A Return of Experiential Spirituality

“We must move from a belief-based spirituality to a practice-based spirituality, or little will change in religion, politics, and the world.” Richard Rohr

The above quote comes from Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr in an article written in 2017 about the evolving movement toward experience based faith. What I am calling “Experiential Spirituality”. The concept does not originate with me. It’s the ancient practice that is at the core of the Christian encounter with God. In fact, it’s true of all the major religions of the world.

The religion of Jesus has as its cornerstone an experience of the divine becoming temporally experienced. We call it the incarnation.

Most of the significant writings of the last 2,000 years are by those who had an experience of faith. Teresa of Avila, Hildegaard of Bingen and St. Francis all encountered the sacred in a concrete specific manner. That experience shaped their lives and their faith. I doubt that these people would have been so significantly impacted if they had only read a few books and believed their way into the faith.

I’m not arguing for the elimination of an intellectual inquiry. The mind is a gift that keeps on giving, but it is not the only gift. Their is also the gift of a sacred experience. Carl Jung touched on this when John Freeman asked him in the 1959 BBC documentary, “Do you Believe in God"?” Jung’s response. “I know.” He could affirm to know God based on his own encounter.

One of the challenges of our time is that religion has shifted to a set of beliefs, by which we mean an intellectual ascent to a set of ideas. But how often are those ideas connected to ones spiritual encounter? Do we say we believe in Jesus or God or any other specific teaching based on an encounter or a teaching? Is the Apostle’s Creed anything for us that a set of ideas?

Religions and Spiritual teachings can often be divided into Orthodoxies and Orthopraxies. The first is a faith based on teachings, beliefs and doctrines, the latter is a faith based on practices. Islam is a religion of practice, though some strands of it slide into the orthodoxy camp.

What would a faith look like that rooted itself in people’s experience of the numinous? Perhaps this question is best answered by the increasing interest in rituals, communities and behaviors that emphasize such encounters. More on this subject as we go forward, but for now…ask yourself this question:

Where have I experienced God?

Real Change: The Meditation Social Justice Connection

For the first time in my life, I’ve found myself struggling with anxiety. I’m ok and getting some good help. It’s not the kind of anxiety that requires medication, but it is necessary for me to attend to some things like diet, exercise, lifestyle patterns, media use, etc. So far, it’s better. Where did this come from after 61 years? Who knows? The election, Covid19, moving through the years, maybe it’s that new subscription at Trade Coffee. (Switching to Decaf now)

One of my changes is a greater intentionality in what I will call my inner life. I enrolled in a Spiritual Direction training program. I wanted a structured vehicle to dive in to some areas that have interested me for decades, namely the Christian Mystics and Depth Psychology. I’ve also started meditation. I can now attest to my caliber, I’m a bonafide toddler in this new endeavor - tripping and falling like a drunken two year old.

This led me to Sharon Salzberg, one of the principle figures in bringing Buddhism to the United States. Her new book is Real Change. I prefer the audio version, as it allows me to practice some of the mediations at the end of each chapter. It’s an easy book as it’s filled with stories and personal anecdotes. The book also makes the link between the movements for Social Justice and personal mediation. The parallel in my mind is the connection between our prayer life and the call of Jesus to be about compassionate love. Infact, through out most of the book, one could see how a contemplative Christian could make the connection between love thy neighbor as thyself and prayer. Actually, Salzberg does articulate this association at one point.

One of Salzberg’s mediations involves a repetitive phrase, which I modified. (You should know be now, I don’t simply take things without putting my own spin) My version is

May you be healthy

May you be whole

May you be safe

May you be blessed

One just repeats the phrase thinking about different people. Start by saying it to yourself as in “Jim, may you be….”, You can say these phrases either out loud or silently. Go slowly, no rush. Breath intentionally as you say each phrase. Then after a few times, bring someone else to mind: a neighbor, a grocery store clerk, a family member, a distant person, someone from the congregation. Practice. Keep at it. Will your mind drift? Of course, don’t worry, just keep going.

Over time you’ll discover that you are exercising two things.

1. You’re practicing an intentional breathing, slowing down.

2. You are also practicing or exercising a muscle we all have, it’s called compassion.

Salzberg makes the point, with many examples and stories from real life, that once people practice this kind of compassion, it grows ones ability to see other people as…people. Yup, fellow human beings. But lest you think this is just an individual exercise of navel gazing without actual change, she tells the stories of many people making real change in communities. Real change in areas such as violence and prison systems, racism, domestic violence. Other meditations help one see the interconnectedness of the natural world which leads to people in Africa planting trees to combat the impact of global warming. You’ll have to read the book to see all the examples…it’s quite inspiring

The book is profound for me both on a personal inner life focus as well as connecting to making a difference in our world longing for real change.

The combination is helping with the anxiety as well.

My Brother Art is an Artist

Simplicissimus #57, Voting to Drive Away the Evil Spirits

Overcoming the obstacles to voting put in our way by anti-democratic forces. 

Another satirical magazine, Simplicissimus was a satirical German magazine based in Munich started 1896 and running back and forth between the extremes of German 20th century history, into the 1960s. It’s satirical stance reflected in the name which comes from the early German novel by Grimmelshausen 1668 The Adventures of Simplicissimus. The character was a simpleton through which the insanity of the Thirty Years War was caricatured. 

Art Hazelwood

www.arthazelwood.com

What to do about Christmas in a Pandemic

It’s clear the pandemic is with us for the foreseeable future. If you listen to the scientific and medical community, it’s likely we have another 12 months or so, depending on multiple factors. My source on this is Dr. Michael Osterholm of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Besides being an active ELCA Lutheran, he’s also among the best. His podcast is on my weekly listen to list. I’m aware that 12 month window is not what you want to hear, but frankly, I’d rather plan for that, and then be pleasantly surprised with a shorter timeline.

What does this mean for people of faith, and particularly people for whom gathering for worship is an important part of their spiritual life? To be more focused, what about Christmas?

Here are several ideas I’ve thought of or read about in terms of Advent & Christmas planning.

1) Advent is often called the season of preparation. In an earlier era, it was longer than the four weeks we have now. Can we return to that this year? Let’s start Advent in the middle of November, and then by the time we hit early December start the Christmas preparations with, wait for it…..Christmas Carols. Yes, I’m an advocate for Christmas Carols in worship in December. Why? Primarily because it’s an evangelistic tool, as in telling the good news. In our US American culture, people no longer hear Christmas Carols, instead they hear Mariah Carey and Justiin Bieber singing All. I Want for Christmas is You? Let’s evangelize with O Little Town of Bethlehem, Go Tell it on the Mountain and (pick your favorite.)

2) Since worshipping indoors will be a challenge for most of our New England congregations, let’s move it all outdoors for Dec 24. Don’t attempt to recreate your standard Christmas Eve worship outdoors, instead do something all together different. How about a 3:00 p.m. Manger Scene with people semi-costumed (maybe covering their LL Bean parkas). Tell the story, don’t read it. Or maybe have a kind of Stations of the Nativity, similar to a Stations of the Cross. You can do this on your church property, or maybe a walk through your neighborhood if you are in an urban environment. Here’s a resource guide I found.

3) You could also consider an online devotional on the Stations of the Nativity. One church used this resource and adopted it for an online devotional. The book is available on Amazon, but here’s the link at Paulist Press. How could you adapt this to a digital format? Video reflections, maybe by members of your congregation?

4) if you Google ‘Stations of the Nativity’, you will find more resources than you know what to do. Here’s one resource that I found, that involved people in a community who have artistic gifts. They were invited to draw their interpretations of various events. Maybe if it’s raining on Christmas eve, you could have a gallery walk through of people’s artwork. Just think about proper ventilation, spacing, and masks - maybe even have people sign up for appointment times. You could play pre-record Christmas music as people walk through the church witnessing the Stations of the Nativity.

The point of all this is to get you thinking differently about Christmas this year. Don’t try to re-create “what we’ve always done".” Use this as a time to experiment. Have fun, enjoy, play and co-create with the Creator.

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Why I left Facebook & Twitter

This week I made the decision to close my Facebook and Twitter accounts. I’m still on Instagram. While a brief bit of nastiness followed a post I wrote about having breakfast with a friend who was a Republican was the proverbial final straw. (Heaven forbid we should have friends with whom we disagree) The departure has been on my mind for sometime.

You’ll recall in my book Everyday Spirituality, I discussed the value of an annual fast or sabbatical from Social Media. I highlighted the benefits of time and energy saved for other activities. Since experiencing that Social Media Fast, I’ve often wondered about the value of Twitter and Facebook in my daily life. My frequent justification centered around such topics as its usefulness in communicating important announcements, connecting with friends and family as well as the value of an exchange of ideas. I still believe those have merit for many people.

And yet, one of the things Covid19 has taught me centers on a question of ultimate meaning. “Who am I and what kind of a person do I want to be?” One would have thought after 61 years, I would have already answered that question. In reality, I think these queries need to be revisited regularly.

As my self-examination of who I am and what kind of person do I want to be continued through these months of quarantine and semi-quarantine, I’ve realized the strength of my desire for a more mature spirituality, a deeper level of compassion and a growing desire to be the change I want to see in the world. Yes, I’m quoting Gandhi in that last phrase. If those three desires are to be cultivated, then what activities would strengthen them?

The activities I’ve come up with range from starting a vegetable garden to engaging myself challenging subjects. Those topics include social issues such as economic injustice, racism and climate change, They also include learning more about the Christian mystical tradition and depth psychology as it relates developing a more mature spirituality. All this while still experiencing the challenges of serving as a Bishop in these changing times.

I’ll grant that engaging in Social Media could be one tool in this work. Some of you may find that helpful for you. I can see a validity in your perspective. However, the more I evaluated my use of Facebook and Twitter, the more I realized they were not contributing to my goals. I’d been teetering on the edge of a decision, and am delighted to have been pushed.

I estimate that I’ll gain about 5-7 hours per week now, since I was on those platforms about one hour a day. What will I do with this extra time? Well, if past behavior is a predictor of future outcomes, it looks like another book could be in the pipeline. The last time I abandoned social media, the extra time yielded Everyday Spirituality. I’ve got two books in my head right now. Life is Not Fair: The Book of Job for our Time and Everyday Leadership: A Guide for Parents, Poets & Presidents.

