Dear Synod, Grace and peace to you, from our Risen Lord Jesus.
This Coming Sunday’s Gospel
(April 19th) is from John, Chapter 20. We are told Jesus came to the disciples and said, “Peace be with you” two times. The disciples rejoiced and Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” But note, he didn’t just command them, because the next thing the risen Christ did, in that room, was to “breathe on them” which granted them the Holy Spirit. God grants the power to do what God calls us to do.
Share your gratitude by phone or email to your Leaders
I believe all our pastors, deacons and leaders throughout the synod are doing what God calls them to do. They deserve our deep gratitude during this incredibly challenging pandemic. I talk with pastors and deacons each week. I hear their gospel messages and worship along with them each week on social media. I read their sermons on line. In these experiences I hear God’s love, and I feel God’s presence through their kind and faithful work. Let your rostered ministers, and other leaders know how grateful you are. They have risen to the challenge, by the power of the Spirit God gave them, with grace, renewed strength, and love. I also want you remind you, this is difficult work. They are strong leaders, but they are also human. That means they are tired, even while they keep on working. They are handling pastoral care as best as they can, working harder than they used to, as they step into new worlds of media production among other things each week. Whether they show it or not, some are very weary. Some are over-functioning. It is important to exercise self-care, for physical but also spiritual and emotional well being.
Coaching Offered
Some of our own synod’s Spiritual Directors will be available during the weeks ahead for our leaders, it’s that important. We will send out a list soon. A reminder also, that in addition to personal counseling, Portico, our benefits services partner provides resources for emotional health concerns and Catherine Anderson on our staff has been posting regularly about Mental Health resources. In addition Every Wednesday at 1:00 pm Central Time, the ELCA Coaching Network gathers together on Zoom to offer support and accompaniment to any rostered minister. The ELCA has a network of trained coaches who accompany leaders in a variety of ministry areas including stewardship. During this unprecedented time, coaching is offered at no cost. For more information, contact
jill.beverlin@elca.org
. A video has just been completed regarding the Paycheck Protection Program. The video includes information from ELCA and Portico. It contains very helpful information.
Announcing:
Bishop’s Sermon - Sunday May 3, 2020, Easter 4
Please know that in the spirit of “self-care” I want you to let your pastors know that I will be giving the May 3rd sermon through our Synod’s media outlets. I’ll have a couple of Assistants with me to prepare a 40 minute worship service you may use in your congregation, as well as the written sermon available.
Your pastor and worship leaders have “the weekend off” and I encourage them to take it as such if they can. Also note: I am still awaiting final details about our one-day Fall Synod Assembly at one of our larger congregations.
Pastor Earl Carlson
Yesterday, on Easter Sunday itself, one of our loving synod pastors died; my 101 year old good friend and mentor of 35 years, Pastor Earl Carlson. Many of you know him and his incredible joyful spirit – all the way to the end of his life. I will miss him dearly. My visits to him in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin were revitalizing for me. I personally gave him his 75th Anniversary of ordination in early March. I had just spoken with him again during Holy Week. We laughed a lot, as we are used to doing together, theological conversation, shared memories and prayer. He has blessed this church. You’ll find an online Obituary for Earl this week.
Holy Communion update during the Covid-19 Epidemic
We have been knit together and empowered by the Holy Spirit as Sunday’s text says. You know I have recommended that we refrain from Holy Communion while we have the necessary Stay at Home order but hear this: I am not pretending to mandate refraining from Holy Communion for everyone. Instead I’ve used the term recommend. And that is still a faithful practice for us. But I also know that the issue is much nuanced these days. And rightly so! (Lutherans after all are good at talking about paradoxes, realities that can have more than one understanding.) Instead, I trust all of our pastors and Councils to do the best pastoral care practices around Communion that they decide on. That will mean, as I know it has for some, that virtual communion, or home communion will happen, and has happened. I would argue that virtual community in our time has been real for people - and I am not here as your bishop to judge any pastor or congregation that feels virtual online or home communion is right and salutary for their flock. It’s another, but not regular way for a limited time. As I’ve said there are many good arguments for refraining for a period of time, and many good arguments for practicing virtual communion, and the words from our Teaching Theologian Timothy Wengert who I referenced early on gave this quote from Franklin Drews Fry,
“Give it your reverent, best guess”
in his article “Holy Communion Under Quarantine” See entire article here:
https://tinyurl.com/uku6hrs
See also “The Use of the Means of Grace” our ELCA Statement on the practice of Word and Sacrament. A reminder to all: Christ is also fully present to us in the Word of God preached/proclaimed and shared among us.
If you choose to do virtual communion as the weeks and perhaps months go on with the stay at home order, please let your congregations know it is for a specific time only, and not the normal practice. You should know I am grateful for the faithful decisions you make concerning this. We don’t need any kind of grandstanding or platform shouting from anyone in the church right now. We are rightfully and respectfully accountable to each other. I do discourage drive by communion or delivering bread and wine to homes during this time of increased coronavirus danger. Any of us could be asymptomatic but still carry the disease. We need to be smart here, and we also need understanding and gracious with one another. There are good resources out there and you can see them on our Website.
Finally, know that I cherish all of you, Rosterd leaders and members of all of our congregations. I am convinced, because I know and respect you so much, that we will pull together and do ministry in Christ’s strength and power. You are already claimed by Christ as “the light of the world” a promise you can count on, take strength from, and work out in your own wonderful ways to the world, (safely!) You are important to God, your congregation, the Body of Christ as a whole, and to the world.
With abiding respect for you and in Christ our Risen Lord,
+Bishop Thomas M. Aitken
