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God’s Beloved People,
Thank you to all who worked so hard to bring us an excellent Synod Assembly! For those of you reading this: Don’t lose the advantage of this missional event, this wonderful energy to BE the church of our pride and joy! I hope you’ll speak to those who attended Super Saturday and fight like crazy to preserve those best ideas that have come back to your congregation! The calendar isn’t working for us here--we all know things can get lost in the summer hiatus—so it will take special effort to preserve the energy through to the fall. Nothing less than the future of our congregations and synod as centers of mission is at stake. This is our core, our being, our calling.
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What an interesting day in our political life as a country! When do you remember the relationship between political candidate (Barack Obama) and pastor (Jeremiah Wright) being so front and center? This intimate relationship between pastor and parishioner, the content of sermons, prophetic words and racial tensions are now before us as daily fodder. In one way, preaching has never been taken so seriously; on the other hand the preaching of God’s Word has never been so easily dismissed as mere polemic. (See Martin Marty’s comments on Wright at http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i30/30b00101.htm)
I see in this moment a wonderful opportunity for conversation about vocation, our “callings” rooted in baptism. The two vocations at issue are “politician” and “pastor.” Speaking personally, I loved the way the word “pastor” rolled off Jeremiah Wright’s tongue in his interview with Bill Moyers. (Questions about his deep commitments have been raised since that interview). How Wright used the word “politician” has been more at issue, some suggesting there was a bit of a sneer behind his use of that word. Here I want to protest: deep respect is needed for that calling as well! For all its ambiguity we ask our member/politicians to enter the world of the possible and to do so with thick skins, deep conscience, and prudential judgment. Here God’s hand is at work as well, working through human agents to protect our commonwealth and those most vulnerable. Blessed conversation! May you each get summer rest!
Pr. Martin Wells
Bishop
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Click here to download Bishop Wells' sermon from morning worship on "Super Saturday" |
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Great Commission / Great Commandment Resources:
Each congregation received a mailing in December 2007 on the Guiding Princles of the Synod. The following items were included in that mailing:
-- a large poster containing the Guiding Principles of the synod (we hope you have found a place to display this)
-- a brief description of these principles to post nearby as an aid to understanding and, we hope, a "hook" to stimulate interest (click here to download the description)
-- a six-part study of these principles prepared by Bishop Wells. (click here to download the study)
-- lesson aids so that the study might be used with children and youth prepared by Pr. Helga Jansons (click here to download the aids)
It is our prayer that these materials will encourage you and assist you in the constant work of revitalization for ministry. |
To the Priesthood of Believers in the Eastern Washington and Idaho Synod,
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus, the Savior of the world!
As you review this page you’ll see the Synod’s Guiding Principles listed on the right. I hope this looks familiar to you from the poster your congregation received. Let me take this opportunity to put those principles into prose text:
Our clearest purpose as a Church is to declare Jesus as the true and trusted center of all life. Because we have found such hope, we are now free and empowered to live life in Jesus’ name. This is our response of gratitude and we intend that it set us apart from those who live from fear, anxiety, anger, or entitlement. We are simply not going to be afraid and we are open to the way God will transform us from this trust in Jesus. We expect to see miracles flow from this trust and we will not let fear of this power cause us to shrink! In fact we’re going to open up to life and live this Good News 360 degrees! Jesus has come to address, befriend, and love every person we meet, so yes, everybody come to the Kingdom of God celebration! And when we fail, when we forget to trust God, when we forget the mercy that inspires our lives, when we’re more afraid of life than excited about it, when we close down, well then, we beg forgiveness and remember that it was never our mission. It was and is God’s mission we’re drawn to and we’re confident, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, that God will see it through. It is our joy to tag along and have a part! Thanks be to God!
Pr. Martin Wells, Bishop
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2007 Churchwide Assembly
The following are the written reports from the 2007 Churchwide Assembly Voting Members. More reports will be added as received.
Report 1 ~ Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson
Report 2 ~ Bishop Martin D. Wells
Report 3 ~ Mr. Donn Gehret
Report 4 ~ Rev. Matthew Goodrich
Report 5 ~ Ms. Ruth Lauersen
Report 6 ~ Rev. Karen Bates-Olson
Report 7 ~ Mr. Jens Olson
Report 8 ~ Ms. Susan Berg |
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| Voting Members of the 2007 Churchwide Assembly |
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