Nebraska Synod ELCA

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

—Ephesians 3:20–21—

Beloved in Christ,

This month, we bring our year of “Cultivating Love” to a close. Our Assembly theme for 2025 is “Imagine? Imagine! Imagine…” and I am excited to imagine with you in the months to come.

Paul’s word of praise which serves as our scriptural foundation for this year’s Assembly is both a word of promise and a word of challenge. We are reminded that God’s abundance doesn’t depend on our planning, effort, or resources alone, but neither are we called to wait passively – we have work to do! By the Spirit, we are part of something larger and more surprising than we can imagine on our own – but together, with the Spirit’s guiding, God’s church can faithfully live into its new future together.

Imagine? Yes!

We can be a church that tries new things. What’s possible for your church? Partner with a local full communion partner? YES! Make faith formation the work of the whole church and not one person? YES! Try something new that doesn’t work, but teaches you what might? YES! God is inviting us to experiment and grow. The churches of the Reformation are called to always be re-forming for the sake of the Gospel.

Imagine! WOW!

We are becoming something new; not because everything is settled or secure, but because God is moving among us in ways beyond our imagining. This is the Church That Is Becoming — flexible, relational, Spirit-led, grounded in the love of Christ. This is what brings us together to imagine what may yet be revealed to us, and to give thanks for what has been.

Imagine… A-HA!

Imagine a church that focuses on the good we can do in this moment, with whomever is present to be part of that work… Imagine a church that knows why the love of Jesus makes a difference, and is learning how to share that love in word and in action… Imagine a church that is brave enough to ask tough questions and grace-filled enough to risk bold answers with each other. Imagine a church that treasures our connections with each other, believing that we are truly one church, better together…

God is drawing us into all of this and more as we imagine together this year. I look forward to imagining with you, according to that wondrous power that is at work within us. We move forward together with faith and good courage, trusting in the One who is accomplishing immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

In gratitude and hope,
Bishop Scott

Questions to Ponder

1. What is life-changing at the heart of your Christian faith and in your church? What difference does Jesus make to you personally, to the life of your church, and to our world?^[1]
2. What do you imagine for the future of your church? For your faith? What might your next faithful steps toward that future be?

Prayer

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.^[2]

^[1] Zscheile, Binder, Pinkstaff. Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future. © 2023 Dwight Zscheile, Michael Binder, and Teresa Pinkstaff. p. 10.

^[2] Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 317. © 2006 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.