Last Day at Synod Assembly

I am writing this post in advance, since I'm not sure what my options will be while I'm at Synod Assembly.  By the time this post goes up, most of Synod Assembly will be over.  ELCA Lutherans from across the state of Florida and various Caribbean nations will have gathered and focused upon the question of who should be the next Bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod.

I wonder what answer will be emerging.  I've met plenty of people who could make a good Bishop.  As with being President of the U.S., I'm unsure of why anyone would want the job.

There may be other answers to emerge from Synod Assembly.  There's usually a session for people who are discerning a call.  If you've been reading my blog for very long, you know that there's a part of me that feels pulled toward ministry.  This year, I'll attend the session for people who feel called.  I'm sure there won't be a definitive answer, but I can at least get a handle on the process.

This will be my fifth Synod Assembly.  It may well be my last for awhile.  Of course, I say that every year.

Will I see people whom I know?  By now, I see people who look familiar, even if I don't know them, because we've been assembling for so many years.  I often see people whom I know from various Lutheridge connections.

For me, Synod Assembly is a bit like an academic conference.  There are usually some interesting sessions which make my brain perk up.

But it's also a bit like camp or college, where I realize that we're a group that won't be together long, and thus, I forge connections more quickly.

It's a bit like a creativity workshop, where I say, "Hey, I could do this myself.  Hey, I'd like to make something like that.  Wow, what if I took what they're doing with this thing and applied it to that thing?"

And it's a bit like the best church, with great worship opportunities.

I'll report more fully upon my return.