Oftentimes, darkness is seen in a negative connotation. This is true in Scripture as well. That said, there are also instances when darkness is seen in a more positive light (pun intended). There are occasions in the Bible that night and darkness are times of revelation, of divine presence, and of promise.
At this fall’s Bishop’s Convocation we had the opportunity to sing “Bless This Night” together.
The overarching theme of Philippians is the joy we have in Jesus Christ. There is so much that is still broken in our communities and cosmos and sometimes both the small conflicts and large injustices can overwhelm. I cannot continue the work of witnessing to the love of Jesus Christ with words and actions without reminders that the good news is for me too, and that the joy Paul writes of is ours.
Many mainline denominational churches are seeking faithful innovation amidst our changing ecclesial landscape. For example, 75% of churches in the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest have fewer than 100 members and are continuing to shrink. Inspired by the ecclesial imagination of other innovative congregations, some of these churches are seeking renewal and transformation by creating housing with their land to meet the needs of the community.
Excellence in Leadership is a ministry born out of the need for courageous and resilient people in the church, in organizations, and in the world. We are currently living in a time that asks specifically for leaders who have the capacity to think about the future in new ways and we believe that effective leadership begins with the individual and is honed in community.
As a church we have forgiveness to offer, and as we are becoming more and more aware, we have repentance to offer, to many who we’ve harmed. Likewise, as individuals and in our congregations the same is true. Even though it may not be easy, and even if you don’t quite feel like it yet, don’t procrastinate in this labor.
I spent the first two weeks of June leading summer staff training sessions for Luther Heights Bible Camp in the Sawtooth Mountains and Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp south of Glacier National Park in Montana. I led sessions on Lutheranism 101 and then took the counselors on deep dives through the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Bible Studies.
The text for Day 2 Who is Jesus? Is John 15:1-17 (the vine and branches passage). Because we were at the beginning of staff training at both camps, biblical passages about community were also used for worship and devotions.
These passages included 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (the body of Christ). I found it wonderful to juxtapose these two passages with the summer staffs, but I also find it helpful as I begin my call as bishop of our synod. In the passage from John, Jesus uses a metaphor that highlights interrelationships and is nonhierarchical. Perhaps most significant, the branches are also anonymous; nothing distinguishes one branch from the other. The only measure of one’s place in community is to love Jesus. Period. Contrast that with the Apostle Paul’s metaphor of the body in his letter to the church in Corinth. Instead of anonymity, Paul has an abundance of specificity. What both passages share is an emphasis on interdependence, with God in Jesus and with one another.
At our 2023 Assembly, Rev. Dr. Meggan Manlove was elected to succeed Bishop Kristen E.M. Kuempel as Bishop of the Northwest Intermountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Rev. Manlove currently serves Trinity Lutheran in Nampa, Idaho. Rev. Manlove graduated from the University of Chicago Divinity School, was ordained in September 2004, and holds a Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She will officially assume the duties of Bishop in July 2023.