¹I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: ⁴ there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

The early church gathering in Ephesus faced challenges. They were floundering in the tension between the societal structures around them and following Jesus. Paul addresses them with encouragement in the form of a reminder of their calling. They were called by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. That same Spirit gathered them into community, guided and empowered them, and made them righteous in the sight of God. The reality of being the Church, the community of believers in Christ, supersedes any human paradigm.

Recently, a respected colleague posted a lament concerning the challenges present in the church today. Citing decreasing attendance and financial support as well as changing attitudes of people regarding the functional and cultural relevance of the church in society and in families, he posed a question regarding the activity of the Holy Spirit in the church today.

Is the Holy Spirit still active in the church today? Yes, I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit continues to “call, gather, enlighten, and make holy the whole Christian Church.” (Luther, Small Catechism, Article 3) I also recognize that it does not have to look the same as it did in the past. It is reasonable to expect the Holy Spirit can adapt to any challenges to “call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the whole Christian Church.” It is unreasonable to expect the Holy Spirit to sanction any construct that limits or prohibits God’s activity.

Paul’s reminder to the Ephesians still applies to us today. Our calling as children of God supersedes all else. Though the particulars of our challenges may differ from the congregation in Ephesus, we also flounder in the tension between societal constructs and our identity as disciples. As we live in that tension, we pray for the wisdom, strength, and courage of the Holy Spirit. During this time of ‘Holy Experiment,’ we have been discerning the opportunities the Spirit has in store for us.

The elected leadership at Henrytown, Mabel First, and Scheie Lutheran have committed to exploring adaptive paradigms for the sake of the Gospel. This summer, we will be intentionally exploring options to formalize a mutually beneficial agreement between the three congregations. We continue to ask for your prayers and input.

Our mutual calling is to proclaim Christ in this time and place. By the power of the Spirit, we face the challenges of our context together. The hope of this calling relies on “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

The Spirit continues to work in and among us. God sends the Holy Spirit will guide us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which” we “have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Amen.