State of the Synod Report
Bishop Rick Foss
21st Annual Eastern North Dakota Synod Assembly
Fargo, North Dakota
April 5, 2008
“Let Mutual Love Continue: Living as God’s Abundant Gifts”
I like this assembly theme. In a year when there are some transitions, we lift up the deep continuities of life together in this synod. At a time when transition brings some loss, we lift up the profound promise that we are incarnate gifts to one another.
This is my 16th and final report. It will be a bit different, since I will not talk about plans/dreams/challenges for the year ahead; a new bishop will do that with you.
In 1992 I circulated a list of 100 verbs, and asked pastors and lay leaders in this synod which were most important for the bishop/synod office to be doing. You told us (and 5 years later, when asked again, you responded the same way). Of the 100 verbs, which included just about everything found in a bishop’s job description or a letter of call, you selected your “Top Ten Verbs.”
You selected, in order, the following verbs:
- Listen
- Encourage
- Inspire
- Love
- Pray
- Laugh
- Challenge
- Nurture
- Motivate
- Visit
It’s a wonderful list. “Listen” was a runaway winner, far ahead of the rest. But these 10 were clearly important to you.
I have carried these with me, in my heart and in my red appointment book, all these years. We in the synod office have taken you seriously, and continue to try to live these out day by day. Some of you may even be a little tired of hearing about them. But you gave me, as bishop, and us as synod staff, a clear and faithful guide through these ten little verbs.
I have shared this list with colleague bishops, talking about how wise the people of the synod were in asking this of me, and how it has shaped this synod office over the years. And that is true.
It is only recently, particularly in mulling our assembly theme, that it struck me how “mutual” this list of verbs has been in our life together. It isn’t just that those of us in the synod office have tried to live out these verbs with you. As God’s incarnate gifts, you have been living out these verbs with one another and with us. It has been far more “mutual” than I realized.
I’d like to reflect with you on the mission and ministry in Eastern North Dakota, using these “verbs” that are familiar to many of you, but with a twist borne of our assembly theme.
1) Listen
You do this well. We all have our moments of voluntary deafness, of course, but ministry in this synod is marked by respectful, mutual listening. Whether in large settings like assemblies, or gatherings around issues, or over coffee with two or three, or in church basements, or in conferences or clusters, or even in church parking lots - you listen. It’s somewhat remarkable that with the myriad of words I have spoken in the synod over 16 years, I have always felt heard. I hope we in the synod office listen well to you; I know that you listen well to us and to each other. Thank you. Let mutual listening continue.
2) Encourage
I do see this as a very important dimension of ministry for a bishop and/or synod staff. Life is messy; ministry can be hard; we all need encouragement. I have been well aware of the “power to bless” in this call; honest encouragement is essential and you are right to ask for it. But as I reflect on these past years, I am struck by the repeated encouragement that I (and those in the synod office) have received from you - and the encouragement you offer one another.
I have watched, time and again, as you encourage your neighbor or colleague, both in times of trial and in times of triumph. You are able to weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice - and through it all you are great encouragers. You have encouraged me, especially in times of uncertainty. There can be times of discouragement in ministry, but you have been strong encouragers for me and the ministry of this synod. Thank you. Let mutual encouragement continue.
3) Inspire
I never have known what to do with this one. I have no idea if or when I have inspired anyone, or whether my colleagues in the synod office have. This verb I have also seen as something that only happens as a gift, rather than something to be achieved. However, when I think about this “verb” as a mutual gift, it is clearer to me.
You have inspired me in a host of ways. Your willingness to try new ways of doing ministry throughout the synod has been an inspiration. Your incredible response in the wake of disasters, whether a neighbor’s personal disaster or something like the floods of 1997 or the Northwood tornado, has been inspiring. Pastors, your faithful “day-in-day-out” ministry is an inspiration. Congregational leaders, your deep faith and resilience is inspiring. Your countless mission efforts are inspiring, as is your response to our Synod Endowment Fund for Rural Ministry. And individually, so many of you have been an inspiration to me - and to others. Thank you. Let mutual inspiration continue.
4) Love
Well, it’s true - along the way I fell in love with you. My colleagues have too. It is a blessed thing, and I will always be grateful for it. When Jesus calls us to live and serve together, he also calls us to love one another. I have come to love this place, and this people, called the Eastern North Dakota Synod.
But I see love in you, too. Oh, we have a few lovers’ quarrels now and then. But you do love one another, and it is evident. And in this synod office, we do indeed feel the deep love and care that you have for us. Love is lived out in countless ways, from little courtesies to grand gestures. In so many ways, you express your love for us as “another one of God’s beloved children.” Thank you. Let mutual love continue.
5) Pray
We pray for you. We pray with you for all God’s people. Whether in times of joy, times of sorrow, or the even-keeled days in-between, you are in our prayers. It is a privilege to pray with you individually or corporately; in private or in very public places. Whatever else we may or may not be able to do in a given situation, we can and do pray.
And you pray, too. You pray for one another. You pray with one another for the concerns and people of the world. You pray for us, and we know it. Many times, as I pray with one of you, I am humbled and grateful for your prayers as well. Thank you. Let mutual prayer continue.