I’ll let you know what happens.

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The Gift of a Spiritual Autobiography

In preparation for my first year of training as a Spiritual Director, I received an invitation to author a Spiritual Autobiography.  The task seemed burdensome and self-indulgent, so I cast the assignment aside for a while. "What's the point of this exercise, and for God's sake, what is a Spiritual Autobiography anyway?" These were among the many thoughts, rationalizes, and forms of denial I engaged in until the deadline approached.

Deadlines have a way of helping us face what we’d rather put off.

Later to be confirmed, the hidden agenda was an invitation to explore my life from the perspective of more profound questions.  This was not the usual, "I was born in Concord, Massachusetts at the close of the Eisenhower era” kind of biography. Instead, the questions centered on ultimate matters.

  • Who am I?

  • What’s my calling or purpose in life?

  • Am I alone, or is there another? 

Answering these questions in a direct approach is an impossible task, but getting at them indirectly, now that's a doorway into another world. The Institute leaders ask us to reflect and write about other questions. Describe a time when the world looked, smelled, or sounded unusual or peculiar? Upon reading that question, a flood of recollections roiled through my head and heart. 

An early morning walk in the woods behind my childhood home searching for an object for school. My kindergarten teacher assigned us the task of bringing something from our backyard. There was no doubt that there was more specificity to this homework (or maybe not), but my recollection centered on the search. Crawling along the forest floor, I discovered a small pinecone. Most likely from a hemlock tree as they are the tiniest of New England conifers. The act of laying on my belly, moving along on hands and knees looking, smelling, and discovering the wonder in something that was always there amazed me. I had not seen it before. 

In the words of William Blake, “Each day has a moment of eternity waiting for you.”

I began writing of this and other encounters, and slowly realized how searching and discovering the magical, the wonder, and the sacred in everyday life has been a theme since I could walk, maybe even before. 

I received other questions about mentors, favorite books, music that challenges and delights led me to realize the many influences. One recollection involved attending a baseball game at Dodger Stadium with my father as a young teenager.  I recall snickering as he blew pipe smoke in the direction of an obnoxious fan, somehow brought connections to life and death because it would be decades later that lung cancer ended his life. "Laughing and Crying, it's the same release," sang Joni Mitchel. The connection of a both/and understanding of life and faith has also woven its way into my heart.

The point being that while many of us read biographies and autobiographies of famous men and women, be they actors, authors, or presidents, there is altogether something different from a spiritual autobiography. My theology professor James McLendon once cautioned his students on the difference between and biography and an autobiography, as the latter may have blind spots. Nevertheless, it's safe to say that what is unique about the invitation to write a spiritual autobiography; we are challenged to discover themes and connections we may have overlooked.

Human beings are meaning-seeking creatures, and the spiritual autobiography is one tool that can help give each of us a glimpse into the meaning of our lives.

Are you interested in joining me for a series on writing your spiritual autobiography later this fall?

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My Conversation with Arnold Thomas

If you hop on over to the Podcast, you can listen to my conversation with Rev. Arnold Thomas. He’s the pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Jericho, Vermont. We recorded the conversation in April 2020, and because of a variety of projects on my end, the release of this is just happening now.

The focus of the conversation is on how he created, and you might follow his model, a series of conversations on Racism in America. His approach is but one model among many that are being employed around our synod. Regardless of the approach you take, the main point here is my encouragement for you to find ways to engage on this important subject of Racism in America.

here’s the link to the podcast

Rev. Arnold Thomas

Rev. Arnold Thomas

The Promise and Peril of America

For the European visitors, the American continent was a vast unexplored and mysterious land in the 1600s. Fleeing religious persecution, puritan pilgrims made their way to the shores of the Atlantic coast.  Part survivalist expedition, and part spiritual calling. These twin epic narratives, puritan and pioneer, loom large in the American psyche. As someone once pointed out, all great movements carry forward the dreams and neurosis of their founders.

The Puritan ethos has dominated the American spirit with its Calvinistic theology and obsession with moral purity. We see this in the concepts of "Manifest Destiny" and "American Exceptionalism."  Presidents as wide-ranging as John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Barrack Obama captured this in their use of Augustine's "Shining City on a Hill" metaphor.  Through the American psyche, the puritan thread would have us all believe that the USA is a divinely ordained expression of the Kingdom of God.

The pioneer ethos emerged later after early settlers realized this North American continent was no island or peninsula. The land seemed to go on forever. Even when Thomas Jefferson executed the most significant real estate transaction in history through the Louisiana Purchase, he did not know what he was getting. Lewis and Clark explored the land, thinking they would find a shortcut to the Pacific. The Homestead act allowed white people to move into the west and claim territory. For nearly 150 years, Americans were pioneers exploring this continent. The effect on the national psyche encouraged us all to see ourselves as conquerors of time and space.

