It's hard to believe that the summer is almost over. Children are returning to school and churches are gearing up for the start of the program year. I hope you had an enjoyable summer and are looking forward to the upcoming school year which begins for us on Rally Day, Sunday September 8th.
This summer has been memorable. In early June, I attended the New England Synod Assembly where we elected a new bishop. Rev. Nathan Pipho. Pastor Ryan and I were joined by Pastor Bill Carter, Meg Kraft, Greg Boyd, Bill Parchen, Naseema Masood, and Will Abbott as voting delegates, and Robert Abbott as a guest attendee. We had a fun time together, got to see friends from across New England, and learned a lot about the synod. In addition to the election of our new bishop, synod council members were elected: I was elected for a second term on synod council and our own Sarah Lindquist and Brooke Cody were elected as the synod’s young adult and youth representatives, respectively. Bishop Pipho officially began his call as bishop on August 1st and will be installed on Saturday September 7th. I look forward to welcoming him to St. Matthew at some point in the not so distant future to introduce him to our congregation.
Throughout the summer, St. Mathew enjoyed a variety of community events such as our annual church picnic to kick off the summer, a performance by Michael Kelly Blanchard in July as part of the Greenwood Concert Series, and opportunities to be together during worship and coffee hour. I was especially pleased with the opportunity we had to welcome Dr. Eben Alexander the first weekend of June. That Saturday evening, he shared a presentation about his near-death-experience to a room of over 100 people, both St. Matthew members and many neighbors from the community. The following morning, he joined us for worship and led our final Adult Forum of the program year during which our members had the opportunity for a more personal discussion with Dr. Alexander. I was honored to host him at the parsonage and feel very blessed to have spent a good deal of time with him that weekend. His story is inspiring, his enthusiasm is contagious, and his research on the relationship between science and spirituality is exciting and fascinating!
In late June, I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Virginia for the first ever Ligare conference, an organization dedicated to the conversation between Christianity and psychedelic-assisted therapy and spiritual practice. As many of you know, my doctoral dissertation focused on this topic. It was a privilege to be part of conversations with pastors, chaplains, therapists, and spiritual directors interested in this pioneering field. Dr. Bill Richards, whom I am lucky to call a mentor and friend, was the conference’s keynote speaker. Dr. Richards served on my dissertation committee and many of you met him when he presented at St. Matthew two years ago.
In the month of July, I attended the ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans with our youth group. It was an extraordinary event, something truly life-changing for our young people. This was the first Youth Gathering in six years; it is typically held once every three years but the last one was canceled due to Covid. The theme for the week was “Created To Be…” and each of the five days focused on how God has created us to be brave, authentic, free, disruptive, and disciples. In August, our youth shared a reflection during worship about their experiences on the trip. They all look forward to attending the next Youth Gathering, which will be in Minneapolis in 2027!
The summer was fun and full! And now, as the days grow cooler, I look forward to the coming season of autumn which comes with its own joys. We have a lot to look forward to! In September alone we get to experience Rally Day, enjoy Sarah Schiener-Redenz’s organ recital, celebrate Pastor Ryan’s Installation, and rejoin various ministry groups that took a break for the summer. This fall we’ll specifically be highlighting different ministries with Temple Talks and Adult Forums each week. We hope this gives you all an opportunity to learn more about the ways our congregation is a blessing to our members, our neighbors, and the world. It is a blessing to be with you all at St. Matthew, and I am excited to see where God will lead us as continue to be the Body of Christ together.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Brian
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