2005 Synod Assembly
2005 Synod Assembly Recap (long)
Highlights from the 2005 Southeastern
Minnesota Synod Assembly: May 6-7, 2005
"Called into God's Marvelous Light…Today!"
Voting Members Meet
About 700 voting members and visitors gathered at the Mayo Civic Center in
Rochester for the 2005 Synod Assembly May 6-7, 2005. Bishop Harold Usgaard
led the gathering as it approached the work of the church in Southeastern
Minnesota. Those gathered worked and worshiped, prayed and praised, studied
and celebrated together as the body of Christ.
Opening Worship
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Echoing those words from
Luke 6, Bishop Harold Usgaard set the tone for the 2005 Southeastern
Minnesota Synod Assembly.
Supported by the strains of the Choral Arts
Society and in the context of liturgy from Renewing Worship, Bishop Usgaard
related the gospel text to the synod's vision statement. "We profess to be a
synod called into God's marvelous light. Love your enemies; bless those who
curse you, today. Let us do it today."
The bishop spoke directly to the resolutions
regarding the blessing of same-sex unions and the rostering of gays and
lesbians in committed relationships. "People are watching us" and wondering
if "people of faith are any different" in how they handle their
disagreements, he said. "We are called into a community where differences
are valued. God knows it; when will we learn it?"
Wrapping up his sermon, the bishop urged the
voting members to take Jesus' words seriously as they begin the work of the
synod. "It's how we are to live. It's a lifestyle; it's the lifestyle. Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
2005: A Synod Joined in Prayer
The synod's emphasis for 2005, "A Synod Joined in Prayer," was evident at
the 2005 Synod Assembly. This emphasis is part of the synod's strategic plan
for 2005-2007, "Called into God's Marvelous Light." The Assembly featured
many prayer activities and resources, including a prayer tent in the plenary
hall.
All major components of the Assembly began
with prayer, including the introduction of speakers. After introduction,
each speaker was prayed for, then escorted from the prayer tent through the
Assembly hall to the podium with a processional cross to a song called "Thula,"
the Zulu-language word for "Listen."
Another concrete sign of prayer was evident
by the gifts of prayer shawls. Several congregations donated the shawls -
shawls that were knitted while praying - which were presented to speakers
and special guests. Several people knitted prayer shawls in the plenary hall
during the Assembly, and at the end of the Assembly Saturday, shawls were
presented to each of this synod's 2005 Churchwide Assembly voting members.
Bible Study Led by Professor Richard
Carlson
Dr. Carlson, the Glatfelter Professor of Biblical Studies at the Lutheran
Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Penn., led the voting members through a
sweeping overview of historical biblical interpretation, focusing on a model
developed by Martin Luther. Beginning with the Ascension story of Jesus Luke
24:44-48, Carlson presented the framework that Jesus used with his
disciples, a three-stage process. With Jesus as the center, and under the
power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, scripture, and the community mutually
interpret each other, eventually for the sake of mission. That mission,
according to Carlson, is proclaiming Jesus' message of forgiveness.
Report of ELCA Presiding Bishop is Hopeful
In a prerecorded message shown during the 18th annual Southeastern Minnesota
Synod Assembly, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical
Church in America, said there's a new curiosity among people about faith.
For this reason, congregations have a new opportunity to grow.
"The people around us are asking deep,
thoughtful questions about the core of our faith," he said. "People in this
culture are tired of the rat race, of the consumptive living, and want to
begin to ask the question of, 'What gives my life meaning?'"
Hanson said the best opportunities for growth
come from renewed attention to basic principles.
"Amidst all the challenges and all of the
conflicts, and all of the changes, we will be the body of Christ most
effectively and most faithfully when we remain centered on two things," he
said. "The Gospel and…mission."
Kathryn Sime, who directs the ELCA's World
Hunger and Disaster Appeal, separately expressed her gratitude to the
Southeastern Minnesota Synod for "strong and faithful" support of ELCA
churchwide programs and activities. On Saturday, Sime spoke on the ELCA's
efforts in disaster response, specifically highlighting those efforts in
Southeast Asia since the Dec. 26 tsunami. As of April, the ELCA had sent $8
million towards tsunami relief efforts.
