On Thanksgiving Eve we spent some time giving thanks for those in our community of faith who share in the calling of proclaiming and demonstrating the message of the kingdom of God. Although we didn’t take the time to read all of Romans 16, the Apostle Paul highlights several of his fellow Gentile co-workers in Jesus Christ and the specific qualities, characteristics or actions that he appreciated about each.
In verse 23 Paul includes a greeting to the Romans from “Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works…” Now I don’t know about you, but when I see that Erastus, the city’s director of public works makes the list of Paul’s special partners in the gospel, I wonder what made him so special. Was he, like Luverne’s Director of Public Works, responsible for leading the team of men in our community who are responsible for all aspects of street maintenance including: snow removal, park maintenance, tree removal and tree trimming on city boulevards, seal coating, street overlays, storm sewers, sidewalk maintenance, stop sign, yield sign, and all other sign maintenance?
Was Paul blessed by Erastus’s dedication to providing the best streets and parks in his community? Or was it more about how Erastus lived out the gospel while seeking to make his community a better place to live?
When I think about Erastus I think about a week ago this past Friday over the noon hour when I was driving past the corner of Highway 75 and Crawford and I noticed a gushing spring of rusty water bubbling up from the ground. I immediately thought to myself, “That’s not good.” And sure enough, about ten minutes later after returning from running an errand, I saw Matt Buntjer shutting off the water valve in a street nearby. I’m not exactly sure of the cause of the water leak, however I did notice that a number of our city employees spent several hours making the repair.
As I was reflecting on the water leak several things came to mind. One, I’ll bet the guys who were responsible for fixing the leak were glad it wasn’t ten below zero. Second, although they had to work later than normal, I’ll bet they were glad the leak didn’t start during the night. And thirdly, I thought how fortunate our community is to have employees who are so dedicated and take such pride in maintaining our streets, our water and our electrical system.
I run the risk of forgetting someone from our church who is dedicated to maintaining our public works system, but I am grateful for Aric Uithoven, Matt Buntjer, and Derek Elbers. I am grateful for the men from our congregation who maintain our county and state roads. In addition, I am grateful for several men from our congregation who volunteer their time to serve on the fire department. And I am also grateful for those who serve on the Emergency Medical Team. As I think about it, I thank God for all of you who play a part in making Luverne a great place to live out our God given purpose.
Just like in the body of Christ where everyone is vitally important, so too, a community is only as good as the “Erastus’s” who faithfully complete the good works which God has prepared in advance for them to do. Thank you so much!!
…The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you… I, Mike Altena, who wrote down this article, greet you in the Lord. Mike Altena