Bishop’s Blogs

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

My husband has gotten a record number of “likes” for his Facebook post that includes a picture of me shaking hands with Pope Francis. It was on Reformation Day 2018, a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.

Probably even more emotionally moving was the gift of accompanying the “Together in Hope” choir in its ministry to foster church unity through music. Comprised of Lutheran and Catholic conductors and singers from the Twin Cities, the choir was privileged to sing in the Sistine Chapel (can you just hear the singing of “Ubi Caritas” in that sacred space?), at worship in St. Peter’s Basilica, and at the weekly Papal audience in St. Peter’s Square. The highlight of the trip was giving the inaugural concert at the 17th annual Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra with the premiere performance of “So That the World May Believe” by composer Kim Arnesen.

Pope Francis (left) offers gifts to Bishop Ann Svennungsen and Bishop Peter Bartimawus (center) of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria while they were visiting Rome with the Together in Hope choir tour.

WHENEVER I COULD, I sat with the choir for their rehearsals. (My husband was chagrined when I chose rehearsals over a tour of Assisi.) Some of the emotion came from my own deeply felt experience singing with the Concordia Choir under Paul J. Christiansen. But most came from the sheer beauty of the music and its message. With poetry by Susan Palo Cherwien and the Apostle Paul’s words about unity in the body of Christ, the composer created something that touched our very souls.

“Though technology brings incredible good to our world, it can also make it less likely that we’ll sing in a choir or play on a softball team.”

Sitting through the rehearsals, I was reminded of the philosopher Albert Borgmann’s writing about focal practices. Singing in a choir is such a focal practice. So is playing on a softball team or making a family dinner. In my own lifetime, it seems that making such commitments has become harder. It’s easier for me to watch TV or engage Facebook than commit to hosting a meal with friends. Though technology brings incredible good to our world, it can also make it less likely that we’ll sing in a choir or play on a softball team.

Advent is just around the corner. We celebrate the miracle of God-become-flesh. Our incarnational theology has something to say, I believe, about our life together.

I will always be grateful for my recent trip to Rome. And, I especially thank the Together in Hope Choir for its witness to our unity in Christ and to our God-given need for focused, communal activities that bring us together and touch our very souls.

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

Raised in a Lutheran home, I sensed that the biggest stumbling block in Lutheran-Catholic relations was the requirement that, if a Lutheran married a Catholic, all the children had to be raised Catholic. It wasn’t fair (and fairness was next to godliness for us). We were good Lutherans. We could raise good Christians in the Lutheran church as well.

I even remember someone telling me it would be better to marry a non-Christian than a Catholic. At least, you might be able to raise your kids as Lutherans.

Praise God, a lot has changed since my childhood. Oh, some of the changes are the result of secularism – where Catholic and Lutheran parents both simply hope their children will grow up as faithful Christians, regardless of denomination. And, at least one issue in Catholic-Lutheran relations still seems pretty unfair to me. (As you may guess, it is related to the role of women.)

THIS FRIDAY, ARCHBISHOP Bernard Hebda and I will accompany a 60-member choir on the “Together in Hope” trip to Rome – an ecumenical project working to advancing Christian unity through music and the arts. Led by co-conductors Mark Stover (formerly St. Olaf College music department) and Teri Larson (St. Mary’s Basilica music director), the choir will sing at:

• The 17th annual Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra on October 31 at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
• The 4:00 p.m. All Saints Day Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on November 1

The Choir will perform both the Holy Spirit Mass, commissioned in 2017 for the 500^th Anniversary of the Reformation and the world premiere of the newly commissioned So That the World May Believe – a Motet for Unity and Service, dedicated to Pope Francis for his many initiatives of reconciliation.

In 2016, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly overwhelmingly approved the “Declaration on the Way.” Celebrating 50 years of Lutheran-Catholic dialogues, the declaration includes 32 statements of agreement, as well as 15 areas of difference, with encouragement that Lutherans and Catholics commit to the ongoing work toward unity.

“In 2016, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly overwhelmingly approved the ‘Declaration on the Way.’”

