CWA Reflection: Rev. Christine Stoxen

We continue our series of weekly reflections on the 2022 Churchwide Assembly with thoughts from Pastor Chris Stoxen of Holy Trinity Lutheran in Chandler. Each week we will share a 2022 CWA reflection on how we are church together by our synod voting members. View all our 2022 CWA posts here.

While I could talk about a variety of things that touched me about Churchwide Assembly, including Worship, Ecumenical Partner Presentations, the offering of an Apology to a community that we hurt, I think the most influential experiences I had were with the community of believers and the relationships that were built.

One of the musicians who played for the assembly worship, was a man named Dayvin Hallmon. I met Dayvin at the Airport at 11:00 PM on Sunday night waiting for the bus to take us from the airport to the hotel. Throughout the time at the assembly, I was blessed by his playing of the Clarient, Viola and Flute! Occasionally, I would connect with him after worship and in the hallways. As I was leaving, as God would have it, Dayvin, from Milwaukee, was sitting at the gate across the way. Dayvin began to tell me more about himself as we waited for the plane. Dayvin had formed a group called the Black String Triage Ensemble. Whenever there’s a shooting, Dayvin Hallmon turns to his violas and violins and an all-volunteer Black and Latinx orchestra in Milwaukee and plays music at crime scenes to help the community grieve and heal. I was touched by this ministry and his story and we have even talked about him to coming to the congregation I serve, Holy Trinity, to play.

There were many other relationships I made at churchwide, and some friendships I reignited, that made the churchwide assembly come to life. (I think in the ELCA there is one degree of separation...or maybe two). Lutherans are a diverse group of individuals living out our calls in the places where we reside, with the gifts that we have been given. What an opportunity to be able to experience this diversity in Columbus, Ohio.