The normally loud, echoing sounds of high school gym activities were silent Sunday. Instead, hundreds of area Christians filled Homer High School's bleachers and chair-covered gym floor for the 12th annual One Lord Sunday.
Photo by McKibben Jackinsky
Martina and Jerry Uhlig and their son, Malachi, join hundreds of area Christians worshipping at One Lord Sunday.
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Organized by the Homer Ministerial Association, it brought together congregations of some 10-15 area churches.
"Each of the churches participating closes their doors and joins into one service with everyone," said Greg Newell, chairman of the association that meets weekly.
According to Denny Neel, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church and former chairman of the association, the roots of One Lord Sunday date back to struggles within Homer's Christian community that resulted in division.
"There are a lot of differences between Christian congregations. The style of music. The style of worship. Even in some of our theology," said Neel, who, after 14 years with Faith Lutheran Church, is retiring in June. He and his wife, Sue, plan to relocate to South Dakota to be near Sue's mother. "The basic theology is this concept of atonement, that there's a savior. That's what unites us. So often we focus on what separates us, rather than what unites us."
Believers entered the gym to the soft sounds of harp music, provided by JulieAnn Smith. They greeted one another with smiles, hugs and handshakes, and found places to sit before musicians from Refuge Chapel officially began the worship service. Keyboard, guitar, drums and voices blended together to lead the gathering in a combination of gospel favorites and newer songs of worship.
"We always gave a good time," said Darren Williams, pastor of Refuge Chapel.
After an offertory song and a prayer led by Capt. Mark Thielenhaus of the Salvation Army, a collection was taken to benefit the Ken Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund.
"It's primarily a scholarship for young students who have really demonstrated their faith," Thielenhaus said.
Before the day's sermon was delivered, youngsters were excused to attend Children's Church. Sixteen youth and adults from the Muldoon Community Assembly in Anchorage traveled to Homer to organize the gathering for the youngsters.
The basis for the morning's sermon in the adult worship service was John 1:29: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.'"
Steve Mastre, pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Anchor Point, gave the first half of the sermon, providing a setting for the text. He was followed by Neel, who used the verse to address the concepts of "the lamb of God" and "who takes away the sin of the world."
"Really, the majority of it is about atonement, God taking upon himself the results of our sin and establishing our relationship with him," Neel said of the passage.
Mastre and his family just moved to the Kenai Peninsula in August 2007. This was his first involvement with One Lord Sunday. For Neel, however, it was his last opportunity to participate in the gathering before he and his wife leave Alaska.
As he began the second half of the sermon, Neel asked the congregation of several hundred, "Do you know how rare this is, not only in Alaska, but in the world that so many churches should be brought together?"
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.
