Network Blog

What is the future of the ELCA?  Of denominations in general?  What does it mean to be a part of our denominational tribe today?  What will it mean in 5, 10 or 20 years?

We are approaching the 1 year anniversary of the decisions made at the Churchwide Assembly last August in Minneapolis.  It has been a challenging year for our church.  For many of us in congregations, the ripple effects from the assembly hit more like tidal waves.  And the state of the economy led to staff cuts in our denominational offices that significantly diminished the capacity for mission...and cost many of our friends their positions.

There was a period of time when I (and I'm just speaking for myself here) really felt like the wheels were coming off of the wagon.  And I kept waiting for things to get better.  Still waiting. 

Since then, I keep hearing of congregations that are leaving...of friends whose jobs are at risk...of congregational conflict...

I started to wonder about the future.  Is there a place for denominations in the future?  Our denomination in particular?  Certainly there is a need...certainly there is a role...

I had some of my hope restored a month or two ago when I heard of the LiftELCA initiative.  A team has been assembled to look at the future of our denomination.  This is the LIFT (Living Into the Future Together) team.  "Their purpose is to develop and recommend options for the future of the ELCA in light of its identity, changes in its environment and its call to God's mission. "

2 things I am grateful for:
1.  I am grateful that someone in our denominational leadership has thought to ask these questions.  Frequently it is those in leadership that are the least aware of, or the least willing to ask the difficult questions. 
2.  I am grateful that the LIFT team has taken an attitude of transparency in their work.  Look at their web site.  It's all there.  Check out their Twitter feed...visit their Facebook page.  Accessibility has been their hallmark, and I am grateful for this.

There is currently a LIFT questionnaire that they are asking members of the ELCA to fill out. 

I care about our denomination.  I care about the work of the church as manifest within our community.  Like everyone else, I have thoughts...I have opinions. 

I am grateful that our church has a group who wants to listen to my (and everyone else's) thoughts about God's misison within our church. 

Please participate.  Please invest.  Please allow the Spirit of God to blow through you and into the rest of our church.  Speak.  And listen.

Pax,
Todd.

It has been a tough week in the Buegler household.

Normally, I use this space for info about the Network...please allow me to deviate from that for an entry.

Our youngest son, Samuel, was hospitalized this past week.  The short version:

According to the Infectious disease doctor, Samuel must have been carrying around the Strep Group A bacteria for quite awhile. (It went through our household 6-8 weeks ago, and according to the doc, yes, it can remain dormant in the body for that long and longer.)  Sam had a very minor injury a week ago last Friday.  Swimming in the Community Center pool, he hyper-extended his fingers.  No big deal.

He developed a fever.  We thought it must be a cold or flu.  His fingers were sore; of course, he'd bent them.

Saturday, he remained the same.

Sunday morning, the pain was worse, there was swelling in the arm, and a suspiscious red spot had developed over his wrist.  I had to go to worship; Lori took Sam to our clinic, which is open Sunday morning.  They sent Sam straight to the hospital.  They were concerned about an infection in the bone...(read: really bad.)

It wound up being an infection in the wrist joint.  Also bad, but not as bad.

So, 18 doctors, 2 hospitals, 1 surgery, 1 procedure and now 6 weeks of IV anti-biotics to look forward to, hopefully Sam is on the mend. 

As we took this journey, I tweeted what was happening.  Twitter feeds my Facebook status.  Little updates of where we were at and what was going on.  I have to admit, I wondered whether this was 'appropriate' or not.  After all, as a card-carrying stoic norwiegen, we're pretty private people.  And many folks I don't know that well receive my updates.

But the other prospect was answering a zillion phone calls...telling the story over and over and over and over again...

So I twittered my son's illness.

What was fascinating to me was the response.  I'd post something up and would quickly, within 30-60 minutes, have tons of responses:  Well wishers, people promising to pray, people asking us what we 'need'...It was amazing...overwhelming, actually.

And when significant events took place, the same thing happened.  At 9pm on Tuesday night I twittered something like "We're on our way to surgery."  Wham.  Instant responses.  Almost overwhelming.

So flash-forward a couple of days:  The sr. pastor with whom I am blessed to serve is visiting us in the hospital and the conversation turns to prayer requests and then to these Tweets and Facebook updates.  I explain to him what Lori and I'd experienced, and I showed him the posts and the responses. 

His response:  "This is church." 

This is church.

Yes, it is.  It's a different kind of church.  It's not structural...it's organic.  But is the Holy Spirit any less present?  Not in what I experienced.  I experienced the love and grace of God in a way that couldn't otherwise have happened.  God's grace moved in those notes in ways that stirred our hearts.  Healing, emotional and physical took place because of the prayers of the hundreds who read and followed. 

This is church.

Some may not be comfortable with it.  Some may not understand it.  Some may diminish it.  Their claim is that real relationships cannot be lived out online.  Speaking as an immigrant to the digital culture, I respectfully disagree.  The prayers and support that was communicated to me via short, 140 character messages lifted our hearts and brought healing to us.  It is a different form of community, but it is community.  And I belive that it is the work of God's Spirit.

This is church.  There are not walls.  There are not boundaries. It shouldn't diminish traditional church as we have known it, and it certainly won't replace it.  But it is one of the ways that God draws together the twos and threes...the tens, hundreds and thousands.  It is one of the places the Spirit blows and it cannot be ignored.

This is church.

tb