Today we made our 68th visit to a SEPA congregation. We traveled up the Boulevard for the 9:30 service at Immanuel, Somerton—a congregation in Philadelphia’s far NE, proud of its German heritage. The 9:30 service is advertised as the English service.

We were greeted as we got out of our car near the sanctuary door. A friendly woman directed us downstairs. In the summer they gather less formerly in their fellowship hall. The service was short and employed minimal elements of the liturgy. We sang only two hymns, both to familiar tunes with revised words. It seems that the congregation uses the summer to catch up on mission opportunities. This week the pastor was concentrating on relations with Islam. Next week, the bulletin announced a speaker from a SEPA Social Service Agency. The week before featured a different local mission project.

The topic of Islam holds special interest to this congregation as there has been some concern in Germant with Islamic immigration and an organized attempt by one group in Cologne to distribute copies of the Koran. The pastor, The Rev. Sönke Schmidt-Lange, said that their distribution method would be akin to Bishop Burkat urging SEPA Lutherans to buy a new Bible for themselves and at the same time give a Bible to someone not of the faith. He spoke of fear of Islamic extremism and referenced other extreme actions in history based on religious conviction.

The service traveled a bit today. After the passing of the peace, the congregation migrated to a spot on their ample grounds where a tree was being blessed as a memorial to a deceased member. They were then returning to the church for coffee and to view a 25-minute video on Islam. The pastor seemed to have done ample research in preparing for the discussion. Presumably, the German members arriving for the second service could also view the video.

We invite Immanuel to take the message of today’s sermon seriously and put their pastor’s suggestion in action.

Redeemer, through its 2×2 online ministry, has been working with a mission effort in Pakistan which is truly impressive. Our mission friends there have initiated a project. They are intent upon starting 1000 home churches in Pakistan this year and they are looking to provide 1000 Bibles in the Urdu language — one for each home church. Each Bible costs about $16. We will be glad to forward any offerings for the purchase of Urdu Bibles in Pakistan to this mission project in a manner that would ensure every dollar going towards mission. You can read about their ministry on this site.

This is a mission effort in a land which is hostile to Christianity. Our friends write to us often about persecution. They told us of how a Lutheran church burned during the uprising caused by the critical internet video a few months ago.

And so we should be supporting their work in Pakistan while being less fearful of our new Islamic neighbors.

Redeemer can tell you this. Our friends who came to Christianity from Islamic roots have been very supportive of our ministry during our five-year exile from SEPA — while most SEPA Christians have turned their backs on us.

ELCA statistics have the baptized membership of Immanuel as 441.

While the congregation migrated for the tree blessing, we spoke with a member who shared with us news of their VBS program. They don’t have young children anymore but they had a program for 10 enthusiastic youngsters. I gave them the link to our VBSaid.com web site.

There were about 50 at worship, including just one child. The numbers were swelled a bit, they told us, as the family of the person for whom the tree is a memorial were present for the blessing.

They historic roots are closer to center city. They moved to the far NE part of the city some 25 years ago. The diaspora continues, according to one member. Their younger members are moving still farther from the city.

That leaves them with a mission challenge right there in Somerton!