Atom“Because we’ve always done it that way”
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers…all who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” Acts 2:42 and following
Susan Briehl, pastor of the church and insightful teacher of the Bible and Christian faith, led us through a Bible study of this passage in Acts last week at the Synod Assembly. She reminded us of the importance of doing those things that we have always done…though we often laugh at ourselves in answering the question, “Why do we do this?” with “Because we’ve always done it that way!”
We are still the church because we pay attention to the things that the church has always paid attention to: the teachings of the apostles about Jesus, “fellowshipping” (enjoying community) together, breaking bread (in communion or meal times), prayer, and using our shared resources to care for the needs of the community. We may change the presentation or the packaging or the delivery methods of these things, but these ways of being the church are the ways Jesus lives among us.
So, the church gathered last week – the larger church, the community of churches that is the Northwestern Minnesota Synod – and listened to the teachings of the apostles in the Bible, and worshipped and shared communion together, and listened to reports of ministry accomplishments of the past year, and pledged to continue to work together in shared ministries that we do better together than we do alone…ministries like: Bible camping and Social Services and tending to the poor and feeding the hungry. We remembered how we pass on the faith together through colleges and seminaries that educate our young people. We committed ourselves to sharing in the funding and planting of new congregations that are already busy welcoming others to the community of faith. We deliberated about worship practice and about biblical and ethical values that inform our witness to current issues like bio-genetics.
We reflected that while we as a church recognize that Jesus is the answer to our salvation questions, that we also acknowledge that not all faith-in-life questions will have the same answers for everyone in the body of Christ. For example…there are Christians with multiple concerns when it comes to the social statement on genetics! In the midst of our conversations – some passionate – we celebrated that we are a church known more by who we are in fellowship with – acknowledging our shared faith in Christ – than who we are holding at arm’s length.
And we drank a lot of coffee. At least I did. It was a long weekend…and it is also what Lutherans (some of us) do together.
All in all, it was a very good weekend. Thanks to Todd Gaard, Ardys Horner, Grant Vanderford, Ryan Berg and Cari Skramsted for joining Pastor Dave and myself at this annual gathering of our partners in ministry. Consider joining us at the gathering another year! It is certainly more than a “business meeting” of the church. It is about being the church – devoting ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers…and to the shared ministries that are ours as the body of Christ working together to bring new life to Northwestern Minnesota and God’s World! (Next year’s dates are…June 7-9)
You are a blessing!
Pastor Wade
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