Dear Partners in Mission:

Last week marked the first time in several years we had a fall rostered/authorized leaders continuing education retreat. It was a very good time to be together to worship, learn from one another, and share fellowship. I am grateful to our Bishop’s Associate the Rev. Kelsey Fitting-Snyder and her team who put this opportunity together.

Being together reminded me of times in the past that we have had events and how these have changed over time, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our patterns of gathering and meeting have changed as has our world. We have become as a society more divided and divisive in our politics. Leaders spend more time talking about their political opponents flaws than laying out solutions.

This reflection reminded me of January 2021 and our online tri-synodical gathering for leaders focusing on the thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In particular Bonhoeffer as a Lutheran and public figure. Part of that learning was his clear thought on the relationship of the church and the state. How they provide balance and checks for one another. The church has a role and is not to attempt to create a theocracy, gaining political authority. The state also has a role to provide good government and should not attempt to manage or manipulate the church.

However, when either one fails to do its job it is the proper role to hold one another accountable. This is the situation we find ourselves in today. The failure of our national government to find a solution to fund its obligations, resulting in a shutdown, has caused harm to the people of our nation. This harm is being done while leaders point fingers at one another in an unbalanced debate, one party controls the Executive Branch and both Houses of Congress, about who is to blame.

As of November 1st vital nutrition benefits like SNAP are cancelled or underfunded. For those of us in Texas our state has an “Economic Stabilization Fund” of over $28.5M, much of which is undesignated and could be used to ensure nutrition benefits are not denied. These benefits also bring economic value as they enable the purchase of produce and other agricultural products that support our farming families.

Over 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits. If you do not believe you personally know of anyone receiving these benefits you probably do, but the stigma of receiving assistance keeps them from revealing it. Our churches are stepping into the breach again, as they do every month. At Good Shepherd in Irving where the synod office is located we as synod staff see the daily need and the hard work this parish puts into their food pantry and feeding ministries. Service multiplied in congregations across our synod and the entire church.

In so doing we fulfill our biblical mandate to feed the hungry in our midst. We expect the same of our elected leaders and to provide accountability is the right and proper work of the church today.

#InMissionTogether,

Bishop Gronberg