My, How I love this church (Part 2)

Friday was a full day but a darn good one. We began with morning worship with United Church of Christ, Rev. Kent Siladi, the conference minister (equivalent to our Bishop) giving the Homily. I am always amazed at our full communion partners as we can stand together with more that unites than divides us. Rev. Kent gave a passionate homily that reminded us that even though we may not be able to get a full hold on what Easter really is, God has hold on us. We will never be separated and that the Easter hope always goes before us.

We continued with the great news that during Worship on Thursday night our offering raised $3,085 for Education and Advocacy for Immigration through the Immigration Outreach Ministries. They Are Us, as we heard later in the evening (through a video on immigration and many of the resource materials and ways to support), and we stand with them and “give grateful witness to our Lutheran heritage of welcoming and caring for immigrant populations” (taken from our Worship Booklet).

Throughout the day, we heard of Together in Mission, the Synod's vision which includes a 2.5 million dollar campaign to raise money for ministries in the Florida-Bahamas Synod and $500,000 for Haiti. I have heard so much about this new initiative of the Synod for a couple years now. I've wondered what it was going to look like. Today, we were given the chance to see a glimpse of what it looks like now and the challenge to dream of what it could look like later. What it looks like now is great. We saw All Saints LC in Lutz receive a grant for their Mother's Morning R&R, a free program to reach out to mothers of all socio-economic levels in the community to provide faith-based mentoring, support and fellowship as well as a safe and loving preschool environment to nurture their children. We saw the Lutheran Church of Haiti receive money for an automobile and the upkeep of the automobile to help grow their church (As Pr. Livenson- the president of the Lutheran Church of Haiti- spoke about how a vehicle will help their ministry, I realized the irony that I just bought a new Ford Fusion Hybrid vehicle in January all the while they had no vehicle for 14 congregations. I visit about 8 hospitals on a regular basis. I can't imagine doing ministry without a vehicle. Even with the differences in culture, terrain, etc, going between 14 congregations without a vehicle is a witness to their ministry). We saw Good Shepherd LC in Hernando receive a grant for SOS (Serving Our Savior) an ecumenical ministry partnership among multiple congregations where they feed and clothe the needy. We saw Hope LC (in conjunction with Rock of Ages LC in Wildwood, FL and St. John LC in Summerfield) receiving a grant for their Growing Witness through Wellness Ministry that will expand the area congregations health care/wellness ministries by providing pastoral, grace-based mental health services through a local satellite of Lutheran Counseling Services, Inc. We saw St. Mark LC in Dunedin receive a grant for The Helping Hands Outreach Mission that will address short needs in the community. We saw Trinity LC in Kissimmee receive a grant for The Community Ambassador Ministry that responds to the spiritual, material, and emotional needs of the homeless, unemployed, abused, or neglected individuals and families in the community. We saw all congregations of the Florida-Bahamas Synod receive a grant so MissionInsite (a web-based demographic program engaging discussion and application to increase ministry effectiveness) will be available free of charge to all congregations.

I'm excited to see what else is in store for Together in Mission. As Scott Pinkerton, co-chair of TiM, said, TiM is the yearning to bring God here. It is a tool for yearning. Where we (individuals or congregations) come up with an idea and present it. If it's a good idea or not, if it's owned by us, we'll do a better job working at it compared with someone telling us what to do. Let's dream together. The goal for next year is to have every congregation being a part of TiM – either by contributing money to the fundraising campaign or being a recipient of a grant. Scott relates the story of how he became a part of TiM. He was watching the movie “Band of Brothers.” As Easy Company (the story is about the US Army 101st Airborne during WWII) came into a town, it seemed like a normal day, folks were in the bakery, etc, etc, going about their business, all the while a war is going on, but something happened as Easy Company continued to canvass the area. Literally they dropped their guns in disbelief as they saw a concentration camp. With a concentration camp right in their midst, the townspeople went on about their day like nothing was going on. The realization hit Scott that he was going on with his life like nothing was going on as Haiti was rocked with the earthquake. Scott knew the TiM initiative was something in which he needed to be a part. We heard from Pr. Livenson and Pr. Bob Schaefer about how TiM will help Haiti help themselves. They have already started two dairies and a vocational center to become self-sufficient. They do not want the U.S. or the Florida-Bahamas Synod coming in to do things for them but rather to walk with them and ask them what can we do to help them empower themselves. It is an accompaniment model that we try to live out. It is always powerful to hear Pr. Livenson speak. The conviction he speaks with is beyond his years and he even joked around that it was with some hesitancy that other leaders in Haiti have followed his lead in trying to empower the Haitian people rather than just letting the U.S. Come in and do everything as he was the youngest of the leaders.

