Sunday, August 28, 2011

Guest Blogging: Week in Review

I've been home from the ELCA's 2011 Churchwide Assembly for little more than a week. A total of 1025 voting members represented our 4.4 million member denomination for this biennial gathering in Orlando. They attended as representatives of 65 synods; I attended because of my role serving as chair of the Advisory Committee for The Lutheran magazine.


Each day, I recorded my thoughts in a blog. They convey my reflections as a first-time attendee of such a national gathering. I invite you to experience my week as well. Be sure to scroll through all six entries. The Thursday post about worship has links to videos that will allow you to share in the experience more fully.


Blog: ELCA 2011 Churchwide Assembly


Even nine days after the closing worship, I still feel proud of the unity evident amid the beautiful and expansive diversity of the ELCA. All are welcome. All are part of the mission we share: doing God's work with our hands. We have been freed to serve.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Tuesday as a Guest Blogger

Have you been reading along? On Tuesday, members of the ELCA enjoyed opportunities to hear what is happening because of mission work within the United States and in areas around the world. I touch on a bit of it.

The Lutheran

Here's a brief video to give you a taste of our group's spirit of mission: Mission Encounter

Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Monday as a Guest Blogger

I am enjoying my week as a guest blogger for The Lutheran while in Orlando, Fla., for the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. I invite you to join along. If I can figure out how to accomplish it using only my iPad, I hope to begin including photos and videos. I am optimistic about my ability to overcome my technophobia, but I guess only trial and error will determine if my optimism is warranted.

What a wonderful week for our denomination. I hope you enjoy.
The Lutheran Blog

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Soon

While I still don't know what I will write about for my next post, or when I will be compelled to write it, I sense the words will be arriving soon.

I have been collecting my thoughts, ordering my ideas and waiting to become intentional about my time. The waiting is the strange part. Evidently I am not ready to make time to write. My mind would like to, but my soul hesitates. I am not sure I understand why. My best guess is that it is not prepared for the flood of emotions that are certain to come with whatever finds its way into written form.

I have not only been collecting and ruminating over words. I have also been collecting images as well. Snapshots of time that focus my thoughts on life paradoxes - like this image of fireworks lighting up a night sky in celebration. It's as if these explosions of color attempted to dwarf the moon. Yet their moments of explosive, momentary brightness were no match for the constant, persistent brilliance of the full moon.

In the photo, the moon appears a small dot of white in the far lower right portion of the frame (not the light on the edge). And throughout the 15-minute fireworks display, the moon kept rising and gaining luminance, demanding recognition. It didn't take long for the moon to rise higher in the night sky than any of the fireworks could have attempted.

And that's as it should be, yes? It is the moon, after all. A reflection of the sun's incredible intensity and maestro of each day's tides.

I look forward to what I might reflect in the coming days, weeks, months. Perhaps I'll even reflect more on the moon.

Perhaps I'll do so.

Soon.