The promise of these twin towers has been a spirit of adventure. Unlike other nations, US Americans tend to be more willing to explore, invent, and initiate. This partially explains the numerous inventions that have birthed here, whether Thomas Edison or Steve Jobs. The courage to explore as practiced by Amelia Earhart or Sally Ride. The initiative to birth a new form of governance in the form of representative democracy. US Americans are willing to take matters into their own hands, as the saying goes. A strength expressed in an apocryphal story from World War II was when Nazi prison camp guards thought that merely separating the enlisted men from the officers would prevent an escape plan from developing. Only later to discover that the enlisted men took the initiative and hatched their plans of escape. The idea that people could act of their own accord was foreign.

The peril of these twin towers of puritan and pioneer ethos manifest themselves in our human danger of hubris. Thinking ourselves better than others leaves us blind to see the sins of our past and present. Most notably, the dominant practice of slavery and the inheritance of racism, our male-centered orientation toward leadership, as well as hyper-individualism, which impacts both our politics and the environment. We run the risk of putting the whole experiment of democracy in peril. 

Because of our puritan and pioneer cultural mindset, Americans tend to be over-sensitive to both self-evaluation and external criticism. "Why do they hate us?" was a refrain following the event of September 11, 2001.  Until recently, most Americans could not fathom the cries of African Americans and their exclamation Black Lives Matters. Since the land of this country seemed ordained by God for us to use, why should we pay any attention to the calls from other nations to address Global Climate change? If we are the shining city on the hill, should not those other people appreciate everything we do for them? Look at the robust world economy architecture we built in the second half of the 20th century.

Not only are we reluctant to hear these critiques, but US Americans are also susceptible to suspicion. The move from skepticism to conspiracy theories seem more prevalent in our nation than others. After all, since we are the good ones, anything or anyone that argues against us must be out to get us. An invisible coronavirus can be turned into an agent of a conspiracy to undermine this exceptional American experiment. Not to be exclusively the domain of extremist of the right, one can recall a 1990's spouse of the democratic US President espousing the "vast right-wing conspiracy” out to undermine her husband.

The Promise and Peril of America

The Promise and Peril of America

Perhaps we are now at the height of peril. All sides of the American democratic and cultural phenomenon are undergoing more challenging stresses than ever since the Civil War. 

- Our institutions of government on the federal level are at risk of one person domination; 

- our economic structure increasingly reveals its favoritism along with class and racial disparities, 

- our culture's abandonment of spiritual yearnings for consumeristic secular achievements and 

- our neglect for awareness of the natural processes of ecology risk, well, everything.

 The promise of US America can be found inside all of the risks outlined here. US Americans can invent and initiate. Therefore we have the opportunity to reclaim democracy from the interests that seek to undermine it. One recent example is the response to the killing of George Floyd. But it can also be witnessed in the dramatic increase in activism by people who have never participated in the body politic. By all accounts, the expectations of this November's elections are for exceedingly high voter participation. Are you registered to vote?

US Americans have opportunities to recalibrate the way our economy functions, despite our recent 50 year history of adopting policies that exacerbate income inequality. The Covid19 forced policymakers to enact legislation that would be unheard of before these times six months ago. Three examples include the $1200 direct distribution of funds to citizens,  the generous $600 plus unemployment benefits along with the availability of public dollars in the form of forgivable loans to small businesses, even churches. It took a global pandemic for capitalism to adopt some forms of socialism. (ok, that's an overstatement, but still, the activist government fiscal policy is a dramatic shift.) 

We have long been suffering a significant migration away from authentic expressions of spirituality toward its growing replacement, namely the placebo called consumer capitalism. When choosing a new automobile as the thing that will satisfy the yearnings of the soul, you know people have gone asunder. Though I am among the growing minority of people who describe themselves as both religious and spiritual, I am not one of those who believe the answer is a return to the Eisenhower era church attendance. But I am deeply concerned about the abandonment of religion, spirituality, depth psychology. While it seems Jesus has left the church building, I also believe the sacred can be encountered in other ways. (I’m sure I’ll get letters about that sentence) We would do well, and it’s happening to some extent, to revive the arts in our schools, libraries, and yes, even corporations. I believe that religion should be taught in our public schools, not for purposes of proselytizing but an enhancement. Young people would benefit from readings in the great religions and mythology of humanity. Recovery of the spiritual journey is growing among the over-50 crowd as the second half of life quest for significance looms large.  Can we cultivate the seeds for that in younger persons? 

I believe our connection to the earth is our greatest peril. The promise here is in a growing awareness of humanity's impact on this planet. Climate change and the coronavirus reveal the interconnectedness of all of life. Outside of the United States, public awareness and activism are significant and beginning to pressure both political and corporate systems to enact change. The US is lagging in this area, and we have little time to catch up. While reducing the use of plastic straws, growing your garden and driving a hybrid are essential steps not to be discounted. The massive change we need is away from fossil fuel dominance to alternate forms of energy, including renewable and, yes, safe forms of nuclear power. (We aren't going to get to the planets vast growing energy needs with windmills.)

The promise and peril of America are profound on this 244th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We move forward, understanding our risks and mistakes while embracing and acting on the opportunities before us. I think we'll learn a great deal about ourselves when we gather on July 4, 2026, for the 250thIndependence Day. Will it be a celebration of a transformation and turning toward the Promise of America?

