As we approach our 2024 Synod Assembly, I am filled with gratitude and anticipation for the time we will share together. Our theme, “Embody the Word,” reminds us to reflect on how we live out our faith as a collective body of Christ, not only at assembly but in our daily lives as well.

These assemblies are a rare and precious opportunity for us to gather, conduct the important business of our synod, and most importantly, to sing, pray, and worship together. It is in these moments of communal worship and fellowship that we truly experience the presence of Christ among us. Many of us have wonderful memories of connecting with someone at an assembly gathering whom we never would have met otherwise.

Our assembly verse this year, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12), celebrates the unity and diversity within our synod. Each of us brings unique gifts and perspectives to the church, and together, we embody the fullness of Christ’s body. 

Our synod is uniquely large and diverse, encompassing all of Arizona, the southern half of Nevada, St. George Utah, and the Navajo Nation. This vast area reflects the wide variety of experiences and contexts in which we live out our faith, which we vividly see when we come together at our assemblies and spring and fall gatherings.

I invite you to join me in a spirit of gratitude for this time together and to prepare our hearts and minds for the work and worship ahead. Let us take a moment to pray:

Gracious God, thank you for bringing us together as one body in Christ. Guide us with your wisdom and fill us with your Spirit as we gather for our Synod Assembly. Open our hearts and minds as we discern our paths forward. Amen.

I look forward to seeing you at the assembly and witnessing how we, as one body, embody the Word in our actions and in our lives.

In Christ’s service with you,

The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA