Atlantic District Publications

Letters from the President - Making the Partnership Personal

July 20, 2010 at 10:36 PM


As the tensions and expectations are heightened in this week prior to the national convention of the Missouri Synod, the dynamics of the apostolic leadership of Peter and Paul are of great assistance in keeping the Body of Christ focused on its primary responsibilities.  Peter expresses our own heart-and-soul-deep expression of faith that suffuses all our actions, doesn’t he – “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”  Yes!  That is what I believe and know.  That is what has been placed in my heart by the power of Holy Baptism.  That is what WE, together, confess in its most basic form.  And that confession is Rock-solid and extends from and to the farthest reaches of heaven and hell.  Nothing can beat that truth down.  Nothing.  Christ remains.  Our anchor holds.

At the same time, Paul helps us to understand that our destiny, to be in and with Christ forever, involves us in active engagement with the principalities and powers not only at life’s end, but every day in bringing the joy of Jesus to human hearts.

So, as we prepare to distribute 30 awards totaling over $300,000 to a hundred and fifty of you gathered here today, here’s the question – why did I make you come here?  We could have sent you the check.  We could have wire transferred the money – after all it’s the 21st century.  So why did I make you show up here in person this morning.  Good question.
 
Peter and Paul can help us answer it.  Remember, these are two apostles who were on the move.  They started things, they oversaw their new missions and they kept on going.  So they both wrote letters.  Lots of letters.  Stacks and stacks of letters.  Now if say, Resurrection Flushing received a letter from me, what would happen to that letter?  It would go in the files at …..Resurrection, Flushing, right Jerry Reinert?  And how many other churches would look at it – none!  It’s yours and it’s in your files.

That is NOT what happened with the letters Peter and Paul wrote.  As they went out to Corinth, or Ephesus, or Philippi, the people who read them SHARED them, held them as important and SHARED them.  So a couple of things happened.  First the stories of those people in Corinth were known by the folks in Philippi, who no doubt went “Well, at least we’re not as bad as them!”  But who no doubt then went, “You know what?  We need to pray for those people in Corinth.  We need to help them in any way we can.”
 
That sharing of the apostolic truth, and of the resources of the communion of saints, is what empowered the movement called the Early Christian Church.  It IS the “koinonia,” the Fellowship, of the Holy Spirit.  And because of their sharing WE have the stories and beliefs related through the apostles Peter and Paul to guide us as Holy Scripture today.

Can we do any less than they?  Can and should we not be here together today to celebrate your Spirit-driven plans and dreams?  Can and should we not multiply our human, financial and ministry resources by being here in person?  Peter and Paul are up there apostolically cheering us on in our witness to the living Christ who has mercy on us every day for our shortcomings and every day sends us renewed out into the world.  “Go for it – TOGETHER!”  they cry. 

And so we shall!