2013 Easter Message from Presiding Bishop

 

"They found the stone rolled away from the tomb ... 
— Luke 24:2
 
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Easter. It is about more than an open tomb. It is the good news of the risen Christ who opens lives.

Think about Jesus' friends after his death. Their lives were closed down by fear, disappointment and confusion. The risen Christ appeared saying "peace be with you" and opened their lives with a liberating word of reconciliation. In the same way Christ opens your life with a baptismal promise that joins your life to his death and resurrection. "You are my child. Nothing in all creation will separate you from my love."

Even now Christ is opening your life, your daily work, your passions and imagination. Christ is opening your daily life into a holy calling that fills the world with love. At the Lord’s table, Christ is opening you into a community that can bear even suffering with confidence, and sorrow with hope.

The risen Christ opens the Scriptures — the full depth of God's promise made to Sarah and Abraham now coming to life in the new creation. Even when everything else is being stripped away, the risen Christ opens you to God's promised future.

Christ opens you to God's work of forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, is opening this way of life for you.

In God's grace,

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Lenten path of a new generation of church leaders in China

By the Rev. Steve Ray, executive director of ChinaConnect and pastor at Elim Lutheran Church of Port Orchard

Since the new millennium, churches in urban areas have rapidly grown and developed in China. Compared with rural churches, urban churches have characteristics which are more in common with this fast paced age, such as openness and diversity. God has raised up a number of leaders, especially in urban churches, who are carrying the mission of this generation, to find a pastoral model for Chinese churches.

The older generation passed down to them a precious spirit, namely keeping the faith; however, the older generation did not pass on their experience in providing pastoral care. Therefore, it is necessary for the leaders of this generation to search for proper models of pastoral care to further develop the churches in China.

Many younger church leaders in China are taking a path that has never been taken before. Especially in the urban church, with its many challenges and ministry needs, many of the pastors and leaders don’t have teachers to show them how to respond to ministry in this new age. Without this valuable mission experience, the new generation of pastors feel ill-equipped to lead and care for this new generation of Christians.

As with all pastors and leaders in every place and time, those in China’s church, especially in urban settings understand the need to be humble and honest. For leaders to find the right path, they must trust in the Lord God more than themselves. While building their congregations and seeing to their members many pastoral needs, many leaders and pastors of this new generation have expanded their thinking and are beginning to learn from foreign churches with a history of service and revival. The hope is that the experience of these foreign churches can assist leaders in Chinese church not only to be more pastoral, but also better equip them as servants of society.

Like the people of Israel before them who wandered in the wilderness for forty years, following God and Moses, when they entered Canaan the faced all kinds of temptations and difficulties. This not unlike the Chinese church today.   The mission for the Chinese church in general, and urban churches in particular, is to find a model of pastoral care that is appropriate for Chinese churches. If this generation cannot navigate the challenging roads ahead for the next generation to follow, it will be even more difficult for them.

The path through the Lenten Season is a difficult one. The path to the cross isn’t meant to be easy. The path is full of potholes and stumbling blocks, but the path is also loaded with opportunities for prayer, fasting, and renewal. Today is a difficult and transitional period for Chinese churches and their leaders. In order to keep faith, the older generation passed on a spirit, the spirit to struggle and to fight.  Today the social environment has changed.  It is not as harsh as before, and in this environment churches have come into being. 

There is no precedent in China to show how to develop churches during these challenging days, but we know that the Lord is faithful. Like Moses and people of Israel, they trusted that God would lead them and be with them.  This, too, is the hope for the church in China as they seek the path to not only serve their Lord and Savior, but also minister society and to a new generation of Christians and their needs.

Friday night worship, Bible study takes place at Federal Way Chinese Fellowship

Readers,

Last night, I ate, socialized and worshiped with the Revs. Rowena and Mike Wang at Federal Way Chinese Fellowship, where Rowena is pastor. It's one of our new mission starts. I absolutely love visiting here, but had not been to the Friday-evening Bible study, which grew to include Sunday worship in 2011. Whenever the thought of Mike comes to mind, I picture him at the wheel of a minivan, window rolled down, leaning out, picking someone up, letting someone off, with a thousand different details in the back seat. Whew.

