Bishop Hutterer: Holy Ground
“I believe, dear Lord, help my unbelief.”
Photo by Karl Magnuson on Unsplash
You do not have your faith once and for all. The faith that you confess today with all your hearts needs to be regained tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, indeed, every day anew. We receive from God only as much faith as we need for the present day. Faith is the daily bread that God gives us. You know the story about manna. This is what the children of Israel received daily in the desert. But when they wanted to store it for the next day, it was rotten. This is how it is with all the gifts of God. This is how it is with faith as well. Either we receive it daily anew or it rots. One day is just long enough to preserve the faith. Every morning it is a new struggle to fight through all unbelief, faintheartedness, lack of clarity and confusion, anxiety and uncertainty, in order to arrive at faith and to wrest it from God. Every morning in your life the same prayer will be necessary. I believe, dear Lord, help my unbelief.
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sermon to Confirmation Students, April 9, 1938
Last month, Intern Jen Smith organized an event open to the public, through the Northeast Valley Conference and hosted by Living Water Lutheran in Scottsdale. Dr. Andy Root, a Luther Seminary professor, shared a presentation on passing on the faith in a secular age. He noted that the church is in a time of struggle. Technical solutions will not help us find our way forward. Getting our theology right is not the answer. The faithful church is ministering to one another and to the world. Faithfulness calls us to engage the question, “Where is God in the midst of this moment or situation?” In those types of conversations we find ourselves on holy ground.
As I approach the end of my Lenten journey, I see the Grand Canyon Synod has many places of holy ground. I have experienced holy ground when in conversation with candidates hoping to enter seminary and with candidates near graduation, waiting to interview with a congregation.
I am on holy ground when I visit our various congregations to preach, preside, meet church leaders, and participate in conversations in special congregation meetings.
One example of a holy conversation was with Mount of Olives, Phoenix, as they voted to accept an offer from Urban Housing Solutions for $3.5 million for their propery. This group, which is new to Phoenix but has experience in Dallas, fills a niche for those underserved. Urban Solutions will build workforce housing (affordable or low-income) and name it Mount of Olives Village. It would include up to 150 high quality 1-, 2-, & 3-bedroom units built with internet access for all, energy conscious development and concern for security. The village would also include the Mount of Olives Community Center, which would offer Veteran, GED, and after school programs. The Olive Branch of Hope food bank and thrift store may continue with designated space in the Community Center.
I experienced holy ground at California Lutheran University when I was a part of the installation and worship for President Lori Varlotta in February. It was a grand celebration.
I was on holy ground in Chicago when the Conference of Bishops met face-to-face for the first time in two years. The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center facilitated some challenging conversations on our first day of retreat, and Crossroads led the Conference in anti-racism training on the second day.
A holy ground experience was my visit to Casa de la Misericordia when four of us (my husband Alan, and two retired pastors) were guided across the border by Pastor Mateo Chavez and his wife, Annette. There we saw the continued expansion of the shelter for those escaping trauma and violence as they await their US interview. The shelter received an award for humane treatment of migrants, the only award given by the government to this point and time. The GCS is a part of this ministry through our partnership with the Episcopal Dicoses and the UCC.
The Office of the Bishop launched Synod on the Move this year. It is our hope to travel as a group to an area every 4-6 months to meet and preach at local congregations. In January, we were in the Las Vegas area. Last week, I spent one day in the East Valley and Friday through Sunday in Tucson and Green Valley. I was joined by Pastors Pat Reed and Jacqui Pagel. There were many holy conversations with active and retired rostered ministers, preaching at Santa Cruz, Mount Zion and Abounding Grace. Our group ended Sunday at Desert Hills in Green Valley, where I installed Pastor Mike Sager.
Our Synod, the Office of the Bishop team, and I have been engaged in a variety of activities always guided by our mission: Communicate Jesus, connect people and create possibilities.
The call to serve as bishop is strange, beautiful, hard, surprisingly difficult, joyful, and complex. I have never been bored and I look forward to most days. I’m grateful for the confidence the Grand Canyon Synod has placed in me to do this work as best as I know how to do. I have always believed ministry is a team sport and I am grateful for this team—including each of you. It is together, by the grace of God and the gift of faith, that we find our way forward.
It is this gift of faith that propels me forward, trusting this is God’s church. So I pray each day, “I believe, dear Lord, help my unbelief.”
Grateful for how God works through you to bless the world,
The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA
