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The Afterglow of Convention

I’ve never written a blog before but I’ve also never been short of words, so I’ll just write and pray this missive will help you get to know me as we serve the Lord together in the LWML. 

My husband Scott and I arrived home Monday night with no travel issues. That was certainly not the case for many of you. I am enjoying, what I am calling, the afterglow of Convention. I am filled with the Holy Spirit, through His Word and Sacrament, and with the energy and love that comes from spending a week with women and men who love our Savior and seek His direction in their lives. But I also spent much time praying for those who had canceled and delayed flights, both coming to and returning home from Mobile, Alabama. 

In my home congregation, we are blessed with an LWML member, Jan Schmidt, who loves to write devotions and shares them with us each morning. The following is a part of her email sent upon arrival back home. I love her perspective and want to share it with you: 

For months over three thousand Lutheran women planned for and looked forward to gathering together in Mobile, Alabama for the LWML Convention “In Praise to the LORD!” But, once the sending service was over, our thoughts turned toward home — our families, our own beds, the familiar comfort of routine in our own homes. The first hint that we may not get home as planned came when we met a fellow traveler who said that flights going through Dallas were questionable due to bad weather. There had been women who got to the convention late because of bad weather and now it seemed hundreds would not return home as planned. 

Fortunately, we found out our flights were canceled before going to the airport and we were able to get a hotel room in Mobile and spend Sunday night in a bed! Some of the women, we heard later, ended up spending the night in the airport. For us, as I am sure was true for most of the women, the delay only intensified our longing for home. 

Until the Lord calls us home through death, we are stranded here on this sin-filled earth longing for home. We long for the promised new heaven and new earth where there will be no sin, no tears, no sickness. … and no delays as there will be no time! We long for the comforts of that home. But, praise be to God, while we wait, God has come to us! Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). While we are stuck in this “bad weather,” the Holy Spirit comes to us in Word and Sacrament and lives with and in us. It doesn’t make life perfect, but it makes life immeasurably better. 

Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus! Thank You, Jesus, for sending the Spirit. Thank You, Spirit, for making Your home with us until Your work on earth is done! 

And so, I hope you are experiencing the afterglow of this LWML Convention and find that travel delays only give us the opportunity to share Jesus’ love with those along the way. 

Today, and always, we are surrounded by God’s grace,

Debbie

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Engage, Encourage, Equip and Enjoy!

That’s been my theme over the past four years while serving you as LWML President. As you read this I am already in Mobile for our convention this week. Monday in Mobile, the Convention Planning Committee meets in the morning. In the afternoon, the Executive Committee will meet to review the Strategic Plan goals and objectives and then start their pre-convention meeting. Tuesday afternoon the rest of the Board of Directors comes in and the board meeting starts. Wednesday, the Board meeting continues and registration opens and the exhibit hall is set up with 70 exhibitors. Thursday convention begins in earnest!

Amidst all the hustle and bustle will be some times of difficult good by’s by the outgoing board members who have been together for four years — four years of changes, challenges, questions, answers, highs, lows, discouragement, encouragement, learning, discerning, diplomacy, tolerance, togetherness, appreciation. The list goes on and on. When we talk about LWML sisterhood, it is SO evident in the emotional bonding that takes place as we work together.

We have worked in order to serve Jesus. We are sinners, being perfect is not a job requirement in LWML. Our imperfections many times served to God’s Glory as He worked through imperfect women to achieve His purposes. We thank all our LWML sisters for their patience, flexibility, love, and encouragement over the past four years which you have given to us. It has been a privilege to serve LWML and Jesus.

I especially want to recognize and thank these outgoing LWML leaders who I’ve worked so closely with.

Michelle Zollinger, PR Director; Leslie Jaseph, Meeting Manager; Carol von Soosten, Strategic Plan Facilitator; Debbie Larson, VP of Organizational Resources; Kaye Wolff, VP Special Focus Ministries; Marilyn Schroeder, Treasurer; Rev. Robert Mundahl, Senior Pastoral Counselor.

Please continue to engage the women of our church in mission opportunities and the Word. Remember to encourage women, church workers, and missionaries. Equip yourselves with knowledge of missions and the Word of God. Enjoy your work for the Lord and let it put a smile on your face and in your heart.

Love, Patti

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them Ephesians 2:8-10.

Serve the Lord with Gladness!

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Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord

This past Sunday was the celebration of Pentecost. At our church we also had a blessing for all those going to convention in Mobile next week, June 20-23. It really fit together well. Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church and our convention, which is focused on spreading the Gospel worldwide. The logo for Mobile is a globe with a heart around it signifying God’s love for the people of the world and it converges right over Mobile, Alabama.

The poetry of our hymns is so rich! This particular hymn spoke to me as a prayer to the Holy Spirit. One that I plan to copy and use during convention preparations which will be crazy busy this week. I hope you will pray it with me and pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Mobile during convention, “In Praise to the LORD!”

Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord, with all Your graces now outpoured on each believer’s mind and heart; Your fervent love to them impart. Lord, by the brightness of Your light In holy faith Your Church unite; From every land and every tongue this to your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung: Alleluia, Alleluia!

Come, holy Light, guide divine, now cause the Word of life to shine. Teach us to know our God aright and call Him Father with delight. From every error keep us free; Let none but Christ our master be, that we in living faith abide, in Him, our Lord, with all our might confide. Alleluia, alleluia!

Come, holy Fire, comfort true, grant us the will Your work to do and in Your service to abide; Let trials turn us not aside. Lord, by Your power prepare each heart, and to our weakness strength impart that bravely here we may contend, through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend. Alleluia, alleluia!

LSB 497

Collect for Pentecost Eve

Almighty and ever-living God, You fulfilled Your promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to unite disciples of all nations in the cross and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. By the preaching of the Gospel spread this gift to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Patti