In any event, Rowena and Mike on Fridays pick up Chinese students from Highline and Green River community colleges, then bring them to a large intergenerational potluck at Calvary Lutheran Church of Federal Way, where this new worshiping group meets.

Then it's a delicious potluck of foods from China, made by the older ladies of the group. It's like family, and the meal is a reminder of home to these students who are as young as 17. As usual, everyone made me feel so welcome - I always hate to leave.

Then after the meal and socializing, it's into worship, which also has a Bible-study aspect to it. Last night, we learned from Mike about Noah's Ark (taught in Mandarin) and how Jesus is our ark today.

I'll be writing a story about the wonderful evening for the next newsletter and for here. It's just so inspiring to see how the Wangs and Federal Way Chinese Fellowship, along with the students' host families, the colleges and the Chinese-American community all creating a warm and strong safety net for these students so far away from home.

Many of the young people are interested in pursuing careers in business. One young man was studying the Home Depot model, to take home and replicate with his father, who is in the home-improvement business there. All wanted to ride the entrepreneurial wave of the emerging China.

I invited some of the students over to Bremerton while I was there. I'd give them a tour of my newspaper. Everyone likes to watch the big, huge press spitting out newspapers. I hope they take me up on it. I say field trip. Here are some scenes from last night:

— Rachel Pritchett

Dynamic leader' called for at listening posts

By Rachel Pritchett, synod communicator

TACOMA — A new bishop should be a dynamic leader capable of steering the church into the 21st Century.

That tall order was one of many that rose up from four "listening post" held throughout the Southwestern Washington Synod in February to gather ideas for desirable qualities in a new bishop.
One of the gatherings, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, drew about 30 people who seemed to agree that someone who was passionate, a good listener and courageous enough to risk confrontation would fit the bill.

The new bishop will elected by voting members of the Synod Assembly, taking place June 7 and 8 at the Hotel Murano and Bicentennial Pavilion in Tacoma. Unlike the Northwest Washington Synod, where the bishop-nomination period already has closed, nominations won't surface until voting begins.

Former Synod Vice President Jim Hushagen, at the Gloria Dei listening post, explained the reasoning behind the 11th-hour approach.

"There has to be some place for the spirit to move people," he said.

The Rev. Mark Woldseth of Gloria Dei said if people know someone they think would make a good bishop to gauge their interest. If the person's interested, let the synod office staff know. Around May, the synod will release biographical information about people who've expressed an interest in becoming bishop on the synod website and in Moments for Mission.

The listening posts were organized by the Synod Nominating Committee, led by the Rev. Nina Body of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Tacoma. Persons with questions or comments are invited to contact her at pastornina@gmail.com or 253-474-0525.

"We're from the base up, not the top down," Body said of the elections process.

The assembly's theme is “Always Being Made New,” the 2013 theme for the ELCA as its turns 25 in 2013.

Many presentations and workshops will be offered, all designed to inspire and equip congregations and individuals for the year ahead. Worship opportunities will abound. A special banquet to celebrate Bishop Robert D. Hofstad and his staff will take place.

The Rev. Dr. Terence Fretheim, Old Testament professor at Luther Seminary, and the Rev. Donald McCoid, executive for ecumenical and inter-religious relations of the Office of the Presiding Bishop, will attend.

To register online, go to www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1099848.Reduced costs are in place until May 16. Room reservations also should be made before May 16, by calling 888-862-3255 and asking for the Southwestern Washington Synod/ELCA group block.

This time, an 'I do' with all the trimmings

By Rachel Pritchett

LAKEWOOD — Two years ago when they married, there was no family, no reception, no cake, no garter toss.

