Today has been a whirlwind of a day. When I awoke this morning and began my usual routine of taking the dogs out for their "constitutional" followed by a brisk five mile walk at the gym, I had no idea that by the end of the day Mark Hanson would not be re-elected as presiding bishop of our denomination.
Though I am thankful for the prayer and discernment that took place these past few days among 950 voting members at our Churchwide Assembly in Pittsburgh, and I believe that Elizabeth Eaton will serve God's people with faithfulness and passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that she is who the Holy Spirit is calling at this time to lead us, I cannot help but wonder what Mark is doing this evening, on the back side of not being re-elected.
There were no scandals, no "black marks" on his ministry. Mark Hanson was a faithful bishop with the heart of a pastor whose love and patience gently guided our denomination through turbulent yet courageous waters of breaking down the barriers of race, gender, socio-economic class and sexual orientation.
When following the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, hundreds of ELCA congregations left our denomination, Mark's voice could be heard reaching out to those who were leaving, assuring them that there is a place at the table for all of us and that our unity at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ far surpasses the issues of human sexuality that divide us. Mark Hanson's passion to include all at the table of God's grace has profoundly inspired my love for this church and for the people whose lives this church touches each and every day.
I am deeply thankful that twelve years ago, Mark answered God's call to step out in front and lead this denomination called the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Twelve years ago when Mark was called to the office of presiding Bishop, my ministry was in a very different place than it is today. My faith was teetering. I was directionless. I was having a hard time seeing Jesus in the church. Was I just a weekly dispenser of safe Jesus jargon? Was I just an entertainer having to worry about losing people's attention if my sermons ran too long? Was the church even relevant in the world anymore?
Then along came Mark Hanson, whose passion for justice and mercy in the world, opened my eyes to a different view of the church: A public church. In the style of the prophet Amos, Mark stood with other church leaders forming a "circle of protection" around the poor and the hungry, when those we elected to public office were trampling the needy and exploiting the poor. Mark courageously reminded those in power that the God he served was the God whose son was born in poverty and who lived for a while as an illegal alien.
Over these past 12 years, I have seen the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America come alive even as we have grown smaller in number. Though growth in the ELCA has not been wide, it has run deep. Jesus didn't say go out and make numbers. He said go out and make disciples. Followers of the One whose love knows no boundaries.
Thank you Bishop Hanson for embodying that reality. You have led this church to a good place. On November 1, Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will pick up where you have left off, leading us in the same direction but in new ways of loving God and loving our neighbor.
Thanks be to God!
