FROM THE HEART OF PASTOR LUTER
April 2008

WE'RE BAAAAAAACK!!!!!

After 2 1/2 years we are finally back in our beloved sanctuary at 2515 Franklin Avenue! Our first service back was Sunday April 6th with two standing room only services at 7:30am and 10:30am.  We had displaced Franklinites in attendance from all over America.  They were singing in the Mass Choir, sitting with the deacons, squeezing in the overflow rooms, and standing in the aisle and hallways of the jam-packed 2000 seat renovated sanctuary.  Some of us had not seen each other since Hurricane Katrina. You can imagine that there were all sorts of emotions in the place.  People were crying, embracing, clapping, singing and before you read it anywhere else the preacher was dancing!  Come on it's been 2 1/2 years (smile)!!  It was like a family reunion except some family members were not able to make it.  We also had a special memorial time in the worship service for the thirty four members of our congregation who died within the past 2 1/2 years.  Pastor Sam Young prayed a truly heart warming prayer for family members of the deceased.  There were not many dry eyes in the sanctuary.

My sermon came from the Book of Habakkuk 3:17-19.  The sermon title was "From Disaster to Dancing".  I compared the children of Judah with all they had loss through their crop, their cattle, and their commerce to all we had loss the past 2 1/2 years because of Hurricane Katrina.  However, in spite of his loss Habakkuk proclaimed that "the just shall live by faith" (2:4).  In the end he asked God to make his feet like hind's feet so he could make it through his disaster.  In like manner if we were going to get from "Disaster to Dancing" in spite of all that we have gone through we must realize that:

1. In this life we have foes.
2. In this life we have failures.
3. In this life we as believers will have favor.

After going through the worse natural disaster in America's history.  After losing everything we owned. After being displaced to other cities and states for 2 1/2 years, on April 6th God gave us favor so that we can go back home.  Praise God we were able to go from "Disaster to Dancing"!

We will now have services every Sunday at 7:30am and 10:30am.  Our Sunday School and New Members Classes will be from 9:15am to 10:15am.  Those of you who can not make it to New Orleans to worship with us can still watch the services "LIVE" on the internet.  Now go ahead and dance.....we are back home!

Be Blessed,
Pastor Luter