Staff Blogs

By Pastor John Hulden

Have you heard of the new movie that is causing theological and historical debates? It’s a film about religion and the consequential actions that arise out of a strong belief in doing what is right. The reaction to this film is resulting in essays, treatises, and of course, social media chatter. The movie? Conclave. I haven’t seen it yet, but I plan to… despite a good portion of Roman Catholics asking me that I stay away from a movie that tells the fictional story of electing a pope.

Speaking of new movies…
Last month, the national spotlight switched from one Lutheran to another. We went from campaign ads and signs for Governor “Tim Walz for VP” to movie ads and signs for the biopic about the late Pastor Deitrich Bonhoeffer. No, I haven’t seen the Bonhoeffer movie, but I plan to… despite the controversy around it. I’ve been reading many essays, treatises, and social media chatter about it. And while I don’t necessarily like supporting these particular moviemakers, with their potentially questionable intentions, I do feel compelled to see it with my own eyes; to form my own opinion.

WE ARE NOW in the season of Advent—a church season that just might be the most out of step with the culture and the ubiquitousness of commercialism leading up to Christmas. Advent is that in-between time of waiting and hoping for a Savior.

Two prophets pop into my head every time Advent comes around. The first is the last of the Old Testament prophets:  John the Baptist. Like many prophets, he quickly gets in trouble with the authorities and lands in jail, on death row. The other prophet? Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Like Jesus’ cousin John, Bonhoeffer is arrested and put in jail, on death row. I remember Bonhoeffer every Advent because of his writings from a Nazi prison. He reminds us that the geography of Advent is like a jail cell. Bonhoeffer wrote to a friend: “By the way, a prison cell like this is a good analogy for Advent; one waits, hopes, does this or that— ultimately negligible things— the door is locked and can only be opened from the outside.”

No matter whether you choose to see the Bonhoeffer movie, maybe you can find some time and space to read some Bonhoeffer while you wait and hope for a Savior this Advent.

“By the way, a prison cell like this is a good analogy for Advent; one waits, hopes, does this or that— ultimately negligible things— the door is locked and can only be opened from the outside.”

As for my next movie? Odds are my musical theater loving family will want to go see Wicked. And yes, I’ve been warned, it’s only part 1. I guess I’ll wait for Part 2 that’s due out just before Advent next year.

By Johan Baumeister

One of my favorite hymns goes “Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God the Creator triumphantly raise.”

I like the soaring and majestic tune. I find beauty in the imagery of a pillar of fire, of traveling “from light into light,” and of the stars wheeling about the nighttime sky. Most of all though, I think the “us” language – invited to unite in thanksgiving with “all things now living” – is deeply compelling.

All of creation, united in thanksgiving. That’s a beautiful image.

I MAKE NO CLAIM that all of creation unites this week in Thanksgiving. Not even all of humanity is unified. In humble hope for the day that more of us can be united than divided, I offer some small thanksgivings of my own.

This week is my last week working at the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA. It is also Wondimu Sonessa’s and Bob Hulteen’s. I’d like to name and express gratitude for some of the gifts that I have seen others bring to this work over the last 15 months. I am thankful today for Wondimu’s faithful voice of love and inclusion and the stories he offers to share his wisdom, especially those of time spent in his youth with flocks and farm. I am grateful for Bob’s sense of justice and insight, for the reality checks he somewhat gently offers.

I’m grateful for Nick’s grumpy iconoclasm, because if we take our institutions or values or practices for granted, they remain unexamined and thus unworthy of the mind our Creator gave us. I see and appreciate Karen’s kindness as well as her attention to detail. I look to John with gratitude for an example of calm and firm leadership. (And also for a twice-monthly delivery of farm-fresh eggs.) I see and appreciate Mercy’s dedication to her work and care for all those around her. I am awed by Lynda’s lifelong love of the church and her consistent work to build and ensure a future for our missions.

“The ‘us’ language of ‘Let All Things Now Living’ – invited to unite in thanksgiving with ‘all things now living’ – is deeply compelling.”

For Jessie, I name the compassion that she brings with her everywhere – her commitment to ensuring that people feel safe and heard seems unbreakable. With Jeni, a talent for planning and the consistent help that she offers to make our shared work a success are but two of her gifts I appreciate and name today. Kellie’s tenacity and clear communication go a long way to keeping our office and synod running smoothly. I’m thankful for Peg’s kind words and the depth of her literary knowledge; I think both inform her work and her relationships.

I’m grateful for Bishop Ann’s leadership in centering climate justice and racial justice. I’m grateful for Bishop Jen’s commitment to ensuring that this justice work will continue to be supported by the synod, as well as for her vision of churches in accompaniment with our neighborhoods.

MOST OF ALL THOUGH, I’m grateful for the folks who volunteer their time and talents to be church in the world. For Eric, Lacy, Paula, Dan, and Rich; without them, my own work would not have been as successful, nor would there have been as much to fill the cups of those who attended the recent EcoFaith Summit. I’m grateful for Karen and Ann and John and the other volunteers from University Lutheran Church of Hope. Volunteers make our churches run, they are integral to many missions and ministries, including the ministry of coffee hour.

“The people of Salem English Lutheran Church, just off Lyndale Avenue, extended a radical and warm welcome to me and others.”

And I remain always grateful to the people of Salem English Lutheran Church, just off Lyndale Avenue. They are not the only congregation in our synod that has extended a radical and warm welcome to me and others. But they were the first for me. That reflection of Christ’s love is how we’re called to be in the world, even when the world seems difficult or determined to reject that which we love.

I hope that you will find comfort with family in the coming season, that you will continue to strive to be a reflection of God’s love and unconditional acceptance, and that you will support one another looking forward to that day when we can give thanks in unison with all of creation.

By Nick Tangen

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to share a bit about the work of Faith Practices & Neighboring Practices with the Metro New York Synod at their Bishop’s Conference. The first two days of the conference were for pastors and deacons in the synod, rostered ministers serving a variety of calls across the city. The last two days were for the “Synod’s Synodical Deacons.” A synod deacon is not a common role across our church, and prior to this conference I knew almost nothing about them, but after spending two days with these church leaders I was intrigued and excited by their unique contributions to the church.

Synod deacons are lay people who have been formed and called to serve particular ministries, most often in their home congregations. They are not ordained as rostered ministers, but are set apart to serve in their local congregation and parish community – teaching, organizing, serving, and forming other leaders. Synod deacons complete a two-year formation program (in the Metro New York Synod this program is called Growing in Faith) and go through a candidacy process similar to our rostered ministers.

Talking with these incredible leaders was a blessing, and I loved hearing stories of lay people discerning their unique vocational calls within their own congregations. Several of the synod deacons I spoke with did not grow up in the Lutheran church and felt a strong desire to better understand the church they were joining and jumped on the chance to participate in the Growing in Faith formation program. Others had a clear sense that God was calling them to be connectors and community builders in the neighborhoods around their church. All of them were clear that God had called them as faithful lay people to serve the church.

When I first began to discern my own vocational call, I was convinced that serving the church meant that I would need to become a pastor (I didn’t even know about deacons at that point), and I started seminary fully intending to follow that ordination track. It took only a few months to realize that, in fact, this was not God’s call for me.

“God had called them as faithful lay people to serve the church.”

Later when I learned more about rostered deacons in the ELCA, I thought that God might be calling me in that direction. But again, as I reflected and worked and continued to talk with friends, family, and fellow church members, I realized that this was also not the direction God was calling me toward. But everywhere I went it felt like leadership and ordination were somehow synonymous.

In a moment of consternation over direction and vocation, my friend and colleague, Bob Hulteen reminded me, “Ya know, the church needs engaged and committed lay people as much as it needs strong pastors and deacons.” It was a moment of clarity for me – God calls lay people to ministry in our church just as much as our other leaders, and God was calling me to ministry as a lay person. God calls people into various types of work, and each role is essential. I think we are in a moment where championing the call and responsibility of lay people across our church is especially needed.

PASTORS AND DEACONS take on so much in our congregations, often holding more than can be completed or shepherded by one person. Burnout, chronic stress, and isolation are real concerns for many rostered ministers. The landscape of professional ministry and church life is shifting as congregations realize that they may not be able to pay and support full-time clergy in the way they once could. And trust in religious institutions continues to take a hit across our country.

