Bishop’s Letter – December, 2012 Neither Death, Nor Life It was a long shot. One of our pastors who had been on disability had now become well enough to seek reengagement in the complex interactions of parish ministry. She and her husband had long been urbanites. The place I was thinking about was rural, sparsely populated, a two-point parish in northern Michigan now without a pastor. “Could you supply for them, perhaps for a few weeks?” I asked. Many hours from their home in Kalamazoo, it would sometimes require a ten-hour bus ride to Rogers City, the closest town to these now “vacant” worshiping communities. Long story short: Pastor Denise Scheer and her husband, John Musik, just completed their first year of a three-year term call for Denise, living now in a parsonage, serving St. James, Moltke, and Trinity, Ocqueoc. A “few weeks” turned into a longer love story of pastor and people who came to realize that in this borderland of our synod, they shared a vision of individuals and families, themselves included, who needed the life-giving power and hope that only the proclamation of the gospel made known to them in Jesus Christ could give. I have just returned from facilitating the first-year review of this partnership in the gospel. Phylis and I both heard and saw the gospel, not only from the pulpit and at the Eucharistic table, but in the faces and actions of a beloved community. Now, they told us, we not only give of our modest financial resources, but we’re giving of ourselves…volunteering left and right for ways to walk with others. Internally too, more people are volunteering to serve on the congregation councils than are needed, a near-miracle these days. One of the congregations had just hosted a seminar on serving veterans, an event attended by some 40 people including two lawyers who knew about the struggles of veterans seeking some kind of normalcy and purpose following service in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. This congregation has already begun what we long for in both Lower Peninsula synods, congregations with passion, savvy, and a persevering spirit to walk with those who know and still live with the trauma of these and other wars (elsewhere in this newsletter, please note the invitation to a Seminar on Ministry with Veterans at Salem Lutheran in Flint on January 12 th ). I was deeply heartened to learn of a little congregation who has already “pulled this off,” who could be an inspiration for the rest of us to venture into the tricky terrain of such a ministry. I write this as I prepare to preach in a couple of days at the funeral of my brother-in-law, Dave, a recently retired but cancer-ridden pastor who lived just long enough to baptize a new grandson, Ronan. In our family, Phylis and I now count five deaths this year including both her mother and father. One of the texts Dave asked me to use includes these precious words, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Worshiping and “hanging out” with the people of Trinity and St. James last Sunday spoke gospel to both of us. In the midst of our frequent tears these days, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. What happened “up north” last Sunday was just the latest reminder of the faithful and loving God you and I are so blessed to know. This is the God from whom nothing, “neither death, nor life, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us.” ~Bishop John North/West Lower Michigan Synod 2900 N. Waverly Rd. Lansing, MI 48906 T 517-321-5066 F 517-321-2632 www.mittensynod.org
Transcript
Bishop’s Letter – December, 2012
Neither Death, Nor Life It was a long shot. One of our pastors who had been on disability had now become well enough to seek reengagement in the complex interactions of parish ministry. She and her husband had long been urbanites. The place I was thinking about was rural, sparsely populated, a two-point parish in northern Michigan now without a pastor. “Could you supply for them, perhaps for a few weeks?” I asked. Many hours from their home in Kalamazoo, it would sometimes require a ten-hour bus ride to Rogers City, the closest town to these now “vacant” worshiping communities. Long story short: Pastor Denise Scheer and her husband, John Musik, just completed their first year of a three-year term call for Denise, living now in a parsonage, serving St. James, Moltke, and Trinity, Ocqueoc. A “few weeks” turned into a longer love story of pastor and people who came to realize that in this borderland of our synod, they shared a vision of individuals and families, themselves included, who needed the life-giving power and hope that only the proclamation of the gospel made known to them in Jesus Christ could give. I have just returned from facilitating the first-year review of this partnership in the gospel. Phylis and I both heard and saw the gospel, not only from the pulpit and at the Eucharistic table, but in the faces and actions of a beloved community. Now, they told us, we not only give of our modest financial resources, but we’re giving of ourselves…volunteering left and right for ways to walk with others. Internally too, more people are volunteering to serve on the congregation councils than are needed, a near-miracle these days. One of the congregations had just hosted a seminar on serving veterans, an event attended by some 40 people including two lawyers who knew about the struggles of veterans seeking some kind of normalcy and purpose following service in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. This congregation has already begun what we long for in both Lower Peninsula synods, congregations with passion, savvy, and a persevering spirit to walk with those who know and still live with the trauma of these and other wars (elsewhere in this newsletter, please note the invitation to a Seminar on Ministry with Veterans at Salem Lutheran in Flint on January 12th). I was deeply heartened to learn of a little congregation who has already “pulled this off,” who could be an inspiration for the rest of us to venture into the tricky terrain of such a ministry. I write this as I prepare to preach in a couple of days at the funeral of my brother-in-law, Dave, a recently retired but cancer-ridden pastor who lived just long enough to baptize a new grandson, Ronan. In our family, Phylis and I now count five deaths this year including both her mother and father. One of the texts Dave asked me to use includes these precious words, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Worshiping and “hanging out” with the people of Trinity and St. James last Sunday spoke gospel to both of us. In the midst of our frequent tears these days, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. What happened “up north” last Sunday was just the latest reminder of the faithful and loving God you and I are so blessed to know. This is the God from whom nothing, “neither death, nor life, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us.”
