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Yehiel Curry, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued his first entry in a new series of monthly messages. Each message will share a pastoral word, rooted in Scripture, that witnesses to God’s presence today, our rich theological tradition and the social teaching that connects us.
“Every day, I receive emails and messages from members across this church,” Curry said. “Many of you share concerns about the state of the world and how faith informs your response to troubling or perplexing events. Sometimes you ask me to speak out more often regarding current affairs, and sometimes you ask me not to speak so much. I cannot answer every message, yet I am learning from you and feel the heartbeat of this church through the concerns, fears and hopes you share with me.”
Curry continued: “To continue our conversation and respond to what I am hearing from you, I will issue a monthly message through the end of this year in a series called ‘All Together in One Place.’ Each message will share a pastoral word that witnesses to God’s presence today, rooted in Scripture, our rich theological tradition and the social teaching that connects us for life together.
“At the first Pentecost, the disciples were guided by the prophet Joel’s assurance that, even in troubling and perplexing times, God is faithfully present.
“At the first Pentecost, the disciples were guided by Joel’s assurance that, even in troubling and perplexing times, God is faithfully present.”
“Our baptismal vocation together is to serve God and neighbor in daily life, fostering ‘a faith that is active in love, a love that seeks justice, and an insight that strives to discern what is right, good, and fitting’ (The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective). Baptism invites us to love our neighbor, to steward creation, to advocate justice and mercy in situations of brokenness, and to seek peace.
“As much as we strive to be ‘all together in one place,’ we may not agree on how to do this. The letters I receive testify that we span a beautiful and God-given diversity that invites Lutherans into deep listening, moral deliberation and a certain humility as we seek the common good.
“In our differences, we can still be together in one place, when that place is connection in the unity that only Christ gives us (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). We stand in one place when we embrace the dignity of every human being by engaging others with curiosity and respect. We stand in one place when we shake off the immobility of fear to nurture connection in diversity. Our witness to the world embodies 2 Timothy 1:7: ‘God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.’
“Just as those early followers of Jesus Christ experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, may we also trust when the Holy Spirit comes blowing into our lives to connect the body of Christ.”