Rev. Ruben Duran, the Director for Development of New Congregations for the ELCA was both our keynote speaker and our ELCA Churchwide Representative. There is no way to justly summarize his keynote addresses. His Powerpoint Presentations will be available on the Florida-Bahamas Synod Website (www.fbsynod.com) after the Assembly. A few of the highlights...We are a community in mission. God is a missional God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united in purpose and mission. God's mission is restoring community. Reign of God is about Shalom, peace. It is here now, but not yet fully implemented. God is at work both in the church and in the world bringing about God's reign. Churches are not gas stations that we pull in when we are empty and complain about the prices, but rather a gym where we exercise the muscles of proclaiming God's word, passing it on in joy. God's mission has a church. God's mission is not the church. God says, Go! Lutherans say, Here we stand! We are equipped and sent from Word and Sacrament (worship) into the world. God put a comma after your name “Ruben, child of God.” We now all are the same as children of the same heavenly Father. We are all priests who are called to follow as Jesus did, to sacrifice/serve, pray, and proclaim. Stay wet (always remember your baptism). Pr. Ruben told a story of The Welcome Church in Philadelphia that was started by Pr. Violet Little. Pr. Violet was a pastor in a suburb of Philly but one day she missed her train and ended up at a bathroom near the train station. The rest room's line was long because the homeless in the area used it to clean up. The professionals trying to catch their trains would be upset with the homeless for being in the way. Pr. Violet was moved to resign her call and start a church mission to the homeless in that area. They not only worship, but also assist the homeless in getting basic necessities, such as medical attention for their feet and proper shoes. This past Holy/Maundy Thursday doctors from Temple University were among the people washing the feet of the homeless and organizing ways to get shoes for them. As Pr. Ruben also brought greetings from Churchwide and Presiding Bishop Hansen, we watched a video that showed congregations in North Dakota, Arizona, and Haiti, always being ever-mindful that what they do in North Dakota, Arizona, and Haiti, we do, too, because of our mission support dollars that we send. We heard about LIFT (Living Into the Future Together) a team of folks asking the questions “What is God calling us (the ELCA) to do and be in the future? What needs to change to do so? www.liftelca.org We also heard about many of the other initiatives that the ELCA is active in (Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Immigration, Youth/Young Adults, Women of the ELCA, The Lutheran magazine and the upcoming Churchwide Assembly that the Florida-Bahamas Synod will be hosting Aug. 15-19 with the theme of Freed to Serve). We heard the numbers of congregations that have disaffiliated with the ELCA but for once we also heard about new congregations being started from the remnants of the congregations who have left. We are moving forward.

Elections were held to fill the Synod Council and Synod Secretary positions. We heard from the Florida Region Thrivent Representative, The Mission Investment Fund, the President of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of Florida, Older Adult Ministry Taskforce, Lutheran Services of Florida. All of these ministries are bold witnesses to the Risen Jesus.

As we heard from Mission Development, our new Director of Evangelical Mission (DEM) was introduced (he was installed on Thursday night during worship). Pr. David Anglada comes to us from the Metro-New York Synod and replaces Pr. Jerry Wahl. He is excited to begin concentrating on starting new congregations, renewal of existing congregations, and stewardship.

We celebrated with rostered leaders celebrating anniversaries. The oldest pastor celebrated 70 years of being ordained (he is 91). As I sat and looked at the group of leaders in front, others and I commented, “There is hope for us. They made it so can we.” What amazing group! And we also celebrated congregations anniversaries with one congregation over 100 years old. Thanks be to God!

Vice President Cheryl Stuart gave a powerful address describing what Bold looks like. Bishop Benoway accidentally called her Pr. Cheryl Stuart when he was addressing her once during the assembly prior to her report. After her report, I laughed because she gave a great sermon. Her report ended with a loud round of applause.

We concluded our evening with Evening Prayer. It was a long day, but so inspiring. Tears were shed as we saw the destruction in Haiti, Amens were shouted in praise of a living God who is with us even in the midst of horror and tragedy, and a challenge was heard and accepted to be Bold and joyful in our faith and witness. And there is still another day ahead of us.