“Just head toward the tiki torches”

Not something you’d expect to hear at Bethlehem Lutheran . . . in St. Cloud, Minnesota . . . in October! But when people arrived at Bethlehem on Friday night for a concert by The Rose Ensemble, that was exactly the greeting they received. Directions were needed, because there were many things happening around here:

• People were bringing items to be sold at the Fall Festival the next morning;
  Support group members were warmly welcoming participants as they always do on Friday nights;
• There were hosts ready to direct people to have their beautiful smiles captured by the photographer for our pictorial directory;
• Willing hands were happy to take orders for the Centennial Cookbook that is being prepared and assembled for next fall;
• And the Concert Ushers, decked out in black & white and adorned with Hawaiian lei, were directing concert-goers in through the Preschool entrance, down the long hallway, past the nursery and through exit doors that are never used, under a canopy, on a path lit by tikki torches, into the sanctuary, past the flowing water of the baptismal font, and finally – to their places.

The Rose Ensemble was fabulous in its musicality and in telling the story of the history, spirit, music, and survival of the Hawaiian people. Songs of the sea were accompanied by the sounds of flowing water. Beautiful sounds. Warm welcome. The light of Christ’s presence, shining like a torch in the night.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” --John 8:12

Our loving God, thank you for sending your Son to shine the light of his presence in the nighttime of our lives. Use us to reflect Christ’s light to the world. Amen.