Keynote Bishop Margaret Payne Speaks on
ELCA Studies of Sexuality
The Rev. Margaret Payne, bishop of the New England Synod and chair of the
Task Force of the ELCA Studies on Sexuality, gave the 18th annual
Southeastern Minnesota Synod Assembly's keynote address. She said the task
force has made recommendations it hopes will unite the ELCA. Congregations
must now discuss those recommendations, hearing both similar and opposing
views.
"Listening in itself will not solve this
problem," she said, "but it will take us to this place where together we can
solve this problem."
Payne said she hopes the ELCA's many members
can find common ground as it considers the task force's recommendations this
year.
Following her keynote address, ELCA Council
member Joseph Crippen joined Payne on the stage to talk further about the
sexuality studies. Questions and comments from participants about the task
force's recommendations were fielded in the sessions that followed.
"A Bunch of Guys" Perform
New England musical group "A Bunch of Guys" was the Assembly's musical
guests. Performing upbeat songs that encouraged crowd participation and
leading Saturday's morning prayer, David Piper, John Christianson, and Knute
Ogren made clear their passion for world hunger relief efforts. Sales of
their two CDs have so far raised over $136,000 for ELCA World Hunger.
Area Politicians Speak on Unity in the
Midst of Differences
Former U.S. Congressman Tim Penny, Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Dean
Johnson, and Minnesota Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum, all ELCA members
of varying political affiliations, each spoke of how their faith informs
their political involvement.
Sen. Johnson, also an ELCA pastor from
Willmar and a military chaplain began by reminding the assembly "All of us
have a history."
"We know our tradition, our past, our
calling, and our starting place," he said. "The question is how we live out
our faith." That faith, he continued, is to be "called to the common good."
Rep. Sviggum asserted, "Faith is the action
part of beliefs. You can't divorce that action from your beliefs." Quoting
Edmund Burke, he added, "The punishment of good people who do nothing is to
be ruled by evil."
Responding to a question from a participant
about a recent book by Jim Wallis, Penny echoed a sentiment found there,
"Neither party has a lock on God."
Five Resolutions Passed
There were three resolutions concerning the ELCA Studies on Sexuality this
year. All resolutions regarding the Studies on Sexuality failed, including a
resolution to take a straw poll of whether people approved or disapproved of
each of the resolutions from the ELCA Church Council, and then to submit the
results of that poll to the Churchwide Assembly.
The assembly voted to support fair trade
standards by voluntarily purchasing and using Equal Exchange products,
especially coffee, for congregational events.
The assembly also voted to send memorials to
the ELCA Churchwide Assembly on a few different issues. They voted to call
upon each synod of the ELCA, and upon synodical subdivisions (for example,
conferences) where they exist, to work with the ELCA Division for Outreach
to (1) develop and redevelop congregations; (2) start a congregation or to
redevelop an existing congregation every year; and (3) to identify and raise
up missional leaders whom God calls to mission development and
redevelopment.
The Assembly also passed the recommended
"2005 Minimum Compensation and Benefits Guidelines for Pastors, Associates
in Ministry, Lay Professionals, and Church Staff".
The assembly voted to encourage congregations
to participate in a New Ministry Emphasis Sunday starting in 2006, where a
special offering would be taken to benefit new ministry starts in the synod.
Finally, the assembly voted to encourage
congregations to discuss issues of public policy and their impact on the
poor; to encourage congregation members to publicly advocate for the poor;
for the synod to take a public stand on current state and federal public
policy issues that affect the poor; and to encourage people to consider
generous contributions to services in areas hardest hit by recent and
looming budget cuts (for example, community-based and preventive services
for vulnerable youth, working poor families and individuals, and fragile
seniors).
Full text of all resolutions is on the synod
web site, www.semnsynod.org.
Special thanks to the Rev. Scott E. Olson
and Joshua Lynsen for contributing to this report.
More detailed information about the 2005 Southeastern Minnesota Synod
Assembly is available at
www.semnsynod.org.
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