What We Value

This past Sunday afternoon, the synod gathered to celebrate the ordination of Luanne Bettisch. There had not been a lot of advance notice for this service so I was curious to see how well the service would be attended. Add to that the location of the service, Prince of Peace in Freeport, which is not central to the synod. A final fact to consider, this was the Second Sunday of Easter, traditionally a low Sunday and a vacation Sunday for many pastors.

As it turned out, there were lots of people. From where I sat, I could see the congregation to my left and my rostered colleagues directly across from me. Of course, there were many people there who have direct connections to Lu. But, there were also many who had never met the ordinand. This brought to mind the list of values that the synod staff uses when talking with rostered leaders who are considering coming to the Northern Illinois Synod, particularly number 4, which our bishop states as "Go to stuff!"

In the Northern Illinois Synod a rostered leader is expected to:

1. Practice the faith and spiritual disciplines
2. Love the Lutheran Church
3. Have an attitude of humility and servanthood recognizing the church’s call as God’s call to ministry
4. Participate in the life of the church
5. Be a missional leader advocating for and engaging in God’s mission
6. Maintain healthy boundaries and balance in ministry and life
7. Be committed to individual and corporate Biblical stewardship practices
8. Engage in critical thinking and continuing education

That's not a bad list for any disciple of Jesus. All who gathered this past Sunday were participating in the life of the wider church. I was blessed in the experience and I trust that everyone else was too.

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/ or comment on Facebook. Pictured from left to right, Pastor Michael Thomas (sponsor), Pastor Lu Bettisch (ordinand), Bishop Gary Wollersheim, Pastor Mary Ann Moller Gunderson (sponsor). --JC