 

 

Walking on Holy Ground with George Floyd

George Floyd Square, Powderhorn, Minneapolis, Minnesota One Month after his killing

George Floyd Square, Powderhorn, Minneapolis, Minnesota One Month after his killing

One month ago, George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis Police Officer in front of the CuP Foods on 38th and Chicago Avenue in the Powderhorn section of Minneapolis. The video of the office kneeling on his back and neck went viral around the world and was the precipitating event of mass protests and riots calling for Racial Justice and Police Reform.

Earlier this week, Lisa and I walked to what is now called George Floyd Square. What we witnessed was a memorial, a tribute, a protest marker, a sculpture…what we walked on was holy sacred ground. The tragedy and outrage of this event unleashed so much, and people came here from miles around to honor the man.

We are here in Minneapolis to provide care and attention to Lisa’s 96-year-old father who has recently begun hospice care. That alone has pout both of us in a place of respect for the fragility of life. We are closer to lament and grief.

As we entered the intersection which is blocked off from all vehicular traffic, we were greeted by young organizers offering hand sanitizer and masks. A reminder of the other crisis we find ourselves, namely the pandemic. Ahead of us, we could see a sculpture of dark brown fist in the center of the square with people gathered around. Some were praying, some taking photos, most just walking in silence. We followed suit. The intersection looks like a labyrinth for walking a prayer circle.

I had the distinct sense of God’s presence, heartbroken on the one hand calling out for justice on the other. We walked through the many memorials, tributes, and calls for action. We were indeed walking on Holy Ground.

A Memorial for George Floyd

A Memorial for George Floyd

A Time of Lament

Everything Has Its Time, Lament is our Time

3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

We are in these times of weeping and mourning as the author of Ecclesiastes writes. So many have died of the Covid19 virus, and so many have died because of the color of their skin, most notably George Floyd. Who is not mourning and grieving the loss of someone or the many? Collectively as a nation, and as global citizens we are all living with loss.

Loss of loved ones, loss of what we once knew, loss of hope, loss of faith, loss of trust… The list goes on. Loss is everywhere.

And yet, it seems we have no place to go with our pain. Our churches, temples, mosques and synagogues are closed. We cannot gather except via Zoom for rite of mourning and remembrance. In a previous time their were elected officials who would lead us in rituals of lament and grief, be it Barrack Obama after Sandy Hook or Charleston, George W. Bush after 9-11 or Ronald Reagan after the Challenger explosion. But today, there is no national ritual to remember those we have lost.

That lack of grieving time and ritual is festering in our souls. It is making us agitated, irritable, depressed and yes, angry. When the human soul cannot find ways to articulate what it is experiencing it does not go away. It churns inside, seeking a way to find expression. Sooner or later it must find a way to be expressed. It will find a way to be expressed. This is why we have rituals of lament, funerals of remembrance and gatherings of loved ones.

Since we must find a way to be people who express our loss, and this is not happening on a large scale, we must find ways. Increasingly, I am seeing congregations holding rituals of lament and grief. This is good and needed. I encourage more and more. Perhaps even monthly it would be appropriate to gather people online for service of lament and grief. As the weather turns more favorable are there opportunities to gather outside in safe ways.

I am encouraging gatherings of lament. Read from the scriptures, invite testimonials, tell the stories of the ones you have lost. These can be the stories of people you knew personally or even persons more distant from you. We need a collective channeling of all the lament. The only way forward through these times is through the grief. We will not move forward until we face what we have lost, what divides us and then, only then will we begin to see our way.

Grieving and Comforting are expressions of Everyday Spirituality

Grieving and Comforting are expressions of Everyday Spirituality

What is the Bible For?

As an ELCA Lutheran, we believe that the Bible is a vessel and that through it God's Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship for service in the world. 

This is the critical function of the scriptures. They are not meant to be used as tools of power and oppression or, opportunities for showmanship. 

ELCA Lutherans believe the Bible and God's spirit steers us toward care for all God's people so that all may be fed, all may have dignity and all may breathe freely. 

Thanks to a friend who helped remind me of this today.

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Nine Minutes of Prayer June 1, 2020

To the People of the New England Synod

In the past week we have witnessed an expression of righteous indignation. During a global pandemic, a crisis in our democracy and a rapid economic decline, we experienced the horrific killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which followed the recent deaths of other African Americans, namely Ahmaud Arberry, Breonna Taylor and Dreasjon (Sean) Reed. In cities across this country, protests have broken out.  In many cases these protests are peaceful. In others they have turned violent.

I believe we are witnessing an expression of outrage, lament and grief. This past weekend I turned to the Psalms as a source to give my heart and mind expression of what I am feeling. I recorded an excerpt which you can view here. 

Last Friday, my colleagues in the Conference of Bishops and I released a statement (view here) recommitting ourselves to addressing racism and white supremacy. On Sunday, I listened to several sermons from Pastors in our Synod as they addressed the subject of Racism on Pentecost Sunday.

As a baptized child of God, I am called to love one another as God has loved me. One of the ways I express that love for one another is in speaking out against racism and white supremacy.  As St. Paul writes, “When one part of us is wounded we are all wounded.”   It is in that spirit I stand with those who are targets of racist ideologies and actions.