A hasty exchange of vows was all Army Sgt. Nathan Proctor and Bethanie could pull off in the short time he was home from a deployment in Afghanistan and about to prepare for another.

That changed Feb. 16, when the young couple renewed their vows in a emotion-filled ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church, where they are members. Dad walked her down the aisle, there was prayer, blessings and communion, and afterward, a full-fledged reception and cake.

"I feel amazing," said Bethanie, a Pierce College student.

No congregation could have been better suited for the occasion. St. John's, in the shadow of Joint Base Lewis McChord, is full of active and retired military.

"St. John's means the world to my husband and I. Since we are a military family, they have always been there when we are in need of help, caring and loving," Bethanie said.

The Rev. Joe Smith said the love goes two ways. The couple have added new life to the church that has financially struggled but is doing better now under synodical administration.

Some 40 worship now, up from before. Two adult baptisms have taken place recently and a third is planned for Easter. A Korean congregation meets at St. John's and partners with the congregation on community outreach.

The synodical-administration status also has allowed St. John's to focus on ministry and not on debt. All non-mortgage debt was retired recently.

"While St. John's future is not guaranteed, the ELCA has chosen to invest resources in St. John's further renewal with a three-year grant," Smith said.

Pictured: Bethanie and Nathan Proctor renew their vow as the Rev. Joe Smith presides.

Food-bank challenge gets front-page coverage

STEVENSON — Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church invested $6,000 to start a new campaign called the Community Food Bank Challenge, but that's turned out to be just the beginning.

In its campaign, the small congregation is matching every dollar community members donate to local food banks with its own matching dollar-for-dollar donation, up to $6,000.

The congregation has opened accounts in three local banks where community members can donate directly. Also, visitors to the main grocery store in Stevenson, A&J Select, can have coupons for $1, $5, or $20 scanned for the cause. Service clubs and the local library are helping. Shepherd of the Hills is challenging local companies to include information about the campaign in paychecks in the campaign that continues through April.

"The need in our area has dramatically increased as of late and the food banks are slammed," the Rev. Ron McClung explained. "The local paper is writing about it (front page and editorial) and it is the talk of the town."

Church members raised the $6,000 by dipping into its endowment fund and through an individual's contribution. — Rachel Pritchett

PLU, community center partner for healthier Edgewood

By Beth Ann Johnson, Mountain View Community Center community coordinator

EDGEWOOD — It’s 2 p.m. on a Thursday, and Pacific Lutheran University nursing student Quinn Taylor has her stethoscope out, ready to take the blood pressure of waiting clients.

At a separate table, nursing students Elaina Mills and Ashley Wright have set up “Alphabet Soup” for the kids. Each child pulls a letter of the alphabet from a soup bowl, and then draws a fruit, vegetable or healthy activity that starts with that letter.

The nursing students are at Mountain View Community Center to take part in a new partnership between PLU's School of Nursing, Mountain View Community Center and Edgewood Community FISH Food Bank. For 14 weeks this spring, nursing students under the supervision of Kathy Moisio, clinical instructor of nursing at PLU, will come to Mountain View to visit with clients of the food bank and the center’s Seeds of Change Community Meal. The community meal feeds between 125 and 150 people each week; the food bank provides more than 60,000 pounds of food to over 1,000 families each month. 

Their first week, nursing students took blood pressure, educated clients about the importance of flu vaccines, and took a survey of clients to find out what they were concerned about when it came to their health.

“We want to provide services that meet the needs of those who are served,” Moisio said.

This is just one of several changes happening at Mountain View Community Center. Thanks to a partnership with the Medical Reserve Corps, clients received free flu shots. And in coming weeks, food bank clients will get cooking lessons.

“The over-reaching goal is to provide children, families and seniors in our community with opportunities to improve their physical, mental and social well-being,” said Dr. Don Mott, chair of the community center's board.  “It is very exciting to see this unfolding in our community.”

Pictured: Elaina Mills, at right, sets to work.