Tunes of 1975
September 17, 2025
The auspicious day is almost here!
It’s not every day that you’re privileged to celebrate a golden anniversary. That’s exactly what we’re blessed to do this Sunday–give thanks and praise to the Lord for launching, loving, and leveraging Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church for the purposes of our Triune God for five marvelous decades.
If you are in town this Sunday, don’t miss a fantastic worship service beginning with dynamic pre-service music at 9:30am and a special kick off at 10am. After worship, be ready to feast.
For you out of towners, join us via streaming. We wish we could send you some of the barbecue chicken via Uber Eats, but you will have to cook that up on your own.
As a tune-up for Sunday, let’s have some fun with the top Billboard songs of 1975. Believe it or not, they sing the COS story. How many of these melodies can you recall?
The #1 song of 1975 was Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together.”
For five decades, at the core of all COS has done is love — the love of God shown in Christ, and the love poured out among our neighbors. As Paul writes in Colossians 3:14: “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” That’s been true here: through changes in pastors and staff, building expansions, weathering Covid, and the growth of our community–— love has kept this congregation together. Not a sentimental love, but Christ’s self-giving love.
In 1975 Bruce Springsteen released “Born to Run.”
And in many ways, Christ Our Shepherd was born to run with the Good News. From its start, this church has not stayed still — we’ve run with the Gospel into schools, into homes, and even countries like Haiti and Tanzania. We’ve helped birth Resurrection and Prince of Peace Lutheran to our west and east. Like the disciples sent out by Jesus in Matthew 28 — “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” — this congregation has been running for 50 years, carrying Christ’s message into the world.
Elton John gave us “Philadelphia Freedom,” a song about liberty, spirit, and vision.
As a church, we have lived into the freedom of the Gospel, set free from the false promises of earning brownie points from God. Paul declares in Galatians 5:1: “For freedom Christ has set us free.” For 50 years, COS has shown not just a city-of-brotherly-love freedom but a Christian freedom not about self-indulgence, but service. Freedom to forgive, freedom to share, freedom to walk with neighbors in need.
Still on the radio 50 years later is Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” a haunting song about presence and absence.
But that’s part of our church life too, right? We feel the absence of beloved saints who are no longer with us or have moved throughout the decades. Yet we claim Jesus’ promise of presence: “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). One worthy goal is asking the Spirit’s stirring to tell our neighbors more frequently that we “wish you were here,” so they could join us in what God’s up to at our two campuses.
The 1975 probably most highly-recognized by you readers might be Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” one of the most creative and unusual songs ever written.
In several ways, Christ Our Shepherd’s ministry has mirrored that creativity. Experimenting with worship styles, buying our 33-acre Palmetto Road property, and trying to take ministry to local taverns with our Hops & Hymns events. As Isaiah 43:19 says: “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” For 50 years, this congregation has been open to God’s new thing. Might we continue to be a reformational church.
So, fellow music lovers, the Billboard hits of 1975 remind us of God’s faithfulness through 50 years of ministry. But the song isn’t over. God is still writing verses. God is still composing new harmonies through this congregation. And the best news of all? As 1975’s #1 hit declares, “love will keep us together” as we move forward. Together with our loving lord. Together with each other in our mission of connecting to Jesus’ pathway of joy and life. Thanks be to God.
See you this Sunday for the celebration . . . . and maybe a few other creative connections with other 1975-launched cultural icons like Saturday Night Live, Wheel of Fortune, the McDonald’s Drive-Through and Jaws.
In Christ’s hope,
Pastor Fritz
Let us pray. Gracious God, thank you for the song of faith that has been alive at Christ Our Shepherd for 50 years. Thank you that your love has kept us together. Bless us now, Lord, as we move into the next verses of our ministry. May the song of Christ echo here for generations to come. Keep us in harmony with one another, tuned to the melody of your grace, and always ready to sing your praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.