In our country today there is more rhetoric of hostility than I can recall in my lifetime. Candidly, it frightens me. If I were a person of color, it would terrify me. While the wanton destruction and harm of property and persons cannot be condoned, protesting of conditions of oppression, brutality and murder is appropriate.

As faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who himself was brutally murdered, I am asking all of us to pause today, (Monday, June 1) at 5:00p.m. for 9 minutes of prayer. 

Join with others in this silence via telephone, Zoom or other platforms. Nine minutes is a long time to hold silence. Breathe in the silence, remember your breaths and commit in that time too use your breath to speak out and act in justice for all.  If you wish, you may also pray this prayer

A Prayer for the Power of the Spirit among the People of God
God of all power and love, we give thanks for your unfailing presence 
and the hope you provide in times of uncertainty and loss. 
Send your Holy Spirit to enkindle in us your holy fire. 
Revive us to live as Christ’s body in the world: 
a people who pray, worship, learn, break bread, share life, heal neighbors, 
bear good news, seek justice, rest and grow in the Spirit. 
Wherever and however we gather, 
unite us in common prayer and send us in common mission, 
that we and the whole creation might be restored and renewed, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Oración por el Espíritu en tiempos de incertidumbre y desplazamiento
Dios de todo poder y amor, te damos gracias por tu constante presencia y por la esperanza que brindas en tiempos de incertidumbre y de pérdida. Envía tu Espíritu Santo a encender en nosotros tu fuego santo. Revívenos para vivir como cuerpo de Cristo en el mundo: un pueblo que ora, adora, parte el pan, comparte la vida, atiende a sus prójimos, es portador de buenas nuevas, busca la justicia, descansa y crece en el Espíritu. Dondequiera y de cualquier manera que nos reunamos, únenos en oración comunitaria y envíanos en una misión común: que nosotros y toda la creación podamos ser restaurados y renovados, mediante Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

Bishop James Hazelwood

New England Synod- ELCA 

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Holy Communion Study in the New England Synod

We in the New England Synod are in the midst of a time of study and reflection on the sacrament of Holy Communion. If you’ve been following this page and the E-Newsletters you are aware of this.

During this time I’ve asked all our congregations to refrain from any forms of celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion such as Virtual, Online, Internet Communion.

Just yesterday the last of our conferences completed their conversation, and on Thursday of this week I will be meeting with the Deans to discuss what they have learned. The next step will be for me to put forth some recommendations which I will ask the Synod Council to review on June 6. Those recommendations will be accompanied next week with both a letter and a video articulating and summarizing our learnings and my reasons for proceeding.

Why are we doing this?

Candidly, I have great concerns about practices around communion which once we begin will be challenging to unravel. That’s the first reason. The second is that we have a unique understanding of Holy Communion in the Lutheran Church that centers around the gathered assembly as an incarnation encounter with Jesus the Christ. Third, we need to proceed carefully because actions that we take have implications. What one does in Maine can now be seen in Rhode Island. If one church chooses to go forward without considering the impact on others, what does that say about our shared relations as colleagues, fellow churches. Fourth, we are an ecumenical and a global church. Actions that we take have implications with our Full Communion Partners as well as with our global companion synods around the world.

We are moving through this process. Let us be about a spirit of mutuality as we do so.

Sincerely

Bishop James Hazelwood

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Re-Opening and Communion Part 2

May 19, 2020

Dear People of the New England Synod,

As I have said from the very beginning of this pandemic, I have confidence and trust in your leadership. You continue to make wise, thoughtful and faithful decisions, and I appreciate the maturity with which you are handling extremely challenging forces.

Re-Opening

Our New England States have initiated various phases of so-called “re-opening”. In a few states, governors have provided guidance which pertain to Houses of Worship. The guidance may have given the impression or may been interpreted as license to “open as usual”. That is not the case! 

In light of that, I want to offer here a path forward for the New England Synod:

1.     If you have not seen the ELCA Guidance Regarding In-Person Worship, here is the link (click here).   It’s quite helpful, and I encourage you to use it as a foundational document in decision making.

2.     I encourage you, if you have not already, to begin thinking about a phased re-opening of your ministry. I wrote about that to you previously. (Click here)

3.     I believe there is wisdom in proceeding slowly, watching and learning from others as they manage their own re-opening.

4.     I strongly recommend that all of our congregations not hold any form of in-person indoor worship until at least July 1.

In the coming weeks, I will provide additional guidance about moving forward. The timeline at the bottom of this letter will provide you assistance in your own planning.  In the meantime, I suggest you engage your congregation council in discussions around the following:

·      If you have not already established shepherd or care groups, I would encourage you to put that in place. I interviewed Pastor John Polk about this for a podcast. (Listen here) John’s paper describing this can be found here.

·      Now is a good time to contact your insurance carrier. Consult with them as to their recommendations regarding re-opening. It’s also good to ensure your premiums have been paid and your account is up to date.

·      If your congregation has outside organizations that use your facility. This is a good time to review contracts and up to date proof-of-insurance documents are in order. You may wish to inform them of the above July 1 date as well.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, May 20), I will release a video where I discuss in more depth my thinking around re-opening.  That video will be sent to your email address and posted on our various Social Media platforms.

