from Bishop Bill Rindy
Ah, Spring! The words sound so sweet… Yet the Lenten journey continues. The way of the Cross is still before us.
Dr. Harry Wendt, of Crossways International, says, “If we want to follow Jesus, we need to look good on wood.” I see the cross manifesting itself in the lives of those who give of themselves for the sake of others; often times for people they don’t even know. It’s what a child of God does in following Christ. Some are laying sandbags, others give of their life and time by feeding those doing the heavy lifting. The cross of Christ for each of us can take many shapes. Yet the mystery of it all is that when we lay down our lives for the sake of others, we truly find life. Sometimes we are even able to be joyful in our giving and in so doing, we reflect the image of the God by whom we were created. Imagine that.
Water may threaten buildings, but the Church stands strong. Continue reading…
from Bishop Bill Rindy
There are extremes in life which cause one to appreciate the amazing giftedness of life. They often come under the forms of opposites: pain/pleasure; toil/leisure; death/resurrection to eternal life. Cloudy days make us appreciate the sunny days more. Winter causes us to hope for the days of summer; the heat of summer causes us to reflect fondly on winter. These contrasts in life make life interesting for some, frustrating for others.
This month’s reflection follows this juxtaposition of our lives; times are good/difficult, times are filled with joy/sadness and in all of it… God is there ahead of us. Continue reading…
» Download: Preparing For Disaster Bulletin Insert (download .pdf file)
With the updated flood forecasts, the probability of flooding in several regions of North Dakota is rising. Here are a few suggestions of what you can do to prepare to minimize your loss during a natural disaster: Continue reading…
from Bishop Bill Rindy
The whole Arab world is experiencing a major shift before our very eyes. As Epiphany gives way to Lent, like Jesus, we set our faces towards Jerusalem. Jesus’ world is about to be turned upside down.
On so many levels and in so many ways, we have been and continue to make a difference. We are living in a time when not only will we be determining who we will be as individuals, but as congregation, synod, and churchwide as well. On all four levels of what it means to be church we will be dealing with living with abundance in a hungry world. We will have the opportunity to make a difference. Continue reading…
from Bishop Bill Rindy
It was mentioned during last spring’s synod assembly that the State of the Synod would be determined by how we lived into God’s future. Many within our synod have taken the challenge to go the “Extra Mile for Mission.” Last December you were made aware of the lower level of our financial support for our shared ministries. I shared with you how painful it was to inform those ministries to prepare for a short-fall from our support.
This past week we were able to close out fiscal year 2010. Instead of the anticipated $160,000 shortfall, through the power of the Holy Spirit, your generous support, and your belief in our shared ministries, we ended the year about $10,000 short. Continue reading…
from Bishop Bill Rindy
Greetings in the name of our revealed Savior, Jesus the Christ, this Epiphany season!
Epiphany is a word for things revealed. God is always in the process of revealing many things to us. I give thanks to God for your faithful support of all of our shared ministries, even when times can be challenging. Continue reading…
As I was contemplating this article, I thought the letter I recently wrote to the people of Our Savior’s Lutheran in Park River for their mission festival applies to most of our congregations. With you in mind this Advent/Christmas season, I share that letter with you…
Grace and peace to you in this Advent season!
I wish I could be with you on this special day. The longer I serve as your Bishop, the more I understand the reason the Apostle Paul always gave thanks for those with whom he was in mission. There are many ways in which people can respond to challenges. Many will choose to focus inwards, only taking care of themselves first. I am so glad to hear of your focus outward in/on mission. It has been said that the church is the only organization on earth that exists for the sole purpose of its non-members. While Jesus is preparing a place for all who belong to Him, he has so much more for us to do while we are on this Advent journey. Continue reading…
We live in a time of anticipation. We have taken time to give God thanks for abundance we have received, while at the same time we prepare to meet Jesus. In this Advent season, we live between Jesus’ first coming and his final appearing as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are people of the “mean time” or in between times. We live our day-to-day lives with the realization, “…what can be seen is temporary; what cannot be seen is eternal,” Continue reading…
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