pages
to see if you might find that your path intersects with
ours. May God bountifully bless our Shining together.
Faith, Mercy, and Joy to you in the precious Name of
Jesus!
Warmly in Christ’s great love,
Lisa Stiller, President
Steve Perko, Head Elder
