Ken's Komments

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

How do we reach out to each other and our community? What can we do to share the Gospel while meeting people’s spiritual needs? These are certainly the same old questions that have been asked time after time. No one likes change, but change is good as long as we are doing the Lord’s work, and are able to reach out to more people with the message of salvation.

You probably are asking yourself by now whether Ken Norton is a “radical” because of the questions that he raises. Well, since I follow the example of Jesus, our Savior, I guess I am a “radical.” Jesus, too, was a “radical” is his own right.

Let us consider one of Jesus’ activities in his ministry to people. The book of John talks about Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well. Jesus was Jewish while the woman was a Samaritan. The Jewish people of the day were very hateful of the Samaritan people. During the time of Jesus, it was unusual that a man and a woman would have a conversation together. There is a good possibility that Jesus could have been held accountable through the legal system of the day. Did Jesus care about himself and his safety? Did Jesus get out of his comfort zone? Did Jesus care how he ministered to the people? Did he use specific methods? No, in fact, Jesus used different methods to reach different people. After all, not any one person, whether in Jesus’ time or in 2008, is alike.

I believe that we are a caring congregation, but have room for growth in this area. Are we as a congregation being “radical” in our approach to ministry compared to Jesus’ “radical” methods? Do we want things happening at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church just as happened in the past or are we going to be “radical” in our approach to ministry?

This is food for all of us to process. How can you make a difference individually at Good Shepherd and how can we together as Children of the Heavenly Father in this place make a difference as we reach out? Think about it long and hard. What would Jesus do?

God’s Peace,

Ken Norton