Holy Communion

As you may recall, I have also encouraged a synod-wide conversation around Holy Communion. What follows is a timeline for those conversations as a general timeline for re-opening plans.

Currently – Everyone is invited to view and read a variety of resources on this topic (Click Here).

Week of May 25- I will be releasing a video on the topic of Holy Communion. This will be a resource that congregations can use for educational purposes. You will receive a link to that video.

May 28th – By this time I expect all of our Conferences will have had meetings with the Pastors and Deacons to discuss five questions related to this topic. On May 28, my staff and I will be meeting with the Deans to listen to feedback. You can view the discussion questions by clicking here.

June 6th – Meeting of the New England Synod Council on this date. Among several items of business will be a discussion of a draft of recommendations on Communion practices along with a review of recommendations for re-opening plans

June 10th – I will be sending out my letter of recommendations regarding the next steps in planning for re-opening as well as guidance around Holy Communion.

I hope this outline provides you with a clear path forward. Please know that we are not in normal times. Therefore, we need to anticipate the need to adjust our plans. Flexibility is no longer an option in the church, it is a requirement. 

With that in mind, let me be clear about the July 1 date..........

I have indicated not reopening until at least July 1. Please do not interpret this as a date when you will re-open. There is much we do not know about this virus still, and there are many considerations before that is an option. 

I appreciate your dedication to your work, your congregations, the well-being of all your members and the ongoing proclamation of the Gospel.

 Sincerely In Christ,

 Bishop James Hazelwood 

 

 

 

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Resources for our Worship in a Pandemic Conversations

This page contains links to various resources for the conversations in the New England Synod regarding the future of Worship in our Synod congregations. I’ve tried to offer some of the more thoughtful pieces that reflect a range of views.

Re-Opening Considerations

Considerations for Returning to In Person Worship provided by the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop

Video Resources

My Conversation with Bishop Guy Erwin on The Reformation, Sacraments & the Pandemic

Holy Communion in a Time of Isolation by Clay Schmidt and Melinda Quick

Online Communion by Clay Schmidt and Rick Bliese

Articles

Bishop Craig Satterlee Reflections on Communion for his Synod

Professor Dirk Lange Digital Worship & Sacramental Life in a Pandemic

Professor Deanna Thompson Christ is Really Present Virtually

Gordon Lathrop & Timothy Wengert Holy Communion under Quarantine

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It's not the Same Church we had in January


To the People of the New England Synod,

Way back in January we had church life. That model of church life consisted of a building with a paid staff, in-person gatherings, people shaking hands, sharing food, singing, hugging, and programs for various age groups. Some of us have only known that model of church life, and we’ve been lamenting as we’ve witnessed the struggle to maintain it. I now call that model of church life the January Church, because it was last in January when we experienced it fully.

Much has changed since then, and every day brings more transition.

The purpose of this letter is to set the stage for what’s next in two areas, Reopening and Worship.

This letter is longer than usual. Be forewarned.

Reopening

It is clear that re-opening is going to be a slow and gradual process involving some careful planning. This will require congregations to be flexible and adaptive because change will be the consistent theme going forward. In some ways, I believe reopening will be more challenging than the decision to close. 

Considerations for planning your re-opening

1.     Recognize that re-opening is not going back to normal. The church we all remember, what I call the January Church, is something we will not be returning to any time soon. If you view re-opening as an attempt to get back to the model of church, as usual, I believe you will be continually frustrated. We must understand the need for grace and patience with one another as we all attempt to discover Christ in new ways.

2.     Follow the guidance of your state’s governor and health officials. New England Synod congregations are located in seven different states. While some states are acting in coordination with one another, this will not be the case throughout our region. In addition, I would not anticipate a great deal of specificity in the guidance for houses of worship. There are multiple reasons for that, including concerns about first amendment matters. While there may not be specific recommendations regarding houses of worship, look carefully at plans for schools (elementary through high school), since they are most similar to churches in their dynamics, for instance, people traveling from regional proximity, sitting in rows, gathering for food, interacting socially, etc. My advice is to watch the guidance for schools and translate that application to church life.

3.     Recognize that a phased re-opening is probably your best scenario. As an example, Rhode Island has a current limit of 5 persons gathering and anticipates a process that will increase to 10, then to 15, then to 50. How will your congregation adapt to this type of model? I think a phased re-opening might look like this:

Phase 1 – When your state indicates a likely date for relaxing the quarantine, ask yourselves, “What’s most in need of attention?” One way to answer this question is to consider the most vulnerable and those who are grieving. Maybe it’s best to look at some social ministry that has been curtailed, such as a food pantry, before considering worship. In addition, if your congregation has had multiple deaths, perhaps attending to grief via memorial services is an appropriate first priority. The larger point is, don’t try to do everything all at once.

Phase 2 – As the next level of quarantine is relaxed in your state, begin conversations about how your congregation might be able to come together in smaller configurations. Not everyone will want to nor should they want to gather publicly, but some people are eager to have some in-person contact. One congregation might consider a gathering of its shepherding groups where six or so people meet. If you have the capability, perhaps that first meeting could be outside. In other words, think of Phase 2 as an intermediary step, think small. Also, think of those not able or desirous of an in-person gathering, how will you continue to attend to them?

