Convocation (noun):
the act of convoking; a group of people gathered in answer to a summons; assembly.
the act of convoking; a group of people gathered in answer to a summons; assembly.
Today was the Bishop's Convocation for the Grand Canyon Synod. The interns--along with all pastors--were required to attend. 100+ of us gathered at a church on the west side of Phoenix for discussion, networking, lunch, and study.
I wouldn't consider it to be the most fun day of internship...or of my pastoral career. In fact, I did not learn particularly anything new. But I found my "spot" among the crowd at a table in the back with other interns and a few joy-filled pastors who weren't in the mood to take the day too seriously.
We kind of had our own convocation. Even in the midst of long sessions of sitting and lecturing, we laughed and observed and had a nice time.
These assemblies are beneficial for many reasons: for the purpose of gathering, for sharing, for talking with the Bishop, for continuing education, but I think, at the same time, they can be a dead giveaway as to why the church--especially the Lutheran church--is struggling today.
Two things really stuck out to me. (Here goes some blanket statements, so beware)-->
1. A high majority of the people in the room (including myself) all looked the same and come from the same background. We express diversity, but it is not always evident in our leadership or even in our congregations. Yes, outreach to diverse populations is a large part of the church, but how come we aren't asking why there isn't more diversity in the pews or even in the pulpits?
2. Worship was nice and, although it was very much rooted in Lutheran tradition, it was not especially engaging or even "of today." Simply, I was not able to relate. I'm not trying to justify changing worship to match our world, but don't we at least have to consider what is happening outside the church's doors?
I think sometimes Lutherans (and other religious groups) are so grounded in tradition (with language, songs, how we hold our hands, etc), we become stuck. The rituals, words, and actions are so ingrained it becomes monotonous. Maybe it's just me...but I have an inkling I'm not the only one who feels this way.
So, my proclamation for today: I want to become unstuck.
Or maybe I need to shut up.
Either way, there's work to be done.
(Of course, I say all of this believing and trusting that the Spirit IS at work among us.)
Peace--
HGJ
2 comments:
I was at a similar kind of synod event last week. The speakers talked about getting out of the building and "leaning down" (meaning to make it more lean, less material), but the conference was at an Embassy Suites and we spent half the time talking about church organization and synodical stuff. Weird.
I don't think you need to shut up. In fact, I think you need to do the opposite. Rather than shut-up or disengage, you-Hannah- can be a leader in unsticking ourselves from the ravages of rote tradition.
Woo Hoo!
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