Welcome Them Home, Help Them Heal ~Veteran’s Ministry Event
Representatives from every Congregation are invited to attend!
Saturday, Jan. 12th, 2013 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The host site for the veteran's event is: Salem Lutheran Church 2610 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
Flint, MI 48505
All Veterans are invited! For more information, please contact: [email protected] or call 810-235-0863 RSVP to the Synod Office at [email protected] or 517-321-5066 Cost: $10 per person / Lunch is included (a take home resource book will be provided to each attendee)
A Word from the Hunger Team . . . ‘Lord of all to thee we raise, this our joyful hymn of praise.’ This beautiful line is repeated throughout “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter. The song is lilting and joy-filled, with praise for earth, skies, human love, friends, gentle thoughts, and more. His music infuses my thoughts as I say to you: for your gifts of food, personal care items, gift cards, and clothing, given to those who have few resources, Lord of all to thee we raise, this our joyful hymn of praise. For your support of disaster relief efforts given to those whose homes and lives have been turned upside down, Lord of all to thee we raise, this our joyful hymn of praise. For your support of world-wide efforts to reduce malaria, provide clean water, eliminate hunger, Lord of all to thee we raise, this our joyful hymn of praise. Our joyful, heartfelt praise to you for all you do to ease the difficult circumstances of so many of God’s people.
~Judy Enger on behalf of your Synod Hunger Team members: Pr. Mike Anderson, Pr. Dana Hendershot, Janet Jaeger, Pr. Erick Johnson, Tim Morrison,
Lois Neves, Sylvia Stouten, Vern Tolles, and Kathy Young
In the spirit of earthkeeping, Kim Winchell, Diaconal Minister, provides us with the following link and book review information: http://www.lutheransrestoringcreation.org/green-christmas-for-advent - a link from Lutherans Restoring Creation which includes suggestions and activities for greening the Christmas season.
Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key
Written by Larry Rasmussen In Earth-honoring Faith, Larry Rasmussen introduces us to a dramatically new way of thinking about human society, ethics, and the ongoing health of our planet. Rejecting the modern assumption that morality applies to human society alone, Rasmussen insists that we must derive a spiritual and ecological ethic that accounts for the well-being of all creation, as well as the primal elements upon which it depends: earth, air, fire, water, and sunlight. He argues that good science, necessary as it is, will not be enough to inspire fundamental change. We must draw on religious resources as well to make the difficult transition from an industrial-technological age obsessed with consumption to an ecological age that restores wise stewardship of all life.
Earth-honoring Faith can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com/Earth-honoring-Faith-Religious-Ethics-New/dp/0199917000 If you have any questions about earthkeeping and/or the information listed above, please contact Kim directly at: [email protected]
Welcome Ann Stavros!
We now have a new part-time Synod Office staff member, Ann Stavros. Ann answers the phone and assists with the daily deposits. She retired from GM as a superintendant. She is married and has a 14-year old daughter, Stephanie. Ann, who runs up to 6 miles a day, jokes “I’m not sure if I get more running done during my actual run times or while trying to keep up with my 14-year old.” Join us in welcoming Ann! She is a wonderful asset to the Synod office.