“The church needs engaged and committed lay people as much as it needs strong pastors and deacons.”

For the health and sustainability of our churches and our leaders, we need (now more than ever) engaged lay folks to share the load and imagine a future different than the past. We need lay folks who are formed practically and theologically for ministry in their own contexts, contributing their unique gifts, strengths, and passions to a myriad of creative and generative ministries. And we need a recommitment to the fullness of the Body of Christ.

How might our own synod invest in the intentional formation of lay people? Projects like Faith Practices & Neighboring Practices, and the soon-to-launch Family Faith, pay close attention to the formation and leadership of lay people. Our synod community organizing work does and will continue to develop lay leaders in our synod for the sake of social and political change.

But what else might we do together to form, affirm, and celebrate the leadership of lay people across the Minneapolis Area Synod? This question has re-emerged for me after meeting synod deacons in the Metro New York Synod, and I look forward to imagining possibilities together here in our own context.

By Pastor Wondimu Sonessa 

As part of the DEM office and the Mission Table’s “Year of Partnership” project, we are glad to highlight our Amazing Grace Ministry (AGM) and invite your congregation to start partnership conversations with Pastor Nhiabee Vang. AGM started in 2018 with 13 families and is in the sixth year of being a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC) with Oak Knoll Lutheran Church in Minnetonka serving as its fiscal agent.  

Currently about 50 families from the Hmong community gather at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in Fridley for worship every Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m. New members are joining the ministry. This worshipping community will soon be organized as a congregation.  

“A partnership congregation is expected to bring a companionship that fosters genuine Christian fellowship.” 

Pastor Nhiabee believes that growing stronger relationships with other congregations of the MAS is imperative for the future of the Amazing Grace ministry. A reliable fellowship for new start and strategic ministries, particularly multi-ethnic churches, comes from connecting them with the local congregations. Our “Year of Partnership” approach has a unique emphasis on a triangular view of partnership. The three sides represent God and the two congregations. This allows us to think about what each congregation expects from partnership to enrich their joint engagement in God’s mission.        

AMAZING GRACE IS A community of Hmong Christians with many youth and children in their Sunday school. The cooperative and committed young adult members of the congregation, the well-organized women’s ministry, and the supportive lay leadership make Amazing Grace a great companion in mission. For the MAS congregations that the Holy Spirit is calling to a new missional connection, Amazing Grace Ministry offers a strong potential for evangelism among the wider Hmong community in the Twin Cities and beyond.

A partnership congregation is expected to bring a companionship that fosters genuine Christian fellowship. This includes engaging in constructive conversations focusing on faith formation, proclaiming the Good News, and rendering an inclusive ministry to all people together. An intentional partnership allows for participation in special events and ministry opportunities, including pulpit exchange and support for the youth and children ministry.  

In Pastor Nhiabee’s words, “As with other new ministries, particularly immigrants/refugee ministries, we are in need of financial support. At the moment, we are able to serve our people and community, mostly due to the Resurrection Fund from the Minneapolis Area Synod and the grant from the churchwide office. Our concern is how this will play out as we continue to look toward the future.” This is why the Mission Table calls for partnership connections that allow congregations to share resources that enrich their respective ministries. 

“The Amazing Grace Lutheran worshipping community will soon be organized as a congregation.” 

Finally, Amazing Grace prioritizes ministries that “Grow in Faith, Share the Good News, and Provide Service to All People.” Pastor Nhiabee says, “At Amazing Grace Ministry, this is what we are striving to live by as we continue to share the story of Jesus Christ to our Hmong community.  Many of our older members are new to the Chrisitan faith so we continue to learn about our newfound faith in God and how to live out this faith in our daily life.  We came from very strong traditions of animism/shamanism. Therefore . . . growing in faith and understanding who we are as a people of God is important to us.”  

Any Minneapolis Area Synod congregation interested in partnership connection with the Amazing Grace ministry is invited to reach out to Pastor Nhiabee Vang via his email at vangb30@yahoo.com. Or, you may reach out to the synod DEM office. Together, we are the church.  

