Red Rover

Red Rover

10 August 2022

Red Rover.

“Red Rover, Red Rover, let Julie come over.”  Do you remember playing Red Rover as a kid?  Two teams line up, holding hands and opposing each other.   One team would chant what ostensibly sounds like a very cordial and welcoming invitation.  “Come on over, friend!”  But when the invitee came over, the team would lock arms and use all its strength to prevent Julie from entering its bond.

We, as “the church” are people who have been called.   Called by the Holy Spirit to join Jesus’ team of joy and life.    In the Greek language of the New Testament, the term for church, ekklesia, actually means “gathering of those summoned.”  Not only are we summoned by the Lord, but we are welcome and included! Arms that aren’t locked closed like in Red Rover, but open and loving.   Grace abounds.  Especially, we try, in the ELCA.   Here is a little video of folks who have heard God’s call—and unlike Red Rover—felt a genuine welcome into the Lutheran church.  Pretty cool.

I shared that video because this whole week, ELCA Lutherans gather in Columbus, Ohio for our triennial Churchwide Assembly.   This “gathering of those summoned” is a key activity reminding us that “church” happens on a variety of levels.  Yes, you and I are Christ’s church as we gather Sunday mornings for Jesus’ message and meal.  But we are also Christ’s church when we show the fruits of the Spirit in our homes, schools, and work places.   In addition to these key local faith arenas, denominational churches, like our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), live out our calling as “church” regionally.  For us that means ministry with our Southeastern Synod sister congregations (ELCA congregations in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia) as we run camps together, like Lutheranch, support Inspiritus (social service programing), or rally with disaster response teams or rostered ministry training.   Thirdly, we are “church” at a national level, as we prepare teaching statements to help us understand life situations, engage amiably with other denominations and religions (ala the National & World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation), and empower seminaries, universities, and strategies for gospel impact world-wide.   It’s amazing what our ELCA accomplishes together!   3.8 million Lutherans in almost 10,000 congregations stewarding $1.75 billion of resources which supports seven seminaries, 26 Lutheran-related universities, and 230 missionaries in 48 countries, among other projects.

If you would like to watch this week via stream some of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, gathered around the theme “Embody the Word,” click here:  https://elca.org/churchwideassembly

Glad to be summoned, by Jesus and his church, and actually welcomed,

Pastor Fritz

Let us pray. 

I get sad when I feel alone, Lord.   Your call to be with you and with your family in the church gladdens me.   Thanks for welcoming all of us.  May we be a church that strives to really help others feel welcome.   Thanks for our local church, COS.  But this week, please especially bless all our Lutheran friends who gather in a vital expression of our church life together, the Churchwide Assembly.  Bless their worship, discernment, study, and deliberations that our ELCA may be strengthened in ways that please you regarding a worldwide summons of hope in Jesus’ name.  Amen.