What is Grounding You?
by Bishop Meggan Manlove
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As I write this, we are a few days from the election. Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has excellent words about Casting Ballots as People of Faith in THIS VIDEO, which I encourage you to watch. The other two ELCA Washington bishops and I WROTE about WA 2117 from a Lutheran perspective and I WROTE about ID Proposition 1 from a Lutheran perspective. It is an honor and privilege to vote, and I implore you to prayerfully consider what it means to vote with a Christian lens or ear. DEM Pr. Liv Larson Andrews is collecting prayers for election day from across our synod and they will be shared on Facebook and YouTube every hour beginning at 8:00 am Pacific.
And yet there is more I want to say about this season. Oct. 14-16, about 90 of our pastors and deacons gathered in Walla Walla for Bishop’s Fall Convocation under the theme Leviticus and the Land: Stewardship and Sabbath. Our presenter, Dr. Rachel Wrenn from Trinity Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, said that “Being in relationship with the deity means being linked to raw, unadulterated divine power. That’s holiness.” Wow! Later, talking specifically about the book of Leviticus (Wrenn completed the footnotes for the NRSV Updated Edition of the Lutheran Study Bible), she said that “the goal of Leviticus is to establish healthy boundaries in the divine-human relationship so that the people can safely steward divine presence and power.”
This notion of divine presence and power has me wondering what is grounding me and you and the many ministry sites across our synod during this season? By season, I mean the election season, the season of fall holidays, the season of big family gatherings, the season when the days become shorter, and the church season of Advent, all of it.
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As I listened to Dr. Wrenn, I was reminded that one of the greatest gifts the body of Christ, which we call the church, can give to its members and our larger communities is the opportunity to take a breath, the gift of making space, and not just space but sacred space, space where we can bring our deepest longings to God and then be silent. In our singing and praying we make space. This is one way we safely steward divine presence and power. Around the table of Holy Communion, we make space for all who want to feast on mercy and grace. When we read scripture as community and let it speak to us, we make space to encounter the holy.
- What scripture passage or prayers or sacred songs are grounding you and your congregation in this season?
- How are you making space for yourself and your community of faith to take a deep breath?
- What are your individual or collective prayers to the triune God?
- Finally, when we encounter the Jesus of the Gospels, God’s love can take on many different forms, but ultimately it looks like compassion. Where are you witnessing compassion?
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God’s Peace,
Bishop Meggan
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Campus Ministry Agencies
New Ministries Offer Belonging
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“If you had asked me my junior year of college if I had ever thought of being a Lutheran pastor, I would have said, ‘absolutely not.’” recalls Mariah Mills. Mariah attended an ELCA college but was deeply involved in an evangelical campus ministry. Later on in her junior year, though, her involvement with that ministry was disrupted. Mariah began to have questions about faith, and at the same time, she witnessed another student leader in the ministry being excluded after coming out as queer. “This was when I knew in my gut that I didn’t belong in that ministry anymore. I resigned from all my leadership positions in the ministry and I was left feeling lost and wayward.”
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Compensation Guidelines for 2025
The linked 2025 compensation guidelines for clergy were approved by the Northwest Intermountain Synod Council at their September 2024 meeting. They are provided as a starting point for determining compensation and benefits for rostered leaders. Please keep in mind that these are guidelines and should be used with thoughtful flexibility as congregations work to come up with fair and just compensation and benefits packages. These guidelines cannot possibly speak to all our congregations with their varying
financial and personnel resources and expectations. Congregations are encouraged to use the guidelines as minimum standards of financial support and hopefully go beyond them.
Note that attendance at Bishop’s Fall Convocation is expected and the cost will be similar to 2024. Time and cost for this event are separate from continuing education. If you have a pastor or deacon participating in First Call Theological Education, please budget $600 (different from what is printed in these guidelines). This also is separate from continuing education.
FOLLOW THIS LINK for the 2025 Compensation Guidelines for pastors and deacons.