By Pastor John Hulden

I started out as a half-time solo pastor at church on the lower Eastside of Saint Paul. Fresh out of seminary, I kept asking, “What are the advantages to our small size? There must be some!” I tried many things. (God bless those wonderful Eastsiders who put up with me and my ideas.) And, every once in a while, something took hold.

For the post-Communion blessing one Sunday, I invited folks to form a circle, holding hands. They graciously agreed. But I really wanted us to sing the post-Communion canticle while standing in a circle. But you can’t hold hands and a hymnbook (and this was waaaaay before projectors and screens).

“What are the advantages to our small size? There must be some!”

Do you remember the continuous paper used in old computer printers? If you are too young, you’ll just have to believe me. That next week, I wrote in block letters all the words to “Thank the Lord and sing his praise” on that continuous roll of paper and the Sunday School kids helped me color in the letters.

With the help of masking tape, the words encircled the walls of our little sanctuary. I don’t know how much it mattered to most people, but I loved that we could hold hands and pray and sing in a circle after being refreshed “through the healing power of this gift of life.”

I’M PRIVILEGED TO visit congregations all over our synod. I still get excited when I see or hear of a good idea. Below is a list of a few of them. But please read them with this caution: What makes them so good is they came out of the context of the congregation. Appreciate these ideas (or not), and blessings to you and your worship leaders if they might inspire you.

• Our Saviour’s in Minneapolis asks worshippers to initial their favorite Bible verse in every one of their confirmation students’ Bibles as the teenagers prepare for Confirmation Sunday.
• At University Lutheran Church of Hope, the pastor takes time during worship to stand at the baptismal font and share a few words about a saint in their congregation whose funeral service was just held – or is in the coming week. This remembrance of baptism for the living and dead was suggested by a chaplain in the congregation who witnessed the power of God’s baptismal promise in her work every day.
• As a frequent visitor at worship services, I so appreciate the melody line on the screen instead of just the words. Sometimes I don’t know the tune (although I can tell the worshippers know it well). If the music notes are there, I can join in the singing and feel much more a part of the worship service.
• Diamond Lake Lutheran doesn’t have Kids’ Sermons; it has “Sermon on the Steps.” You might know I love a good kids’ sermon, but this title reminds everyone – especially us pastors — that we are called to preach, not just have adorable conversations with those young kiddos. (This aligns with Question #3 in my five questions to ask every kids’ sermon.
• Congregations participating in the Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices cohorts remember their newly discovered neighborhood connections/assets/events/relationships and they become petitions in the Prayers of Intercession on Sunday – written and led by lay leaders.
• Some congregations incorporate their short mission statement into the Dismissal and Sending so all those gathered leave worship knowing ministry continues out the church doors.

What is a good idea from your congregation?

By Pastor Wondimu Sonessa

In December of 2023, leaders of our Synodically Authorized Worshipping Communities and our Strategic Ministry congregations gathered for their quarterly meeting with the chair of the synod’s Mission Table, Pastor Deanna Kim Bassett, and the Director of Evangelical Mission (DEM) – me. Tapestry Ministry, a bi-lingual ministry in Richfield, hosted the meeting. Our conversation focused on the importance of local congregational partnership.

Pastor Catrina Ciccone of Bread of Life Deaf Lutheran Church led this conversation in which we all saw (from the list on the white board) that our New and Strategic ministries could use more congregational partnerships. We became aware that some ministries have many partnerships, while others have few.

“2024 has been designated by the Mission Table as the ‘Year of Partnership.’”

The office of the DEM together with the Mission Table team have been praying and working on how to approach the need for congregational partnerships. This resulted in designating FY2024 as the “Year of Partnership.” With this designation in mind, we plan to engage in creative and strategic methods that will be helpful to connect our New Ministries and Strategic Ministries with congregations interested in building relationships. This includes reflecting on our understanding of partnership and expectations of these congregational connections.

SOME OF OUR MINISTRIES have experiences of partnership connections that didn’t last longer or lead to the expected outcome. For this reason, we have been exploring the real need at each ministry site with their respective pastors.