6) Laugh
It was pure joy to see this verb appear on the top ten list. I love laughing with you. I think Jesus laughed often and well. Laughter among those who love one another is one of God’s greatest gifts. I have shared laughter and tears with you - often in close proximity. We laugh a lot in the synod office, and many of you are healthy participants in that laughter.
This “laughter in love” or “holy laughter” is by definition mutual. I guess I always knew that this verb had the mutual dimension to it. When the situation is serious, laughter has a special place. In fact, your capacity for laughter in the midst of serious issues has often been for us an indicator of your health. Thank you. Let mutual laughter continue.
7) Challenge
I have appreciated the invitation to challenge pastors and other leaders over the years. Some of the challenges have been individual and private. Others have been communal and public. Challenges have sometimes been in the form of opportunities, such as Healthy Congregations training or Crossways! bible study. Some challenges have been profound but subjective, such as improving morale or making cultural enhancements. Some have been specific, such as synod endowment support or response to a social issue. Some have been ongoing, such as mission support and staying connected to the many ministries we share in the ELCA. Some have been local, some are global in scope. Some challenges are questions, such as “how can we do ministry most effectively in our territory?” or “what is God up to with us today?”
You offer challenges as well. You have challenged me, and this synod, to be faithful to Jesus’ call to serve our neighbor throughout the world. You have challenged us to be present, to hear, to walk with you, to help you see beyond your walls, to make mission and ministry clear, to connect you with others as you seek to follow Jesus. And I have seen you challenge one another. That is a good thing, when your love and trust of one another is great enough to also challenge one another. Thank you. Let mutual challenge continue.
8) Nurture
Nurture is a tender word. But it is a tough tenderness. Serving as bishop, or synod staff, we see you at your very best/strongest, and also at your very lowest/weakest. Nurture is needed in both cases. In your “up” times, we have tried to celebrate, enhance, cheerlead, leverage, connect, and otherwise nurture your gifts and successes. In your “down” times, we have tried to care, pray, wait, counsel, walk with, bind up, and otherwise nurture your failings and hurts.
But I have watched you do this with one another, too, and it is a beautiful thing. The vibrant health (my biased assessment) of the congregations, ministries and leaders of this synod is largely due to your capacity to nurture one another both in days of triumph and days of turmoil. Thank you. Let mutual nurturing continue.
9) Motivate
This is a little tricky. I appreciated the invitation to motivate, but I have never learned how to motivate the unmotivated. It has been a delight to motivate those of you who are already pretty motivated to serve and lead. It has been great to try to motivate those of you who were experiencing momentary lapses in motivation. But with the (thankfully rare) person who is truly unmotivated, I spend little time. It seems to me that one can have the most impact with the folks who are most motivated. The beauty of it is that most of you fall in the “motivated” group, and that has been a joy.
It has also been a joy to watch you motivate one another, and at times me. You have initiated conversations, raised issues, offered encouragement, articulated expectations - and generally helped motivate me and others to be wiser, better followers of our Lord. Thank you. Let mutual motivation continue.
10) Visit
You are right. It is important to visit. And we have tried to visit in formal ways and informal ways. We have tried to be highly accessible, whether by phone, e-mail or drop-in. We have enjoyed simply spending time with you. And we have tried to be aware of the times when “pastoral presence” has been most important in your lives. While we have tried to “be there” in those difficult times when pastoral presence is needed, we have tried even more to stay connected to you in the “regular” days of life and ministry. “Visiting” has meant establishing relationships when things are “normal”, so that we can walk together in the “dark valley” times without having those difficulties define our relationships.
You visit, too. You spend time with one another. Pastors, you have become exceedingly good at being present for one another. Many of our congregations have learned to join hands in mission and ministry, and many of you simply enjoy being with one another. And you visit us, too. It is an extraordinary gift that so many of you choose to spend time in the synod office. Whether you come to the resource center, or for a meeting, or simply to “stop in,” we are humbled and delighted that you do. Thank you. Let mutual visiting continue.
As these sixteen years draw to an end, the words I’m using most often are “Thank you!” Thank you. I am so grateful for this call. I wasn’t wise enough to think I wanted to serve as your bishop, but you were right. I am so grateful for my colleagues in the synod office: Naomi, Lee, Jean, Pat, Julie, Kristi, and Julie; I hope you know how extraordinary they are. I am grateful for Shar and a superb synod council. I am grateful for an exceptional group of pastors and leaders in this synod. And I am grateful to you for expanding my ministry and my world, serving you and the whole church as synod bishop. I have been blessed throughout my life with a wonderful wife, Nancy, and a great family. I have been blessed by marvelous calls to congregations. And now I have been blessed by these 16 years of walking with you in Jesus’ name. You are, without a doubt, God’s Abundant Gifts. You have been incarnate gifts to me, and you will be incarnate gifts to my successor.
God bless us all. Let Mutual Love Continue.
Bishop Rick Foss
*See more photographs from the Bishop’s State of the Synod Address in the Synod Assembly photo album…