The Declaration on the Way concludes with several suggestions for that ongoing work, such as:

• recommending that the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church create a process and timetable for addressing the remaining issues of disagreement;
• establishing regional Lutheran-Catholic working groups, convened by the regional bishops; and
• encouraging Catholic and Lutheran parishes to develop covenants for joint prayer and service.

I am delighted that Archbishop Hebda and I will both be on this trip. He brings wonderful gifts to the church, including a strong commitment to ecumenism. If the “Together in Hope” trip is intended to promote unity, I find great hope simply in the opportunities for conversation between the two of us.

Jesus prayed that “all may be one.” We join together to work and pray for the fulfillment of that promise.

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

What does one say after the events of the past 10 days? What does one write when events have affected you more deeply than you could have imagined?

To watch the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh was heart wrenching for me. Though I have not been a victim of sexual assault, I have experienced sexual harassment. And I’ve spent hours with victims of both, as a pastor and bishop. Perhaps, the countless hours a bishop puts into protecting the church from sex abusers and working for restoration after a congregation suffers the agonizing effects of sexual misconduct have made the past 10 days especially heartbreaking.

Oh, I admit that any event can be used for partisan ends. And, I admit that I wasn’t following closely the hearings early on; I did not experience great passion over whether Kavanaugh was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice or not. But, I was pained by the way we handled allegations of sexual assault.

Though columnist David Brooks is often my “go-to” guy on issues of character, I struggled with his October 4 column. He writes: “[R]eactions to the narratives have been determined almost entirely by partisan affiliation. Among the commentators I’ve seen and read, those who support Democrats embrace Blasey’s narrative and dismissed Kavanaugh’s. Those who support Republicans side with Kavanaugh’s narrative and see holes in Ford’s.”

“The countless hours a bishop puts into protecting the church from sex abusers and working for restoration after a congregation suffers the agonizing effects of sexual misconduct have made the past 10 days especially heartbreaking.”

Brooks goes on to describe an epidemic of bigotry: “It was bigotry against Jews that got Alfred Dreyfus convicted in 1894. It was bigotry against young black males that got the Central Park Five convicted in 1990. It was bigotry against preppy lacrosse players that led to the bogus Duke Lacrosse scandal.”

Did you notice which group (among many) who’ve experienced bigotry was omitted from Brooks’ examples? Women and girls. Kavanaugh can probably find himself in the lacrosse player example. Where would Ford find herself? In not one example. There are no women. Not one.

THIS THURSDAY I MEET with the Task Force drafting the ELCA’s social statement on Justice for Women – to be considered at the August, 2019, Churchwide Assembly. I am deep into reading responses from all the hearings around the church – including several in our own synod. The current draft begins:

We believe God’s intention for humanity is abundant life for all. This calls us to equity and justice for all with respect to issues of gender and sex. … In this statement we commit ourselves to the continual work of prayer, learning, reflection, discernment, and action to resist patriarchy and sexism.

Whatever your reaction to the events of the past 10 days, I hope we can join hands in the work ahead toward that day when we “live together in community into the promised abundant life God intends for all.”

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

It continues to amaze me how clearly I remember the people who attended our son’s funeral in 2015:

• My brothers’ families from California and Montana who’d just gotten back from their trips to embrace John as he was dying
• His grade school teacher and principal from Fargo
• His preschool teacher from Edina
• His oncologist and oncology nurses
• A special education nurse who opened her heart to us when John was a newborn in Iowa City
• Ten members of his all-time favorite worship ensemble from Moorhead

Recently, I saw one of our synod pastors whom I didn’t know well in 2015. I had this rush of emotion, stopped him, and said, “Thanks so much for being there for my son’s funeral.” I imagine that comment was a little out of the blue for him. But, it was very real for me.

Showing up matters. Often, it matters a lot more than we realize.

