We have all told stories about our relatives - the cookies Aunt Marge baked, the crazy ties Uncle Ernie wore, the way cousin Julie met her husband.  Sharing family lore allows us to feel connected to the past, present and future of our relatives. It's no different with church partnerships. Church of the Good Shepherd in Carbondale, Ill., recounts the way they became sister church to Marianao Ebenezer Baptist Church in Havana City, Cuba more than 30 years ago. It started with a visit to Cuba in 1979 by then Pastor Ted Braun, grew into a friendship two years later between Rev. Braun and Ebenezer's pastor, the Reverend Raul Suarez, and grew deeper with visits between Rev. Suarez' son Joel to Good Shepherd and return visits by Good Shepherd church members to Cuba. The altar Bible at Good Shepherd has a Spanish-language Bible - a gift from their brothers and sisters at Ebenezer Baptist.  This congregation knows that to preserve the future of church partnerships, it is important to honor the past.

Lectionary Citations
Psalm 93
Deuteronomy 11:1-17
1 Timothy 6:13-16