🌿 The Hidden Cups: A Story of Life-Giving Relationship and Creation Care
The work of creation care doesn't always involve grand solar panel arrays or massive fundraising drives. Sometimes, it happens through a small, intentional choice made in the sanctuary—and a generous act of collegiality made across county lines.
This is the story of two congregations, Holmen Lutheran in Holmen, and Faith Lutheran of Black Hammer in Spring Grove, and the simple, yet profound, way they embodied our call to cultivate life-giving relationships rooted in God’s love.
A Choice Rooted in Stewardship
At Holmen Lutheran Church, leadership decided to take a small but meaningful step toward reducing waste: returning to the use of reusable glass communion cups during their worship services. This decision affirmed their commitment to Christian stewardship and caring for God's creation.
The challenge soon became clear: they needed more cups to accommodate their congregation, but the style of cups their trays required were a specific, vintage size that had been discontinued. Purchasing new trays and cups would be costly and wasteful, defeating the purpose of the initial sustainability effort.
A Call to the Network
Facing a roadblock, Holmen Lutheran reached out to the Synod office, hoping the larger network might offer a solution. The request was simple: Did anyone have unused communion cups of this specific vintage size?
This is where the power of the larger church came to life.
A message went out across the Synod to congregations. Soon after, Pastor Len Liptack of Faith Lutheran of Black Hammer in Spring Grove, MN, responded with a happy solution.
Treasure in the Closet
"We have them!" Pastor Len confirmed.
It turned out that Faith Lutheran had a large bucket of the exact vintage communion cups safely tucked away in storage. The cups hadn't been used in years, and the congregation was thrilled to know they could be given a new life rather than sitting idle or being disposed of.
This was more than just a donation; it was a tangible act of life-giving relationship. Pastor Len recognized an opportunity for resource-sharing that served two purposes: clearing unused items from their own closets and actively supporting a sister congregation's mission to care for creation.
Collegiality in Action
To complete the exchange, Pastor Len Liptack personally delivered the donated bucket of cups to the Synod office. From there, representatives from Holmen Lutheran came and picked up the newly acquired supply.
The cups, once considered surplus and discontinued, are now back where they belong: in active service during worship at Holmen Lutheran.
This story beautifully illustrates how the Synod network functions—not as a bureaucracy, but as a bridge connecting resources, intentions, and ministries. Holmen Lutheran made a choice for creation care, and Faith Lutheran of Black Hammer provided the collegiality needed to make that choice sustainable.
It serves as a powerful reminder that our mission to cultivate life-giving relationships often leads to unexpected blessings for both our neighbors and the planet.
Article by Brianna Iverson, utilizing AI Gemini tools for drafting and structure.
