from Bishop Rindy
Synod Endowment Sunday - September 25, 2011
$1,000,000!!! Milestones:
Do you remember when McDonalds displayed how many hamburgers they had sold on their signs? I remember when it changed to over one billion served. We have our own upcoming milestone in the Eastern North Dakota Synod. Thanks to a visionary leadership initiative that helps reduce the monumental debt facing our pastors, the EaND Synod Endowment Fund was created. Next year, the milestone of $1,000,000 in grants will be reached! Continue reading…
from Bishop Rindy
Freed in Christ to Serve was the theme around which we (22 voting members from the synod and myself) gathered, worshiped, deliberated, and prayed as your voting members at Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, Florida August 14-19. During the opening worship, Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson asked the question, “Is this church ready to move forward in mission?” The answer he received at the closing worship on Friday was a resounding, “YES!” Continue reading…
*Updated 10/13/2011
from Bishop Rindy
My sister kept M&M‘s in her glove box as part of her winter survival gear. One day while giving our inquisitive niece a ride, our niece discovered the M&M‘s. “What are these for, Auntie?” she asked with big eyes. “They are for an emergency,” my sister replied with a smile. A few moments later, the little girl stated, “Auntie, I think I‘m having an emergency.”
This phrase is taking on a new meaning as the result of a wonderful project initiated by our sisters and brothers in the Western North Dakota Synod. My great wish is that EVERY member of our synod would have a new thought when they see M&M‘s in the CAR: Mission and Ministry in the Central African Republic. Continue reading…
from Bishop Rindy
Abundance… if there is one thing Americans are used to it is abundance. This year, it is an abundance of fresh river water and rain. The past two years we experienced some of the most abundant crops and prices Midwestern farmers have ever experienced. We are used to abundance. The funny thing about abundance is that it can be good or bad depending on how it is shared or distributed. Continue reading…
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…
Subscribe to eQuip