I WAS SO GRATEFUL and proud of our synod members and pastors who “showed up” for last Saturday’s funeral for Stephanie Coltvet Erdmann. And, I gave thanks for the particular ways Stephanie’s family helped us to “show up”:

• A play area and a children’s sermon to help kids show up and feel welcome
• A line of more than 20 female clergy gathered as communion servers – a powerful witness to Stephanie’s commitment to gender equity
• A worship assembly of more than 1,200 and the hospitality of Central Lutheran with the space to welcome them

Dr. Martha Stortz writes from her own experience at the death of her husband: “At its core, the funeral liturgy gathers people together. This simple act of assembly stands as both gesture of defiance and witness to faith. Suffering isolates people one from another. … The funeral liturgy counteracts the centrifugal force of loss. It gathers people to comfort those who mourn.”

I give thanks for how our community has come together to counteract the centrifugal force of isolation amidst suffering.

“Showing up matters. Often, it matters a lot more than we realize.”

And now the suffering continues for all who grieve this deep and tragic loss. And showing up will continue to matter. It will look a little different, but it will matter. We will show up in lots of ways – meals we bring, childcare we offer, cards we write, prayers, hugs. This is the ministry of consolation.

Stortz offers a word for the journey after the funeral, quoting Herbert Anderson: “The mystery of consolation. … It is not ‘What shall I say?’ but rather ‘How much can I hear?’ that will make the difference. If empathy consoles, then listening is much more important than speaking. We need to be able to hear and feel where the ‘wounds hurt most’ in order to transform the isolation of grievers into communities of the suffering ones.”

May God guide and encourage us in all our ministries of consolation. And, may our congregations continue to foster worshiping communities that help us to “show up.”

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

In the past seven days, I presided at three ordinations. I’m pretty sure that’s a record for me as bishop. Two men and a woman; two full-time and one half-time; two younger and one mid-career; one called to a rural community, one to a suburb, one to the city. All with wonderful gifts to share, a deep sense of call, and solid formation in faith and theology. What a week to feel hopeful about leadership in the church.

Nearly 20 years ago, I was invited by the Lilly Endowment to be a member of “The Pastors Working Group,” a cohort of 12 pastors from various denominations and parts of the country who met for 20 days over 18 months. We gathered to explore pastoral excellence or what we came to call “the pastor imagination.”

“Our Pastors Working Group was one means to help the endowment understand the contours of the pastoral calling – and the characteristics needed to be effective pastors.”

Lilly Endowment had received a significant influx of resources (read: Prozac) and was prioritizing its use. They came to understand that – to strengthen the future of American Christianity – the best place to invest was in the calling, formation, and support of pastors. Our Pastors Working Group was one means to help the endowment understand the contours of the pastoral calling – and the characteristics needed to be effective pastors.

We worked with the Rev. Dr. Craig Dykstra, then head of the Lilly Religion Division. I am forever indebted to his wisdom and investment in my own ministry. And I’ve not forgotten his suggestion that the work of the pastor may just require a greater multiplicity of intelligences than any other profession: left brain, right brain, analytic, artistic, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and linguistic.

I’VE OFTEN THOUGHT THAT describing the diverse and wonderful challenges of ministry – and the many intelligences needed – would be sufficient to inspire a person to explore this calling. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Still, what is more tragic are the number of young people in our synod who haven’t even been encouraged to explore this calling.

Ask any of the three people I ordained last week and they will tell you about a person(s) who tapped them on the shoulder, who encouraged them to explore this calling. “You would be a great pastor,” they might say. In some parts of our church, there is only one first-call pastor available for every two congregations looking to call one. And, throughout the church, the need for gifted, diverse, and faithful pastors remains strong.

When is the last time you tapped someone on the shoulder? Maybe you could make that a goal for yourself in the next seven days.

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

I’ve blogged before about my family reunions – the Rev. David and Kari Svennungsen Memorial Golf Tournament and Potluck held every year on the last Saturday of July in Montana. I don’t think I have mentioned the tradition of the family worship service held the next day.

Early Sunday morning, a young adult drives into town for donuts and fresh-squeezed orange juice. My husband Bill and I go back and forth deciding who’s in charge of what part of the service (also a family tradition). My brother, Rock, tunes his guitar and plans the songs. Then, we all pack up our lawn chairs to gather down at the beach.