Many thanks to those of you who sent me a copy of your mission statement and your goals/objectives for your congregations. I sent a letter out in February, 2012, asking for congregations to return these items to me by November 15th, and a number of you have done just that! My hope is that you will use these statements of mission identity and purpose as signposts that say “this is WHO we are”. From these
signposts of mission identity your vision goals are beacons that give direction to your ministry. With clarity of identity and direction, you have the ability to “go on an adventure” in all that you will do. Words from Peter Steinke, from Healthy Congregations, Inc. Workshop One: “Mission is the expression of the church’s deep, abiding beliefs. Mission is the preserver of congregational integrity. A ‘mission statement’ is nothing less than a way for the congregation to define itself, a way to ‘self-differentiate’. Vision is how the congregation will live out the mission in the future. A common vision provides an image of a chosen future. It is an expression of hope.” May God continue to lead you in God’s mission in your context. Blessings,
~Pastor Roger Hardy
IT’S NOT TOO LATE. . .
Position Open in our Synod The Board of Governors of the Lay Ministry Training Program and the Synodically Authorized Training Program is seeking candidates interested in serving as the Administrator. Candidates must be skilled in the areas of communication, people skills, organization, planning, event planning and evaluation. Candidates also must articulate a Lutheran identity. It is preferable that the candidate have some knowledge of the Lay Ministry program. Orientation for the program will begin in January with the current administrators, with full responsibilities beginning in June
2013. Compensation for orientation will be negotiated.
Those interested should send a resume and a cover letter stating what it is that interests them about the program. Send to: Pastor Julie Bailey, 2900 N. Waverly Road, Lansing, MI 48906 - to be received ASAP! This position is open to rostered and lay leaders.
HOLIDAY CARDS ARE AVAILABLE NOW! The Lutheran Church in Latvia is one of our three Companion Synods. The Diakonal Centers of the Latvian Lutheran Church use art as a form of therapy for abused women and children. To bring attention to this artwork and provide a source of funds for the Diakonal Centers, we have created a website to sell the art (we encourage you to
purchase their holiday cards for use during the Christmas season). You can view the artwork, and order it in the form of notecards or framed art by visiting www.latvianartproject.com (click on Latvian Art – on the right, under PAGES). Upon ordering you will be directed to a Paypal account (note that orders will be shipped directly to you). We also have a supply of notecards available for purchase at the synod office.
Our sincere thanks to Pastor Douglas Ogden, of Lebanon Lutheran Church in Whitehall, who was instrumental in setting up this project to help our Latvian sisters and brothers.
Latvia Art Project A ministry of the Northwest Lower Michigan Synod of the ELCA
Your Giving Dollars. . . Dora Hartnagel, Church Secretary of Trinity Lutheran Church, Hillsdale writes: Dear Friends, Trinity Lutheran Church and the King’s Kupboard Food Pantry would like to thank you for your support and “Church in Society” grant donation of $6,000. Know that because of this grant, we are able to provide many
more families with food and other necessities such as personal care, baby care & cleaning items that they might not be able to afford otherwise. This grant helps us help so many people. As you may know, there is a great need in our area for assistance and we would certainly not be able to assist the large numbers of people we have coming to King’s Kupboard if it were not for the compassion and caring of friends like you. Statistics for 2011 show that we served 25,074 individuals (7808 families). We anticipate totals for 2012 being the same or higher than 2011 and we would not be able to serve so many without the generosity of people like you. These numbers do include those who use the King’s Kupboard more than once; there were 3129 unduplicated individuals (1006 unduplicated families). One wonderful thing that we’ve been blessed with seeing is that people, once they have gotten back on their feet, often return to the King’s Kupboard but this time it is to donate items or time. Thank you again for showing Christ’s love and compassion for those who are going through trying times in Hillsdale County and enabling us to further reach out to them.
Please consider giving an ELCA Good Gift!
For more information, please visit: http://www.elca.org/ELCA/eCards/Categor
ies/Christmas.aspx
Send Us Your Pictures! We are currently updating our website and would like to include your congregation! Please send us your photos to: [email protected]
Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.