At a quarterly meeting hosted by Minnesota Swahili Christian Congregation on March 7, we shared this vision with all ministries leaders and invited each pastoral leader to respond to the following three questions:

• What does your congregation/ministry bring to the ministry of the partner congregations?
• What does your congregation/ministry expect from your partnership congregation?
• What is your priority in ministry?

We received highly encouraging and insightful feedback from our pastors.

“Some of our ministries have experiences of partnership connections that didn’t last longer or lead to the expected outcome.”

In the coming months, we will share with you these responses through our synod enews. In highlighting one or two ministries every few weeks, we invite your congregation to hear their story as a voice calling for partnership. This is a call to mutual appreciation and enriching relationship for the sake of the gospel.

Making this happen may require your willingness to share the spiritual gifts and resources that the Lord has entrusted to your congregation. No matter how big or small your congregation is, your fellowship is needed more than ever.

If you allow me to borrow the apostle Paul’s words to the Ephesians, “I … beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). May the love and peace of Christ guide our response to this call for partnership.

By Mercy Zou Taithul

In remembrance of the death of India’s highest recognized civilian, Ratan Naval Tata, who passed away on October 9, 2024, I would like to share one of his beautiful stories called “Four Stages of Happiness.”

A little bit about Ratanji (Ratan’s nickname): He was an Indian industrialist and philanthropist, serving as the chairman of Tata Group and Tata Son. He received the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honor in India. He also received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honor in 2000.

Ratanji Tata said:

 I have gone through four stages of happiness in life, and I finally understood the meaning of true happiness. The first stage was to accumulate wealth and resources. But at this stage, I didn’t get the happiness I wanted. Then came the second stage of collecting valuables and items. But I realized that the effect of these things is also temporary and the luster of precious things does not last long.

Then came the third phase of getting a big project. That was when I had 95% of the diesel supply in India and Africa. I was also the owner of the largest steel factory in India and Asia. But even here I did not get the happiness that I had imagined.

The fourth step was when a friend of mine asked me to buy a wheelchair for some disabled children — about 200 children. At the behest of a friend, I immediately bought a wheelchair. But the friend insisted that I go with him and hand over the wheelchairs to the children. I got ready and went with him. There I gave these children this wheelchair with my own hands. I saw a strange glow of happiness on the faces of these children. I saw them all sitting in wheelchairs, moving and having fun. It was as if they had reached a picnic spot, where they were sharing a winning gift. I felt real happiness inside me. 

When I decided to leave, one of the kids grabbed my leg. I tried to slowly release my legs, but the child looked at my face and held my legs tight. I leaned over and asked the child, “Do you need anything else?” The answer this kid gave me not only shocked me but also completely changed my outlook towards like. This child said, “I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in heaven, I can recognize you and thank you again.”

IN LIFE WE TEND TO focus on goals that bring temporary happiness, such as fame, attention, power, money, and the like. Professor Mark Tranvik, formerly of Augsburg University and Luther Seminary, calls these false satisfactions “small gods” that we create within ourselves.

Just as Ratanji mentioned in the fourth phase, however, I find happiness when I share what I have – my gifts, love, caring – with my neighbors. It just feels right.

This comes down to a question: Who is your neighbor? Everyone has their own way of defining who their “neighbors” are. But to me, everyone is our neighbor because we are all the children of God; we are encouraged to love one another as Jesus loves us.

“Everyone has their own way of defining who their “neighbors” are.”

In Matthew’s Gospel, it says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depends all the Law and the Prophets.”

I often ask myself “In what ways do I want to be remembered after my death?” I normally answer, “I would love to be remembered for my kindness, love, and positivity that I share with others.”

So, I invite you to reflect on these two questions: What does happiness mean to you? How do you want to be remembered?

I encourage you to give yourself some time to think about these questions as it might help you to view happiness and life differently.

By Pastor John Hulden

Fair Hills, Cragun’s, Madden’s, Grand View Lodge, Heartwood, Arrowwood.

If you have driven to the lakes country north of the Twin Cities, some of these names might be familiar. This is a list of the resorts that have hosted Bishop’s Theological Conferences for the three Minnesota synods where I’ve served.