Phase 3 – If your state officials relax restrictions to larger group gatherings, ask yourself how this might be done. A favorite question of mine these days is: What’s doable? Following the Rhode Island guidance, this means groups of 50 could gather together. If you have a smaller congregation this might work. But if you are in a larger congregation, does that mean you need to have multiple worship services or staggered attendance plans? In this phase, you’ll also need to consider ways you will attend to the expectations of sanitizing your building. Additionally, are you continuing an online presence as well? How will you do this simultaneously? One church is considering plans for an in-person gathering on Sundays, but then an online gathering on Wednesdays. Are you now asking your pastor, administrator, musicians, and others to do twice as much work? Have you considered partnering with another church to share these responsibilities and more evenly distribute the workload?

Whether you use this concept or another, I urge you to recognize that this will be a gradual re-opening. You should also plan for the inevitable “two-steps forward, one-step-back” scenario. Several health officials have indicated we may have times when the virus spreads quickly and we may need to restrict our activities again. How will you plan for this possible return to Phase 1?

The reality is: this is hard. We are trying to balance a concern for health and safety with a desire to connect again. Take it slow; go one step at a time and recognize not everyone is ready to make the same step at the same time, so allow for flexibility.

Resources

There have been many resources published elsewhere that may help in your planning for re-opening, and I’ve listed some below. This is not an exhaustive list, but some comprehensive ones.

A Plan for Returning to Church by the Wisconsin Council of Churches – This resource also makes use of a phased approach, as well as raising important considerations around actual worship practices. Again, remember to always be aware of your own state’s health officials’ recommendations.

Coming Back Together by the Three ELCA Synods in Texas – The three ELCA synods in Texas and Louisiana have produced this guide. Since that part of the country has chosen to re-open sooner than New England, we can look to their experience. I’ll be in touch with my colleagues there to learn from them as they go through this process. 

Opening Up Again – This is a document produced by the Federal Government that contains helpful information. It also uses the phased opening approach. This document contains important reminders about health and safety protocols.

Throughout this time of the pandemic, I ask your patience with one another. Do not rush decisions. Be mindful of decisions that you make for all your constituents, as well as for longer-term implications

Worship for the Long Haul

I have been impressed with how rapidly you have adapted to the new reality of worship and congregational life in these times. The widespread use of online worship, Bible Studies, fellowship hours, and meetings using a variety of technologies is admirable. We are all still beginners in this work, learning as we go. Like toddlers learning to walk, we spend a fair amount of time falling down. But that’s how we learn. That’s ok.

As I’ve learned more and more about this disease and the likely trajectories of its impact on society, I’m realizing the need to begin making plans for the long haul. The commonly articulated time frame of 12-18 months before we achieve some semblance of broad public safety via a vaccine, credible treatments, and levels of herd immunity is a sobering timeline. Some have noted that timeline might be a best-case scenario. In light of this, I think we need to look at questions around the future both near term and long term of the church. For now, let’s discuss our worship life together. 

There is clearly a need for us to think and plan for ongoing changes in worship life, chiefly around questions of online worship and some practices which have always been in-person such as Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, Ordination, weddings, and funerals. How do we navigate the terrain of a three-legged stool of theological understandings, pastoral needs, and technological innovation? While some have chosen a quick-fix approach, I’ve not wanted to go that route for multiple reasons, which I have previously described. I’m grateful to the pastors, deacons, and congregations of this synod for their patience in honoring my request that we refrain from an impulsive decision to engage in various practices around Holy Communion.

However, I do think the time has come for us to dive more deeply into this subject. I am choosing a harder path in the hopes that the outcome will yield a more thoughtful decision. That path is to engage as widely as possible in a series of discussions on our practices of worship in these times. 

We will begin with a series of discussions at the conference level with pastors and deacons. Then, we will introduce an opportunity for congregations to engage in similar discussions. There will be resources made available in both written, audio and video formats. These will be small digestible pieces that address the topic at hand. The full details of this approach are in development and will be available next week.

My goal in all this is two-fold: 1. to deepen our understanding of the sacraments, and 2. to help provide for informed decisions as we move into a new way of being church.

I could choose to simply write you all a letter, tell you what I think, and be done with it. That seems easier and briefer but does not honor your gifts, intelligence and faithfulness. I’m choosing the harder way, but I believe the end result will be more broadly embraced. I will have more information and details next week, and you’ll actually have tools to put in people’s hands next Wednesday.

Finally, a brief word on the “big picture.” I think we are in a time of transition. I don’t fully understand it, but I sense that these are times of significant cultural and spiritual transformation. If you are interested in exploring this with me, I’m having a series of Wednesday evening Zoom discussions starting next week. More information on that is here.

Once again, thank you for all you are doing. I’m witnessing so many examples of congregations, 

places of ministry, and individuals rising to the challenges. We are demonstrating to those around us that Christ is alive in the people of our synod. My confidence in the present and the future of this church continues to rise as each day I hear about Lutherans being the hands and feet of Jesus.

Sincerely in Christ,

Bishop Jim Hazelwood