by Bishop Bill Gohl
The last few weeks, my blog posts have taken on a life of their own. Starting with "I want to be clear," that particular post has been shared literally hundreds of times, and it has been viewed more than 10,000 times. Unbeknownst to me, ReconcilingWorks took notice and made a video promotion for it. Last week, "What can we do?" didn’t get as much attention, but the “mail” – phone calls, emails, texts, Facebook messages, and letters – from these weekly blog posts have been surprising.
Admittedly, the progression from cute pictures of my kids on the first day of school, to a sense of my morning prayer commitments, to confronting realities of this new ministry was a fairly quick escalation; on the other hand, “life is not all rainbows, unicorns, and kittens,” as a trusted mentor often reminds me. That same mentor, when I whine about how people can sometimes be mean-spirited toward me, is quick to say, “Bill, if you want everyone to like you, sell ice cream. Ministry, done well, will always tick someone off.”
Ultimately, these posts are intended to be windows, a way for you to gain a peek into this ministry we share, and this bishop who represents you in the different geographies and places of ministry of our Delaware-Maryland Synod. They are to cultivate the relationship among pastor and people, bishop and synod.
Today, I will return from my first meeting with the Conference of Bishops. It has been an eye-opening learning experience. This church in its rich diversity does amazing ministry bringing the life-changing love of God in Jesus Christ into every corner of the world. I feel somewhat overwhelmed by the creativity and faithfulness across every expression of the church: congregations and ministry partners, synods, regions and the churchwide organization. Some of that ministry makes sense to me, and it easily translates as a resource in our context; other things seem a bit, how do you say, “out there” and wouldn’t make sense to me or our context – but the faithfulness and creativity is no less real.
All of these things are reminders to me that we are called to be witnesses. Each of us has a responsibility to give witness to our baptismal life and Christian faith, even when it causes criticism or pushback.
What shall I cry?
Being bishop, I’ve learned quickly, is a fairly vulnerable place and a splendidly exposed position. And the conversations can get pretty “hot” – even among friends and our synod family.
But vulnerability and witness are so much a part of our faithful Christian discipleship. It’s not that I know best, nor should my voice always prevail; it’s about leveraging power, privilege, and public ministry to expand the conversation and in so doing, empowering all of us to be witnesses for Christ.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31
We’re on the way together,