At the beginning of the Friday morning session of the Special Convention, Bruce Cook, vice-chair of the ELCIC, took time to remind those gathered, “As we do the work of the church, we are often going to be discussing topics that are new to us, that are different. We’re going to be discussing concepts that we haven’t heard about before, and that we may not understand.
“Throughout those conversations,…it’s very important that we enter all of these conversations from a place of respect….
I invite you to enter into conversation and not confrontation, and to be respectful.”
That is an important reminder and invitation to keep in mind whenever we consider matters of any sort and at any level of our church.
The recommendations for action that come to us encourage us to do some very hard work that needs to be done.
Sometimes we may disagree about where to go from here. Many times, we will wonder about how to even get started or feel like there is so very little we are able to do.
Rev. Aneeta Saroop, a member of the Task Force Addressing Racism, White Supremacy and Racial Justice, acknowledged how difficult it may be to begin to take on the tasks being asked of us and encouraged delegates to, “Just try anything.”
There are so many ways that we can rise to a challenge or opportunity if we understand that we are not being asked to do something that we can’t do, but to concentrate on what we can do, no matter how small or insignificant we may feel that is, and let the Holy Spirit take it from there.
This reminded me of my experience with the invitation during worship, “Please stand.” I knew that some members were not physically able to stand. I asked someone who used a wheelchair if there might be a better way to do this.
He said, “How about, ‘Please rise as you are able.’ I may not be able to stand, but I’m usually up for rising to the occasion.”
Soon after I began to use his invitation, I was surprised when a young mother thanked me saying, “I always felt guilty about not getting up when I need to look after my baby. Now I know it’s OK.”
From that experience, I learned that turning a challenge into an opportunity and simply asking for help to figure out what to do and then trying it can lead to unexpected and wonderful things.
As I followed the discussions and decisions at Assembly 2023, I also gained a lasting insight as we began to get acquainted with our newest full communion partners, the Moravians. They say, “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things love.”
I plan to keep all these things in mind as I seek opportunities to do what I can to help to enter the hard work that we face. I invite you to do the same.
GLIMPSES
Richard Jensen is ending his role as synod editor for Alberta and the Territories with this issue. We thank him for his good work. Wendy Christensen Grosfield returns in that role in the September issue.
It’s disturbing to learn of hate crimes; even more so when they target those among us, p. 9 and p. 19.
Rev. Dr. Larry Denef, a leading theologian among us who has helped us to become the church we are, celebrates his 65th anniversary of ordination, p. 16.
Homemade pastor, p. 25, introduces newly ordained Rev. Heather Parrott-Howdle as she shares part of her inspiring story.
Kenn Ward,
Editor
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