Thank you to the 300+ voting members and advisors who joined us on Zoom this past weekend for our 2021 Synod Assembly. Around the theme of "Waiting in Hope," we elected people to churchwide and synod positions (see below for the list), got inspired by Dr. Joy Moore from Luther Seminary and Mikka McCracken from the ELCA, heard reports from officers and committees, approved a synod welcoming statement, launched the Planting Hope campaign and much more. We're still recovering from a busy few days so stay tuned for more detailed summaries and additional information. Videos shown at assembly will be added to the assembly webpage this week.

"When it comes to hope, we remember that we are right there as recipients of God’s grace and mercy for the whole creation. Jesus did not wait to come until humanity grew up and people were at their best. Jesus did not postpone his dying until we ourselves were deserving. No, “in hope we were saved” (Romans 3:24). We Christians live with a kind of inexplicable confidence as we go about our work, because we know that whatever happens – to us, our congregations, the wider world, or even the cosmos itself — the future is in God’s hands, not our own."

Read Bishop Lull's full sermon text as a Word document or PDF OR watch on Vimeo.

In her May column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton notes that music, like God’s love, is at the same time deeply personal, sounding deep within an individual’s soul, and universal, ringing out to an entire community.

Like God’s love, music is at the same time deeply personal, sounding deep within an individual’s soul, and universal, ringing out to an entire community. Like God’s love, music sings to us in all of our marvelous diversity. Just as the beauty of creation is apparent not in monochrome but in Technicolor, so also must music be polyphonic. This is why we have a variety of worship resources that include a variety of musical styles from many cultures and in many languages.

Read Bishop Eaton's column in English or Spanish.

The synod office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A limited number of staff are on-site each day. You may continue to reach all staff members by phone (651-224-4313) or by email.

Grab a friend and get outside together to walk, run, ride or however you like to move...for Shobi's Table, the food truck ministry supported by our synod! We’re all about coming together around one table to eat delicious, nutritious food that feeds the body as well as the soul. Once you’ve all been fed, what better thing to do than to get those bodies outside to revel in God’s good creation and get to know one another even better.

The week of May 16-22, you are invited to do a 5K at your own pace, however you love to move best, wherever you are. You can walk, run, ride your bike, do cartwheels, skip, push someone in a wheelchair or a stroller. You could do 1K a day for 5 days! You can go fast or slow. If a 5K is too much for your body, consider driving to a place you can see a vista that goes out for at least 5K. This 5K-As-You-Can is accessible to everyone! Wherever you do your 5K, take a picture and post it using the hashtags #5KAsYouCan and #ShobisTable.

On Saturday, May 22, those who are local to the St. Paul area can gather at Gloria Dei in St. Paul for a pay-as-you-can lunch at the Shobi’s Table food truck, 5K routes available nearby. The truck will be there from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., so you can eat lunch before or after! There will be plenty of space to spread out. Register here. Whether you walk by yourself, with a friend or a team, each participant must fill out a registration form. (Parents and guardians, you can fill one out for your kids.) Registration fee is pay-as-you-can (so you decide how much you want to give!). Registration fees of $25/person and up come with a Shobi's Table t-shirt.

Mt. Olivet Conference & Retreat Center concludes its Living Well, Leading Well virtual workshop series with a conversation about trauma. As we cope with the mounting losses, anxieties and uncertainties of our current pandemic, many of us feel like we are losing our footing. Having some awareness of trauma and its impact on our personal, intergenerational, and collective lives can increase our self-understanding and compassion. Join us in exploring concrete psychological and spiritual tools for increasing resilience and finding hope and joy in the midst of pain.

The session will be led by the Rev. Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger, Ph.D., the Charlotte W. Newcombe Professor of Pastoral Theology Emerita at Princeton Theological Seminary. Deborah was originally trained as a pastoral counselor, taught at Princeton Seminary for 25 years, and now offers spiritual direction for individuals and small groups. She will share psychological and spiritual tools for increasing resilience and finding hope and joy in our life together. Learn more and register.

Join the National Lutheran Choir for Light Dawns, an online celebration and benefit. The program will feature music by the choir, words of joy from supporters across the nation, and an introduction to the vision for our next season. Make sure to tune in to join the fun and help NLC prepare for the 2021-2022 season. To join the event on that day, visit NLCA.com/LightDawns.

www.spas-elca.org | 651.224.4313