Updates from congregations around the Church of the Lutheran Confession.
Greetings from your fellow members of the Body of Christ who also happen to live in the Body of Christ. Corpus Christi, you see, is Latin for “the body of Christ.” This name gives us an easy opportunity to bring up our faith when we’re talking with other residents of our city. Located on the Gulf Coast of Texas, Corpus Christi is close to as far south as you can travel and remain in the United States. The border between the USA and Mexico is about a two-hour drive south.
Our part of the Body of Christ consists of a few dozen members who do their best to practice the love of Christ, for “there is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4) This one hope we share with you is the sure hope of the resurrection as witnessed in the firstfruits of the resurrection, our Lord, Jesus Christ. What a great and noble calling Jesus has given to all of us to spread the news of His redeeming work and our hope for everlasting life!
Since our last article in the Lutheran Spokesman, Resurrection’s membership has had periods both of increase and decrease. The Lord fulfilled His promise of eternal life for Anita Villarreal, John Fisher, and Stella Cothran by calling them to their eternal home. The Lord has also granted spiritual life through Baptism and adult conversion for various individuals in our midst.
Tucked away from busy roads in a small neighborhood, our church has low visibility to the general public. Thus it is incumbent upon us to find other ways to spread the message of the forgiveness of sins, life after death, and the love of Jesus. We have recently updated our website and started taking out Google advertisements to increase our online presence in our community. We are also looking into advertising on the local bus benches to let the local community know about us. Ultimately, of course, there is no better way to spread the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ than personal interaction and confession of one’s faith. This is and can only be accomplished by the members of the Body of Christ. We strive to do just that. Finally, we spread the good news of Christ’s redeeming work at a local assisted living facility. Every Thursday, Pastor Naumann conducts a simplified worship service to individuals from a wide variety of religious backgrounds, and points them squarely toward Jesus as their sole Savior from sin.
Along with seeking to save the lost in Corpus Christi, we also aim to strengthen the bond of fellowship and the faith of all our members. Every New Year’s Eve we gather for an afternoon of fellowship involving board or card games and conclude with a song service, during which we sing all the congregation’s favorite hymns. Our faithful organist, Allen Hovda, likes to call this service the “stump the organist” game. We also hold a midweek Bible study on Thursday afternoons for the retired members of our congregation. One exciting development is that we have restarted our Sunday School. Bible Class always takes place at 9:30 A.M., right before our worship service, and now Sunday School does as well. Lynne Lassig is now guiding the lambs of our congregation to the Savior’s waiting arms on Sunday mornings.
The congregation has recently completed renovations to prevent flooding. Our location on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico means that we can regularly receive greater than five inches of rain in a few hours. This past September we received ten inches of rain in a 48-hour period, and the raised piers on the church helped prevent damage from floodwaters. Truly God protects us from the floodwaters both literally and figuratively. “He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.” (Psalm 18:16)
We know our church is one of the more remote churches in our fellowship, but that only makes us appreciate our communion in the Body of Christ with all of you even more. If you’re ever in the area, you’re more than welcome to stop in, visit, and join us in the worship of our Head, Jesus Christ.
Samuel Naumann is pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church of Corpus Christi, Texas.