We reflect on scripture, share our thanksgivings for the past year, and offer our prayer requests for the year ahead. Miraculously, everyone shows up! That continues to amaze me. Sitting in that big circle are those who attend church every Sunday … and those who rarely attend. Perhaps, David and Kari’s expectations permeate the generations. Perhaps, people know there are gifts awaiting them in that gathering.

EARLIER IN THAT Montana vacation, I wrote a blurb for the soon-to-be-released Sparkhouse book Little Steps, Big Faith: How the Science of Early Childhood Development Can Help Parents Grow Their Child’s Faith.

Author Dawn Rundman, a member of Edina Community Lutheran Church, uses stories, humor, and insight into brain science to support those who yearn to raise children in the faith.

My lakeside worship experience made me even more grateful for her book. The activities available for kids seem to grow exponentially every year – crowding out church attendance and the formation church provides. So, what happens at home, what happens in the daily-ness of life, truly matters.

“The activities available for kids seem to grow exponentially every year – crowding out church attendance and the formation church provides.”

Rundman encourages caregivers to incorporate faith formation into the most basic activities: bath time, bed time, meals.

• Learn a few basic prayers and repeat them in the morning, at meals, at bedtime.
• Learn a few faith affirmations and repeat them as you help your child tie their shoes, take them out of the car seat, or comfort them.
• Ask other caregivers to share simple faith stories with your child.

One of the best parts of Rundman’s book is how grace-filled it feels – no judgment or guilt trips – just empowering harried parents and caregivers in the journey faith formation.

What ways do you support the faith formation of children? How does your congregation support parents and caregivers? What’s something new you could do? May God give us imagination, courage, and grace as we embrace all God’s beloved children.

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

Our son had little fear of danger. John would see something interesting and wander off, unaware of the risks of getting separated from his parents. I have vivid memories of searching for him after fireworks in a crowded city park and wondering how far he’d gotten in the wilderness outside Camp Ewalu.

Healthy fear is important. Our fear of snakes likely evolved because snakes were among the most deadly predators for primates. Fear is a protective emotion, a critical resource for survival.

However, there’s a shadow side to fear and its power. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “[Fear] crouches in the people’s hearts, hollows out their insides, … and secretly gnaws and eats away at all the ties that bind a person to God and to others.”

“Certainly Bonhoeffer lived in a time when Christians were tempted to live by fear. Nazism infected every part of daily life.”

Certainly Bonhoeffer lived in a time when Christians were tempted to live by fear. Nazism infected every part of daily life. Any simple act of compassion could be seen as unpatriotic and reason for retaliation.

In the most recent issue of The Christian Century, publisher and Lutheran pastor, Peter Marty, writes: “it’s not an overstatement to say there’s a fear epidemic in America.” He continues, “fear is a terrific uniter. … But subscribing to every fear and conspiratorial threat is a strange way to carve out a Christian life.”

HOW DO WE “carve out Christian lives” amid an epidemic of fear? The author of First John writes, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” In Mark’s gospel, the life of faith is a stark contrast to a life defined by fear (4:40, 5:33-34, 36).

What can our congregations do to foster the “perfect love” and “active faith” that casts out fear? One thing is clear. We need each other. Eight years after my cancer surgery, my doctor discovered a suspicious spot on my fibula. Fear overwhelmed me as she suggested further tests. What if the cancer had returned? When she called me with the test results, she first asked me, “Are you alone?”

“What can our congregations do to foster the ‘perfect love’ and ‘active faith’ that casts out fear?”

I knew from that one question that the news wasn’t good. Though we love to share good news with others, we’re okay when we receive it alone. But, bad news requires companions to hold us up in our fear. I had those companions (and, thankfully, later received the good news that the growth was benign).

In the “fear epidemic” that spreads through America, what are fresh ways we can bring people together in the name of Christ and in the power of love? The world cries out for people of faith to resist the fear that “secretly gnaws and eats away” and to actively rebuild “the ties that bind us to God and others.”

For future consideration: The lead article in the most recent Christian Century is titled: “The Fear Sweepstakes: How Trump Captured the White Evangelical Vote.”

