Toujours En Avant
May 13, 2026
May 13, 2026 – Daily Devotional
During my service as an officer in the 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery, 45th Infantry Brigade of the Oklahoma Army National Guard, our battalion carried a motto first adopted during World War II: “Toujours En Avant” — Always Forward. It’s a phrase that has stayed with me — and one that feels especially fitting as I consider where St. Luke’s is headed.
Where do we go from here? For most of us, the honest answer is: forward — and with great joy.
There is something remarkable happening at St. Luke’s. Since the first settlers staked their claim in Oklahoma City in the days following the Land Run, St. Luke’s has always been a church that shows up. We were here at the beginning of this city’s story — and more than 135 years later, we are more alive than ever. While congregations across the country are closing their doors or quietly shrinking, our pews are full, and our hearts are fuller. Over the past fifteen years, and with unmistakable momentum since 2020, our growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. People are showing up — not out of obligation, but out of hunger. Hunger for worship that moves them. Hunger for a community that feels like family. Hunger to be part of something bigger than themselves.
And that is exactly what God calls us to be.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes it plain: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:14–16). St. Luke’s has never hidden its light. From the earliest days of this city to today, it has been shining – through joyful worship, through genuine fellowship, through hands that serve our neighbors.
Consider what we do together. Through Meals on Wheels, we carry nourishment — and dignity — to the doorsteps of seniors who cannot get out. Every Friday, through Community Market, hundreds of families receive boxes filled with fresh produce and proteins — practical grace, hand-delivered. These are not merely programs. They are our mission made visible: sharing God’s love and bringing hope to the world, one meal, one person, one family at a time.
The book of Isaiah reminds us: “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2). Isaiah spoke these words to a people standing on the edge of a new chapter — and we are on that same edge today. Growth is not a problem to manage. It is a blessing to embrace. It is, in fact, what we have always done.
So where do we go from here? We go forward — together, with faith, with open hands, and with the same pioneering spirit that brought this congregation to life over a century ago. We go forward because there are always more people to reach and more hope to share. We go forward because there are still people who need a place to belong and a congregation that will welcome them with open arms.
Where do we go from here? Exactly where God is leading us.
Toujours En Avant. Always forward.
Chris Lambert, Director, Meals on Wheels, Oklahoma City