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Rooted in Place - Internship Site Grants | |
This Giving Tuesday (Dec. 3, 2024) our synod will make one final push for Rooted in Place, our 2024 Regional Gathering Offering. Rooted in Place brings together several vital realities:
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Bishop’s Fall Convocation 2025
Please save the dates now for Bishop’s Fall Convocation, Oct. 13-15, 2025 at the Holiday Inn Richland on the River. Our speaker will be Dr. Anthony Bateza, Associate Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College. Costs will be about the same as 2024 Convocation. Our two guests from the Ulanga Kilombero Diocese of Tanzania will join as a Convocation as part of their multi-week trip to the NWIM Synod.
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About Bonhoeffer
First, a huge shout-out to Grace Lutheran in Wenatchee for hosting the Bonhoeffer Weekend with presenter Dr. Mark Brocker. Here is a LINK to one of Brocker’s sessions at Grace.
You may have seen that a new film about German Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer will be coming to theaters Thanksgiving Weekend.
In response to the film and growing references to Bonhoeffer in the public sphere, both Bonhoeffer’s family and the Bonhoeffer Society have made public statements.
You can follow this LINK and find both statements.
After reading the statements by the family and Society, you may wonder about next steps.
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God’s Love Made Real: A Conversation With Bishop Eaton | |
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CHICAGO (Oct. 23, 2024) — The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will join congregations in the Alaska, Northwest Washington, Southwestern Washington, Northwest Intermountain, Oregon and Montana synods on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 12 p.m. Pacific time for a regional conversation on God’s Love Made Real. The Rev. Shelley Bryan Wee, bishop of the ELCA Northwest Washington Synod, will host the online conversation.
God’s Love Made Real is a movement that encourages the ELCA to create a world experiencing the difference God’s grace and love in Christ make for all people and creation.
During this discussion, the presiding bishop will share why God’s Love Made Real is meaningful to her and the future of the church. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and ask questions.
“The Spirit is calling us to move together as one church to share the grace and love we experience every day,” said Eaton.
More conversations about God’s Love Made Real will be scheduled with regional groups in the future.
Join the discussion! You can learn more about God’s Love Made Real at lovemadereal.elca.org.
| Recreation and Revelation | A Winter Theological Retreat in the Heart of the Rocky Mountains | |
Join Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing and Rev. Dr. Ben Stewart at the annual Recreation & Revelation (R & R) Conference February 9-14, 2025. R & R takes place every February at Winter Park, Colorado, and has a rare approach to continuing education.
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Nominate Students for Lutheran Summer Music 2025
You’re invited to nominate a student for LSM 2025! Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is a faith-based residential music academy for high school students (grades 8-12) who come together from all over the country to immerse themselves in musical excellence and build an intentional, supportive, and FUN community. LSM 2025 takes place at Valparaiso University in Indiana from June 22-July 20 (Full Session) or June 22-July 6 (Half Session).
Priority Enrollment is open now through December 1. Nominate students at LSMacademy.org/nominate, and watch and share this LSM Experience Video to learn more!
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Holden Village Seeks an Executive Director | |
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The Holden Village Board of Directors seeks an Executive Director (or team of Executive Directors) to lead the Village for a term beginning September 1, 2025. The usual term is five years, though the Board is open to proposals outside of this norm. The primary responsibility of the Executive Director(s) is to nurture the Village’s Mission, Vision, and Values, animating them and keeping them central to Village life and work. Included in this packet are: instructions for application/nomination, Holden’s “Mission, Vision, and Values” + its statement regarding its Commitment to Justice, a job description, and a FAQ. All friends of the Village are encouraged to nominate individuals or teams of individuals with the appropriate gifts and skills for consideration. Individuals and teams may also apply directly.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR(S) APPLY BY DECEMBER 20, 2024
Link for additional info: https://www.holdenvillage.org/
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Seeking Applications for a Financial Services Officer - Region 1 | | | | |
