Photographs!

Dear Friends in Christ,There's something about a photograph that can bring us right back to a moment. When I look at pictures that are stored up on my Facebook page or dig through old scrapbooks of study abroad adventures or look at the faces in my baby-book, I find myself right back in those moments.The thing that I find fascinating is that looking at old pictures of family that I've never even met even have a way encouraging my imagination to see the world through their eyes. I ask questions: How did she live in a home with 8 sisters and only an outhouse? How far did they walk to church and school? That hair! How did they ever think that was reasonable? Who is this person in the photo that nobody remembers? What's his story? Did they really speak two different kinds of German? I wonder what those arguments sounded like. I wonder if I'm at all like them. I wonder what I can learn from their stories even as mine will never be the same. I wonder what habits I've inherited. I wonder if I can be so brave as they. As well as the fascinating pictures, I've also discovered that you can use genealogy sites to find out about family lineage and discover more interesting facts about how family members lived and passed. It's something I would definitely recommend and if you have the time, go now!As I look through the archives here at St. Luke's I find myself having a similar reaction to photographs. I giggle at old choir photos of very serious young choristers. I wonder what music they sang. I wonder about the kindness in a former pastor's eyes. I wonder at the courage it took to build this building. I wonder at the faithfulness of these people. I wonder at the faithfulness of God who holds them, our heritage, and us, our present, and the future in tender and merciful hands.I have been grateful to be a part of this community of St. Luke's for over a year now and love hearing about your intentional conversations, dreams of justice work, care for one another, and faithfulness to our faithful God. I have the special privilege to bear witness to this part of St. Luke's journey as community, but also to look at our archives and imagine the world through the eyes of those who boldly served God and neighbor in our collective past.I am inviting you to share with me in that imagining as I comb through the archives. I'll soon start to share pictures on Facebook each Thursday. #tbt.I wonder what the faces of our community's heritage will make you wonder.May God bless your wondering.Sincerely,Claire Schoepp, Administrative Assistant