As we continue to live out our call to join God's reign of justice and radi-cal love for the world by traveling the way of Jesus, knowing that we are united with Christ in bap�sm, the questions I have been asking this past year are:
What's church got to do with it?
How does being the church enable us to paticipate in God's mis-sion? Why do we need the church?
At our Fall Theological conference, Dr. Cheryl Peterson helped me re-frame those questions by asking: Who is the church? The answer lies with the Spirit. The church is the community of faith brought to life by thebreath of the Spirit who blows us out to serve God's world. In the ELCA, we live out this identity in an interdependent relationship as con-gregetions, the synod, and the churchwide expression. As the bishop of
the synod, I have worked with these three expressions this year in the following ways: Congregations
*Preached and participated in worship at 35 congregations across the synod, celebrating anniversaries and installations or simply visiting and being present.
*Had conversations with Trinity Lutheran in Otis, KS, about their concerns re-garding the ELCA prior to their vote to disaffiliate in December of 2023.
*Have been working with volunteers, city officials, attorneys, and real estate brokers to sell the property of Bethany Lutheran Church in Webster Groves after the synod assumed administration of the property and closed the congre-gation. We were finally able to sell the property to another church.
This serves as a reminder that every congregation should develop a plan should they no longer be able to fulfill their purpose as a congregation; they, and not the synod, can make decisions about their property and
legacy.
*34 of our congregations are served by Parish Ministry Associates or Synod Au-thorized Ministers – trained lay leaders who preside at communion by my au-thorization as bishop as an extension of my responsibility as the pastor of the synod. I am deeply grateful for the ministry of these individuals. In August, I conducted two online classes for individuals serving these congregations, lift-ing up the gifts of Lutheran Theology and how they inform our preaching and presiding at the sacraments.
* My associate, Rev. Dave Whetter, and I work with congregations to help them clarify their purpose and find pastoral leaders. This continues to be a challenge because of the shortage of rostered candidates and the inability of some of our congregations to afford a full-time or even part-time rostered minister.
As we continue to live out our call to join God's reign of justice and radi-cal love for the world by traveling the way of Jesus, knowing that we are united with Christ in bap�sm, the questions I have been asking this past year are:
What's church got to do with it?
How does being the church enable us to paticipate in God's mis-sion? Why do we need the church?
At our Fall Theological conference, Dr. Cheryl Peterson helped me re-frame those questions by asking: Who is the church? The answer lies with the Spirit. The church is the community of faith brought to life by thebreath of the Spirit who blows us out to serve God's world. In the ELCA, we live out this identity in an interdependent relationship as con-gregetions, the synod, and the churchwide expression. As the bishop of
the synod, I have worked with these three expressions this year in the following ways: Congregations
*Preached and participated in worship at 35 congregations across the synod, celebrating anniversaries and installations or simply visiting and being present.
*Had conversations with Trinity Lutheran in Otis, KS, about their concerns re-garding the ELCA prior to their vote to disaffiliate in December of 2023.
*Have been working with volunteers, city officials, attorneys, and real estate brokers to sell the property of Bethany Lutheran Church in Webster Groves after the synod assumed administration of the property and closed the congre-gation. We were finally able to sell the property to another church.
This serves as a reminder that every congregation should develop a plan should they no longer be able to fulfill their purpose as a congregation; they, and not the synod, can make decisions about their property and
legacy.
*34 of our congregations are served by Parish Ministry Associates or Synod Au-thorized Ministers – trained lay leaders who preside at communion by my au-thorization as bishop as an extension of my responsibility as the pastor of the synod. I am deeply grateful for the ministry of these individuals. In August, I conducted two online classes for individuals serving these congregations, lift-ing up the gifts of Lutheran Theology and how they inform our preaching and presiding at the sacraments.
* My associate, Rev. Dave Whetter, and I work with congregations to help them clarify their purpose and find pastoral leaders. This continues to be a challenge because of the shortage of rostered candidates and the inability of some of our congregations to afford a full-time or even part-time rostered minister.
As we continue to live out our call to join God's reign of justice and radi-cal love for the world by traveling the way of Jesus, knowing that we are united with Christ in bap�sm, the questions I have been asking this past year are:
What's church got to do with it?
How does being the church enable us to paticipate in God's mis-sion? Why do we need the church?
At our Fall Theological conference, Dr. Cheryl Peterson helped me re-frame those questions by asking: Who is the church? The answer lies with the Spirit. The church is the community of faith brought to life by thebreath of the Spirit who blows us out to serve God's world. In the ELCA, we live out this identity in an interdependent relationship as con-gregetions, the synod, and the churchwide expression. As the bishop of
the synod, I have worked with these three expressions this year in the following ways: Congregations
*Preached and participated in worship at 35 congregations across the synod, celebrating anniversaries and installations or simply visiting and being present.
*Had conversations with Trinity Lutheran in Otis, KS, about their concerns re-garding the ELCA prior to their vote to disaffiliate in December of 2023.
*Have been working with volunteers, city officials, attorneys, and real estate brokers to sell the property of Bethany Lutheran Church in Webster Groves after the synod assumed administration of the property and closed the congre-gation. We were finally able to sell the property to another church.
This serves as a reminder that every congregation should develop a plan should they no longer be able to fulfill their purpose as a congregation; they, and not the synod, can make decisions about their property and
legacy.
*34 of our congregations are served by Parish Ministry Associates or Synod Au-thorized Ministers – trained lay leaders who preside at communion by my au-thorization as bishop as an extension of my responsibility as the pastor of the synod. I am deeply grateful for the ministry of these individuals. In August, I conducted two online classes for individuals serving these congregations, lift-ing up the gifts of Lutheran Theology and how they inform our preaching and presiding at the sacraments.
* My associate, Rev. Dave Whetter, and I work with congregations to help them clarify their purpose and find pastoral leaders. This continues to be a challenge because of the shortage of rostered candidates and the inability of some of our congregations to afford a full-time or even part-time rostered minister.
THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS
Growing up at Ascension Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, I was part of the all-girls choir cleverly known as the “Ascensionettes.” It was a long time ago and while I don’t remember many of the songs we sang, I do remember singing,
“And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
I doubt many congregations still sing that song. The tune is pretty simplistic, and the verses are a bit outdated. What is not outdated is the message – They will know we are Christians by our love.
It is love that determines how we act, who we support, and how we vote. Love is the deciding factor regarding how we weigh into the public discourse, how we speak up for or about someone, and how we respond to the actions and words of others. That may sound rather simplistic amid the contentious rhetoric and challenging decisions we face as a nation – “just do the loving thing!” – But if we do not ground our decisions, actions, attitudes, and behaviors in love, then why are we Christian? Why are we followers of the incarnation of God’s love for the world, whose Spirit is at work within us so that we might participate in God’s transforming love for the world? Because that is what love does – it transforms, it heals, it reconciles, it brings life. Love pulls us out of our own self-interests; to see and care for our neighbor, to honor the connection we share in our common humanity, and to worship the one who first loved us.
I pray that we will be known by our love, that we continue to do the loving thing, that we will work for the well-being of our neighbors, and that we will follow the way of Jesus and obey his commandments.
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
(John 13:34-35).
Remember, the “one another” is all of our neighbors, the world that God so loved that the only Son was sent, not to condemn the world but that the world might have life through him. May our love for our neighbor continue to bring life and reconciliation to this world. Amen.
~Bishop Susan Candea
