The DNA of King of Kings: Friendship, Community, and Faith

Over these past weeks, the member profiles you have shared have painted a beautiful picture of who we are at King of Kings. Again and again, I hear how friendship, community, and faith have been the steady threads God has used to keep you rooted here, often through seasons of both joy and difficulty.

Taken together, these stories have given me a fresh snapshot of the “DNA” of King of Kings: a congregation where people show up for one another, where worship and service are shared, and where Christ is quietly but powerfully at the center. I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving as your pastor and for the chance to walk alongside such a socially vibrant and spiritually rich church family.

As you reflect on how God has used this community in your own life, I invite you to consider who else might need a place like this. A simple invitation, to worship, a study, a service project, or even just coffee and conversation, may be the door God uses to draw someone into the friendship, community, and faith you have found at King of Kings.

Pastor Elijah

Special Welcome to the Bishop of the Metro D.C. Synod of the ELCA

Beloved King of Kings Family,

This Sunday we have the joy of welcoming the Rev. Dr. Philip C. Hirsch, Bishop of the Metro D.C. Synod of the ELCA, to King of Kings Lutheran Church. Bishop Hirsch will be with us during our 9:00 AM Adult Forum, will bring greetings on behalf of the synod and preach at our 10:00 AM worship service, and will then be available during the fellowship hour for an informal meet-and-greet and time of questions and answers. We encourage members and friends to make a special effort to attend in-person this Sunday to welcome him, hear his proclamation of the gospel, and engage with him in conversation.

Before being elected bishop at last year’s Synod Assembly, he served the wider church as Executive Director for Christian Community and Leadership for the ELCA, supporting pastors, lay leaders, and congregations across the church. He previously served the Metro D.C. Synod for a decade as Director for Evangelical Mission and Assistant to the Bishop, helping strengthen congregational growth, encourage cultural diversity, and raise significant funds to launch and expand new ministries. Bishop Hirsch also brings nearly 20 years of parish experience, including service as pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fairfax, Virginia, as well as Christus and Epiphany Lutheran Churches in Camden, New Jersey.

Again, special welcome to Bishop Hirsch!

Pastor Elijah

A Note from Pastor Elijah

I have been reflecting lately on how the Artemis II mission offers a striking picture of the life of the Church. Four astronauts, representing different backgrounds and experiences, are now on their return journey from the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft. Having successfully circled the moon and tested critical systems for future missions, they are heading home as one crew with one purpose. Their journey depends on the dedicated work of thousands of people on the ground, engineers, technicians, and support teams, most of whom we will never see or know by name.

God has brought this story into our newsfeeds at just the right time. It beautifully illustrates what He is doing here at King of Kings. In Christ, “we, though many, are one body” (Romans 12:5). The Lord has drawn us together from different life stories into one congregation, united by one shared mission. Like the Artemis II team, our life together involves many interconnected “systems”: worship and preaching, care and fellowship, teaching and formation, outreach and missions, administration and stewardship. Some roles are highly visible; others are quiet and behind the scenes. Yet every part is essential.

If you’re not yet a member of King of Kings but feel God gently drawing you toward this community, we warmly invite you to join us for an inquiry session in the Library right after worship this Sunday and next. It’s a relaxed time to learn more about our life together in Christ, ask questions, and get to know us better. We would love to have you!

Thank you for the many ways you are already serving and supporting the body of Christ here. By God’s grace, may the story of Artemis II simply serve as a timely reminder of what is eternally true: one Lord, one faith, one body, and many members, on mission together for the glory of Christ.

With love,

Pastor Elijah

The Good in Good Friday: A Note from Pastor Elijah

Beloved in the Lord,

This Good Friday meets us in a world torn by war, displacement, and fear. Calling the day of Jesus’ crucifixion “good” can sound almost offensive when images of shattered cities and grieving families fill our screens. The cross itself was an act of brutal state violence; nothing about that, in itself, is good.

The goodness of this day lies in what God chose to do through the cross. In Jesus, God steps into the darkest places of our shared life, bearing human sin and suffering in self-giving love. At the cross, God does not explain evil from a safe distance; God carries it, absorbs it, and begins to break its power from within. No battlefield or broken heart is God-forsaken, because Christ has already gone there.

Good Friday is good because it belongs with Easter. If the story ended at the tomb, it would be just one more tragedy among many. But the resurrection proclaims that violence and death do not get the final word. Even in the shadows of the cross, the seeds of Easter are already sown, and a different future is being born. That is why, in a violent and anxious world, we still dare to call this day “Good” and entrust ourselves—and the nations—to the crucified and risen Lord.

Yours because His,

Pastor Elijah