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

After I was called as senior pastor at Trinity in Moorhead, Minnesota, I received an invitation from the ELCA to attend the “New Heads of Staff” Conference, led by Peter Steinke. For me, the learning curve of senior pastor was significant. Hoping for encouragement at the conference, I found Steinke’s long list of all the skills and characteristics required of leaders to be rather ominous. Finally, at the end of his two extensive lectures, I asked: “In your opinion, what is the single most important characteristic of a good leader?” Though I could tell he wasn’t eager to be pinned down, he finally said, “self-awareness.”

His words have stayed with me for 22 years. Self-awareness. It’s actually pretty amazing to see the growing number of tools available to help us in this regard: Myers-Briggs, Strengthsfinder, Enneagram, spiritual direction – to name a few.

“As a team leader, I’ve also come to respect Patrick Lencioni’s work on what I call ‘team-awareness.’”

As a team leader, I’ve also come to respect Patrick Lencioni’s work on what I call “team-awareness.” His early book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, provides key questions to assess the health of a team: Do we trust each other? Are we focused on results? Is there openness to conflict? Is everyone committed to shared outcomes? Do we hold each other accountable?

BUILDING A HEALTHY TEAM is one of the most important tasks of any leader. When I attended First Call Theological Education way back in 1984, I was amazed by the number of recent seminary graduates experiencing tension with their senior pastors. As a colleague in another field put it, “You join an organization for the mission; you leave it because of the management.”

Our synod staff’s commitment to help church leaders thrive includes a commitment to help staffs and teams thrive as well. An exciting opportunity to strengthen pastoral teams is a Luther Seminary Kairos offering with Susan Beaumont August 28-29. Because the synod believes so strongly in this opportunity, the synod will pay $50 toward the registration fee and will provide for follow up conversations as well. Just go to the link above and use coupon code “MPLS50” (and then click “apply”) to register. (After registering, please email Pastor John Hulden, j.hulden@mpls-synod.org, to inform him of your registration.)

“You join an organization for the mission; you leave it because of the management.”

What are some tools and experiences that have helped you to thrive as a leader? To thrive as a team? I’d love to hear about them – for the journey of growth and health, of self-awareness and team-awareness lasts a lifetime.

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

What words would best capture my feelings three Saturdays ago when our Synod Assembly elected me to a second term? I was truly overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

Any call process is full of mystery. And the process for electing a bishop is particularly so – as a call committee of some 450 people are voting. So, to be transparent, I also experienced deep relief and loving affirmation that day.

“What is possible for the sake of the Gospel as we work together?”

Now, three weeks later, all those feelings have grown only stronger, and have been complemented by excitement and energy to work toward the goals and ministries we’ve already begun. In fact, there’s a real sense of urgency and time sensitivity. Six years can pass before you know it – and there’s so much good work to be done!

I love our synod. There is great vibrancy in our congregations, growing partnerships among leaders, renewed excitement for starting new congregations, and fresh energy to engage our neighborhoods for the sake of justice and health.

I AM ALSO REMINDED OF our position as the largest synod in the ELCA and one of the largest Protestant denominations in our state. What is our calling to use our gifts for the larger church?

We are already expanding our EcoFaith work in a partnership with the African Methodist Episcopal district, United Methodist conference, and Episcopal diocese, thanks to a generous grant from the InFaith Foundation. We have a new partnership with Lutheran Volunteer Corps and are working with Augsburg University to apply for a Lilly Foundation Grant to foster pastoral excellence in a rapidly changing world.

“I’m especially drawn to the question of our synod’s potential in the work of raising up excellent and diverse pastors and deacons for the whole church.”

I’m especially drawn to the question of our synod’s potential in the work of raising up excellent and diverse pastors and deacons for the whole church. Not many of our 65 synods have confirmation classes with as many as 300 students in them. Not many have such varied opportunities for formative Bible Camping experiences. And, with our large membership numbers, one might guess we have more financial resources to share for the sake of seminary scholarships.