What, you might ask, is a Bishop’s Theological Conference (BTC)? It’s the annual gathering of pastors and deacons, akin to a professional development event for other occupations, where we worship, network, learn, enjoy some free time, and, yes, socialize a bit, too. (I’m grateful to my Northwestern Minnesota Synod colleagues who welcomed all to Cabin 69 in the evenings at Fair Hills, as well as to Wayne and Bruce for hosting evening gatherings for the Minneapolis Area Synod BTC for decades!)

“We are all on the path moving from novice to expert in our callings – always on the journey of learning in a changing world with a faith seeking understanding.”

Joining a synod staff after 26 years in parish ministry, I find these gatherings to be my “congregation.” As a synod pastor, my church community are the lay leaders, church staff, and pastors and deacons of our 130+ congregations that stretch up north from Braham and Dalbo down to New Prague and Henderson. (Redeemer Lutheran in Henderson is the oldest congregation in our synod.) And we extend from our central city congregations out west to Monticello, Buffalo, and Watertown.

THESE PAST FEW DAYS, more than 120 deacons and pastors carved time out of their schedule and headed out after Sunday worship to the Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria for two overnights. What do pastors and deacons learn? This year we asked how does our Lutheran theology and tradition “root us in this moment and equip us for pastoral care, preaching, and engagement”?

Ask your pastor or deacon what was a takeaway from the presentations by our speakers: the Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis (our neighbor to the synod office serving at Plymouth Congregational Church), our very own Pastor Aaron Fuller (zooming in from his ELCA Service and Justice work as a mission pastor at Bratislava International Church in Slovakia), along with a panel of our synod’s pastors.

To drop a few more names, past speakers at our BTC included Dr. Catherine Meeks, Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Bishop Yeheil Curry, Dr. Michael Chan, Pastor Heidi Neumark. You can view a list stretching back to 2013 here:  https://mpls-synod.org/pastors-deacons/bishops-theological-conference/

“The Bishop’s Theological Conference is an annual gathering of pastors and deacons, akin to a professional development event for other occupations, where we worship, network, learn, enjoy some free time, and, yes, socialize a bit, too.”

Continuing Education is expected of our deacons and pastors. Continuing Education should be expected of their leaders by our congregations. We are all on the path moving from novice to expert in our callings – always on the journey of learning in a changing world with a faith seeking understanding. Our letters of call to a congregation include an expectation to attend this annual event, and in addition, time and money for rostered leaders to step away for two weeks a year for learnings that benefit not only the pastor or deacon but also the congregation they serve.

BTC is neither vacation time nor should it be the only continuing ed opportunity. The cost of BTC should be built into the congregational budget.

Like a week away at one of our amazing Lutheran Bible Camps, where faith, fun, and friendships flourish, I look forward to next year’s BTC already. How good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity (Psalm 133:1) … even for just a few days. I’m all in favor of resorting to learn.

By Nicholas Tangen

I discovered Centering Prayer almost a decade ago from a Spiritual Director who invited me to explore the contemplative dimensions of the Christian tradition and embrace meditation as a counterbalance to the busyness of full-time work and school. Centering Prayer is a practice that invites us to rest in God, to set an intention to be open, and to keep opening to God’s loving embrace. There are four (seemingly simple) steps:

1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. This sacred word represents your intention to sit with God, to remain open, and to let go of the many things racing across your consciousness during the sit.
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
3. When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word. This is where the rubber hits the road. Thoughts, in Centering Prayer, are not bad; they are inevitable and integral. Thoughts will come, but when they do during this practice, we return to the sacred word, reaffirming our intention to sit with God.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

“I discovered the value and rhythm of stillness in my daily life.”

I’ll admit, it took me a while to fall in love with this silent method of prayer. The first few times I sat for the practice my mind raced with anxiety and checklists and memories and a song I heard on the radio last week. I’d wonder, “What was that sound?” Or, “What am I supposed to be doing again?”

I would open my eyes, certain the prescribed 20 minutes was closing in, only to find I had been sitting for five. I wasn’t sure I could keep this practice up.

