She started with a reminder that the word synod derives from two Greek words – sun meaning together and odos meaning road, street or way. She was thankful that we are still coming together as a synod and with each other, as congregations in the synod, to follow Jesus and the way in these challenging times.
Next, she preached about Paul’s letters. She
focused on what Paul wrote about people who are, what she called, “encouragers”, The verse that came to my mind was 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage
one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Bishop Laurie went on to tell the story of Christopher, a person in her life that served as a model for her in this.
This sermon spoke to the heart of what church could be all about right now.
The Gospel reading was Matthew's account of the feeding of the 5,000.which is of the stories that is in all the Gospels. One of her first observations was that the count only includes men. She wondered out load if we should call it the feeding of the 15,000 to be more inclusive.
She preached that Jesus was modeling how his disciples could be in the world. He encouraged and built their capability up by not just miraculously producing bread and fishes, but that the miracle happened as the disciples distributed the loaves and fishes.
Creator has always understood the value of encouragement and tried to provide it. Yet, some of us may need more encouragement and building up than we are receiving from each other, right now. The ways we received that in the pre-pandemic days may not be currently available. We may know members, or other people, who need help, too.
We realize our primary mode of connection, through the internet, is at times, difficult. Bishop Laurie asked us, later in her sermon, to name people who were and are personal “encouragers”. For me, the names of many Creator members came to mind. And that encouragement has not stopped with the pandemic. Many recent calls, social distanced visits, and worship with Creator members have been humbling, church moments of understanding for me, and I have heard the same is true for others.
Bishop Laurie asked us later in her sermon to name the people who were and are personal “encouragers”. For me, the names of many Creator members came to mind. And that encouragement has not stopped with the pandemic. Many recent conversations and worship at Creator have been humbling, church moments of understanding for me and I have heard the same is true for others.
As I think about Creator and how we currently worship I know our first reaction to this time is to talk about what we miss in this online worship and not being gathered together in the building. Perhaps we need permission to share those reactions with one another, but this could also trigger us to focus on the past rather than the future of the church we have before us.
These are hard times but not the hardest of times. When we are frustrated we can take the attitude that, as we try new ways of walking together, nothing can be as great as what we experienced before the pandemic. I wonder if we focus more on how others may need our help in walking in the way of our Lord right now that this would make for a healthier church.
Bishop Laurie challenged us to weave a wild web of relationships grounded in God's grace.
I know when I have seen that kind of weaving - seen that sharing, encouraging and building up, it makes me recognize the church spirit I have seen mirrored at Creator when it most inspires me.
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