Dear friends,
Greetings from Greensboro! At this very moment we're sitting in our North Carolina Synod Assembly, an annual gathering of pastors and lay leaders from throughout North Carolina. 486 people are here celebrating the ministries of the church, worshipping, hearing from our ELCA representatives, and taking a glimpse into the future.
And yes, I'm typing this letter while someone is making a presentation. Sort of like someone who texts during one of my sermons! :)
Synod Assemblies might not sound interesting, but they're critically important to us as "church." It's so easy these days to care only about interests that matter to "me" and focus only on those things of local interest or concern. If we're not careful, the boundaries of God's kingdom become awfully small.
In 1802 -- at St. John's, no less -- the North Carolina Synod was formed among Lutheran congregations that realized that life together was better than life apart. Today our synod includes 199 congregation of varying sizes. Once a year we gather together as family -- not literally around a big dinner table, but it sorta feels like that. It's a time to share stories, remember our purpose, and celebrate why it matters that we stay together.
Which is precisely what we're doing. Pastor Danielle, Kristin May, Karen Jones, and Gary Rhodes are our delegates. Several other St. John-ers are here, too, serving in a variety of volunteer capacities.
A good way to spend a weekend? Well, yes. It might not be for everybody, but it's important to be here. That's what makes us "synod," after all, which literally means "those journeying together."
Blessings to you this week.