This is an incredible stewardship moment for the church, as we anticipate the greatest transfer of wealth in American history. In the next 40 years, $30-50 trillion in assets are expected to pass from Baby Boomers to heirs and charities.

Is there a way Lutherans could imagine designating some of those resources to raising a new generation of leaders? I have grandchildren ages 3 and 6. What might inspire us grandparents to leave a legacy to promote the life and vitality of the church for those who come after us?

Where would you like to see our synod in six years? What is possible for the sake of the Gospel as we work together? This is an important conversation. I look forward to our shared call to talk and listen and pray and innovate and work hard together for the next six years!

By Bishop Ann Svennungsen

If you are Christian growing up in Northeastern Nigeria, you will likely face additional hurdles when applying for university or secondary school. If you were a Christian growing up in Leipzig under Soviet rule, the same could be true.

For so many reasons, I am amazed and grateful for our companion synod relationships with both the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) and the Leipzig District of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saxony, Germany. Their faithful witness during two different – but similar – times of oppression is just one of them.

Last Friday, we waited with great anticipation for the flight from Nigeria – bringing Archbishop Musa and Pastor Ruth Filibus to Minneapolis. Throughout the next ten days, you are invited to experience – in person – their witness to Christ and their wisdom about the global church.

“Musa and Ruth Filibus are incredible people – with a wonderful sense of humor; deep love for family, church, and the world; and stories of faith and life that inspire and encourage.”

Archbishop Musa and Pastor Ruth Filibus (both in center) with pastoral leadership of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria

They are not newcomers to the Twin Cities. The Archbishop received his PhD from Luther Seminary in 1998, with Dr. Robert Albers serving as his doctoral advisor. During the fourth year of his work here, Pastor Ruth joined him, along with their then-12-year-old daughter. They made St. Philip’s Lutheran in Fridley their home for the year and are eager to see their friends there this Wednesday night at a congregational dinner.

When the Archbishop was ordained in 1992, former Minneapolis Area Synod Bishop David Olson was in Nigeria to participate in the laying on of hands. For the first years of his ministry, he taught at and quickly became the provost of Bronnum Lutheran Seminary.

BUT, ARCHBISHOP FILIBUS BRINGS even more than his deep wisdom and experience in the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria. From 2002-2013, he worked in Geneva as the Africa Secretary and then Deputy General Secretary of Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a communion of 145 member churches from across the world. Sensing God’s call to continue ministry in his homeland, Filibus returned to become a diocesan (synod) bishop in 2013, and then was elected Archbishop in 2017.

Just a few months later, he was overwhelmingly elected him as LWR president, where he will serve a seven-year term as presiding officer of the assembly and oversee the LWF’s life and work in consultation with the General Secretary.

In addition, Musa and Ruth Filibus are incredible people – with a wonderful sense of humor; deep love for family, church, and the world; and stories of faith and life that inspire and encourage.

We are so grateful for the immense generosity they are extending to our synod by their presence with us for nearly two weeks – and their openness to meet with us on several occasions. We truly hope you will take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to meet and listen to one of the global church’s most respected leaders. The following are events you are welcome to consider attending. (Yes, Ramsey might be a trek from New Prague, but it’s a lot closer than Numan, Nigeria!)

Archbishop Musa Filibus’ schedule in the Twin Cities 

Friday, May 4

Keynote Address at the Minneapolis Area Synod at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Ramsey (approximately 4:30pm)

Saturday, May 5

Possible second address depending on time; check synod website Saturday morning for adjusted schedule

Sunday, May 6

Greeting at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth worship services

Reception for Bitrus Family at St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church (2:00 p.m.)

Monday, May 7

Reception for companion synod congregations at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis (5:00-7:00 p.m.)

Tuesday, May 8               

Reception for deans and Synod Council at the synod office (4:00-6:00 p.m.)

Wednesday, May 9        

Coffee and conversation with rostered ministers at Synod Office (2:00-4:00 p.m.)

Thursday, May 10           

Sermon at Luther Seminary Chapel (11:00 a.m.)

Friday, May 11                 

Return to Nigeria