I grew up in a family of six kids. At times it was wonderful, at other times it was frustrating. It is no wonder that “family” is one of the metaphors Jesus used to describe those called to follow him, along with other scriptural metaphors of “body”, “temple”, “priesthood”, etc.
In just over a month the churchwide assembly (external link) – one of the ways in which we are ELCA together – will commence in Minneapolis. There are things about this assembly that will be wonderful: worship, Bible study, contemplating full communion with the United Methodists, and getting to know other members of the family/body/temple/priesthood. Other parts of the assembly may have the capacity to cause frustration: wrangling over rules, voting on the recommended social statement, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, along with voting on proposed changes in rostering policies.
We understand or “get” what it means to be the ELCA as congregation, at least most of the time. Yet even at this level of being the church, we sometimes experience frustration intermixed throughout our times of worship and wonder.
We are growing in our understanding of what it means to be the ELCA as synod, the Eastern North Dakota “Us.” We are gaining a deeper sense of the good we can do together that we could not, and perhaps ought not, do on our own. I am thankful for your faithful support of our ministries, for me and our staff, and financially that we might continue to support all of our mission partners.
None of us know what or even how things will happen as our elected group of voting members from the EaND “Us” join with other “Us’s” from the other 64 synods that make up the churchwide “US.” There will be a lot of praying (and I hope you are already holding this assembly in your prayers), a lot of conversation, a lot of voting on the many things needed to do the business of the larger church. Some votes may cause us to rejoice, and some votes may have the capacity to frustrate.
I choose to be hopeful. Each day I go to work, I do so knowing God has been at work long before me and remains at least five steps ahead of me. In this way, I know I am being invited into God’s future. I believe and trust the same is true for you and for our church, the ELCA, at all three levels: congregation, synod, and churchwide.
No matter what happens in August, call committees, councils, and congregations will still continue to discern whom God is calling to serve them, through them. No matter what happens in August, candidacy committees and seminary faculties will still determine who is qualified to be considered for call in this church. No matter what happens in August, bishops will still be asked to provide leadership within their respective synods as God and this church call them to serve.
As you choose how to respond after August, I hope you take time to prayerfully reflect on how and where God is at work in your life, what it means to be a part of God’s family, the body of Christ, part of a living temple being built by Christ while at the same time being priests within that temple. Please know I will do my best to walk beside you as you wrestle with the good old Lutheran question: “What does this mean?”
In God’s time, it will be made clearer as to how we walk this road together. Until that time, please know that you do not walk it alone. God has given us the “Great Us,” which is the Church of Jesus Christ. Thank God!
Serving by your side,
Bill Rindy
Bishop of the EaND Synod, ELCA
Letter reprinted from the July/August 2009 Newsletter
Subscribe to eQuip