BUT SLOWLY, AS I continued to set the intention to rest in God daily and remain open to God’s presence and action within, I began to encounter the moments of peace, gratitude, and healing that are the fruits of the practice. During my day, as troubling or frustrating thoughts and experiences occurred, I found myself more and more able to let go of my emotional attachments to them, to let them pass by like the many other thoughts cruising down my stream of consciousness. I found a little more patience, a little more compassion, and a little more grace.

I also discovered the value and rhythm of stillness in my daily life. The culture we live in attaches so much value to things like busyness, speed, consumption, and accumulation that to stop, to rest, or to just be still can feel like death.

“Centering Prayer has been such a healing balm amid the destructive and toxic habits present in the cult of busyness.”

But in Centering Prayer I have learned to savor those spaces of quiet and stillness in between sprints of frenetic energy. I’ve learned the value of being present to the moment, to the presence of God, and to the presence of my neighbor. And I’ve learned to listen with the ear of my heart, as St. Benedict would say.

Centering Prayer has been such a blessing in my relationship with God, and such a healing balm amid the destructive and toxic habits present in the cult of busyness. I crave the deep breathes I can take when I sit with my sacred word for those 20 minutes, and I’m grateful to be held by the God who values me for who I am, not what I can produce.

What are the practices and postures that create space for rest, breath, and presence in your own life?

If you would like to learn more about Centering Prayer, visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org.

By Pastor Wondimu Sonessa

Last week, September 11 in particular, marks one year since I received the call to serve as an interim director of evangelical mission for the Minneapolis Area Synod. One privilege of being a DEM is that I am able to work closely with mission developers and pastors of strategic congregations. In the last year, I learned a lot from pastors’ creative approach to mission, their humble and courageous personality in the face of challenges, and their persistence and wisdom that contribute to the growth of the ministries.

Allow me to share a few examples:

Tapestry ministry celebrated the tenth anniversary of its establishment as a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC) of the synod on September 14. For the leaders at Tapestry, mission development involves not just preaching and sending people home, but also sharing Christ’s love through food with immigrants to whom even the land of plenty may feel like a desert place because they encounter a new culture and do not speak English. Tapestry integrates the need to help people practice their faith in migration with the need to address their physical, social, and emotional needs.

Tapestry’s 10th anniversary celebration

Gathering around a meal allows people to develop trust and be open to tell their own stories to each other. This ultimately leads to regaining confidence and strength to stand on their own feet and become productive members of the community. Indeed, this is worth celebrating.

“Tapestry integrates the need to help people practice their faith in migration with the need to address their physical, social, and emotional needs.”

The same day, I also attended the Lutheran Social Service (LSS) of Minnesota’s celebration of the generosity that changes lives and raised more than “$1.1 million for its services that touch 1 in 63 Minnesotans” every year. With the ever-increasing migratory waves to North America from around the globe, congregations have been at the forefront of welcoming and walking alongside those who are forced to relocate to this part of the world.

LSS is committed to sharing Christ’s love through a risk-taking adventure of feeding, accompanying, and serving strangers. This is what we are called to do as a family of God.

ON THE VERY NEXT DAY, I attended worship at Cristo Obrero, which provides Word and Sacrament ministry in Chaska and Shakopee. Although I don’t speak Spanish, the well-organized worship bulletin helped me to join in the active participation of the worshippers. I witness that Pastor Jorge Espinoza led a well-organized Lutheran liturgy.

Lutheran Social Service 2024 Gala

What makes it a special day is that Neymar was received into the communion of saints through the sacrament of Baptism. After receiving a sign of the cross on his forehead and a candle in his hand, it was a joy to see him walk among the congregation with a smiling face and share Christ’s peace with other congregation members.

“Each celebration delivered a clear message that we are gathering as a family of God notwithstanding the size of the space they occupied.”

These three gatherings happened at different sites to celebrate the lifechanging work of God through their respective agency. Each celebration delivered a clear message that we are gathering as a family of God notwithstanding the size of the space they occupied.

As Pastor Jorge presides over the baptism, Pastor Stephanie pours water into the font.

These children of God represent a voice of the church in society calling each individual person to share love crossing lines that some people find to be dividing lines. But only through relationships can we identify our neighbors’ needs and address them in a way that changes their lives and renews their hope. In so doing, we are gathering as a family of God.