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A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preacher’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.

The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone; then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the preacher reached the door to leave his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I will be back in church next Sunday.”

Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.

It’s a new year: time to value the community we share and surround each other with uplifting prayers. All are welcome to join the “fire” in the sanctuary on Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Even if you can’t be with us in person, please be with us in prayer.

Look for the 2010 Prayer Pal Exchange on February 7.

Kim Savage

Thanks to our hosts, Shirley and Terry Coffelt, and our auctioneer, Dave Hull, we raised well over $500 for Lutheran Campus Ministry at ASU.  This will help our students travel to Germany this coming spring.

Scores of folks sang Christmas Carols, bid on the various deserts, and devoured the many items on the potluck menu.

Check out the rest of the pictures and the fun the whole gang had.

We’ll be walking in kinship and solidarity with neighbors from near and far when we gather at El Dorado Pak in Scottsdale November 4 at 2 p.m.-one of more than a thousand CROP walks taking place across the nation this fall.

You’ve seen the signs and sign-ups in and around the Campus Center, urging us all to contribute to help overcome hunger and poverty.  The Walks are sponsored by Church World Service, an ecumenical cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican faith communities providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance in over 80 countries.  The ELCA is one of the participating denominations, and Universitiy Lutheran has put feet to the ground in this annual event for more years than  we can remember.

CROP is the acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty; 25% of the amount raised remains in Arizona for allocation to local organizations, such as food banks and feeding programs.  Sign up sheets for walkers and those financially supporting them are in the Campus Center–and you can both contribute and walk.  But do at least one!

On November 8 the walkers will turn in their sponsor sheets and donations  before joining others walking, running or skateboarding around the Park at 2 p.m.

We walk because hungry people–over one-seventh of the human family–walk to get food and water.  Do participate by walking and spnosring a walker.  It’s good for your soul (and your heart)!

Need more information?  Check up www.cropwalk.org.