We can get so cranky about the institutional church today as loyalty to such organizational structures continues to diminish. But this past weekend, as I attended our Synod Assembly (like a District, Diocese or Presbytery in other denominations), I fell in love with Jesus and my church more deeply. It’s not that I was out of love with either, but our human tendency is to look at and even seek out the mistakes, the failings, and the sins of our institutions. Of course, it’s true that brokenness exists in the church as in everything that human beings do alone and together. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we also bring remarkable gifts of grace, healing, and empowerment to people in need of all the gifts of God we are blessed to share.

That was the message of our Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, our special guest speaker at this gathering of pastors and lay leaders from Missouri and Kansas, as we observed the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Bishop Eaton is such a gift! So genuine, so humble, so real, and so passionate about the message that through the gift and grace of Jesus Christ, God sets us free—free to serve our neighbor generously, free to love God passionately, and free to live whole-heartedly.

I came away thinking that helping people fall in love with Jesus and with their church is the most powerful goal for every church-related gathering, be it our local council and committees, regional coalitions, or national gatherings. This is the effect Presiding Bishop Eaton has wherever she goes! Fall in love with how your church is sharing Jesus’ grace in the world! What we can do together as church is so remarkable, and so much greater than anything we accomplish alone.

God is working through us, even as sinful people; God is blessing the world through our churches, even as broken institutions. Hold fast to the big picture! We are reducing hunger in 63 countries through ELCA World Hunger! Lutheran Social Services is the largest social service agency in this country! We have over 240 missionaries in over 40 countries! We sent 79 women from 38 countries to the International Women’s Leader seminar in Germany! Lutheran Disaster Response is the last to leave communities affected by natural disaster whether it is an earthquake in Haiti or flooding in the Midwest; we accompany people until the job is done! The ministries go on and on!

At this assembly, we were reminded that the church does not have a mission in the world, but rather, God’s mission has a church in the world. Jesus sets us free and blesses us with all we need to accept this mission, and to carry it out with wholehearted generosity, faith, and love.

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