Our Life Together: What does this mean?

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It’s been almost two years since I began serving as bishop of the Rocky Mountain Synod.  In that time we’ve explored what it means to be a people of faith who are deeply rooted and bearing fruit for the sake of the gospel. We were reminded that roots come before fruits, that tending to the sources of our spiritual life is what nurtures our ability to participate meaningfully in God’s mission in the world.

This last year we asked what it means that we are a church gifted to grow. We were reminded that growth for a congregation can take many forms, and that our perspective on what it means to be a growing faith community begins by looking at how God has gifted us rather than focusing on what seems to be lacking.  We learned about asset mapping, a simple tool for exploring how the Spirit has already equipped us for growth.

This year our conversations will focus on our life together, and we will ask ourselves what it means that we are created and called to live together interdependently—not only as the Body of Christ, but as fellow children of God in this world, and indeed, with the whole of creation itself. In a world that is so fragmented—even within the church—I believe this will be a rich theme for us to ponder and explore.

As we begin this year centered on our life together, here are some questions to begin the conversation:
  • Where do you see evidence in the Scriptures that God has created us for life together, called us to life in community rather than in isolation? What are your favorite Scriptural stories or passages that illustrate our life together?
  • What makes life together so difficult? How does our American cultural context—with its emphasis on independence, competition, and success—impact our ability to live together?
  • What are the benefits and challenges of truly embracing our life together as the church, specifically as members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American on the territory of the Rocky Mountain Synod? What would look different if we deepened our commitment to our life together as one part of Christ’s Body? 
  • What does it mean for your congregation or ministry to live together with your local community? What would change if you intentionally expanded your connection to those around you?
  •  In a world that operates from an “either/or” and “win/lose” perspective, what do we as the church—and specifically as the ELCA—have to offer that draws people together instead of continues to push them apart?
  • What is our role as people of faith in stewarding our life together globally as well as with the whole creation?

As we enter this year of conversation, I hope you will share your insights on these questions and offer your own stories and reflections about our life together and what it means.

Yours in Faith,
Bishop Jim Gonia

Comments

Jerry Carlson, St. Paul's Cheyenne said…
Acts 2:46-47 (my text when asked to give a lay sermon - my first - on behalf of the Fellowship Committee at Highlands Presbyterian)
7:32 PM
Travis Johnson-Esparza, St. Luke Albuquerque said…
In the entire sweep of created things that were very good, there was only one that was not good, and that was the fact Adam, though surrounded by the abundance of God's creative word, was alone. This is profound to me.

And yet, we often will not allow ourselves to be fully known. We hide behind our shame; we hide behind "professional boundaries"; we hide behind rugged individualism. In worship, we (mostly) do not name our sins to one another and extend forgiveness openly, instead, we confess together nameless sins from a printed bulletin. We do not practice showing ourselves to one another, and so we cannot bear showing ourselves to God. This is one way God's children fall prey to the "either/or" of the world, the flesh-i-ness of the human soul.

Thanks be to God, that (s)he is patient with those who sigh and groan to embrace their nakedness and that of their neighbor. Thanks be to God, that we may pray for listening hearts and be given courage to trust that a little yeast leavens much flour and that the treasure hidden in another's field will bring you deep, abiding joy.

8:10 AM
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