Written by Brenna Zeimet

As I reflect on this event, I am awash with a sense of expectant hope. As I wandered the tables and listened to conversations and sat one to one talking with folks, I was struck by how much has changed in such a short time. 

The conversations have changed from questioning what we’re doing here and what this is all about, to finding deep connection with the neighbor’s story and searching for a place in the narrative of the community. Where do we fit? What should we be paying attention to? Who do we need to be to meet our neighbor where they are today? It was no longer a skeptical questioning of this process or a planning session for new programs, this community has begun to fall in love with the people around them and that love is driving change in our worldview and our identity as the Church. We are changing as we adapt to the heartbeat of God for people.

I am excited about what this season of Interpretation will bring as we dig deep into the beliefs and assumptions that drive our actions. We will examine how our worldview brings hope and where it causes harm or puts up barriers to authentic and vulnerable relationship. These teams are ready to engage this intense and transformative work, and the health that will flow from this time will bring change to our churches and our neighborhoods.

At our last learning event Kristina Fruge shared a letter with our RIH community to open our space both online and in person. It was written with inspiration from her friend Lauren out in Spokane, WA. It was a beautiful way to open and close our event and there are invitations she names that are good reminders on how we can create places of belonging for all our neighbors. We share it with you in hopes that it will continue to nourish your soul as you embark on this work of being neighbor in the world in the midst of all the feelings of being human. 

Dear neighbor,

This letter is your invitation. You may have already RSVPed to show up today, but this letter and these words are your invitation to be present and to participate in this gathering – to give what you have to offer and likewise to receive the gifts of others in this community. 

You are invited today, neighbor, to show up with all of you. No need to leave anything at the door today.  Our time together will include exploring the artform of interpretation. This means we will take time to wonder about the realities that shape our understanding of the world around us. This means your experiences, your stories, the places you are from, the people who have shaped you, and the realities and relationships that are currently demanding your attention, truly matter. 

Are you bringing sadness with you today? You are invited. 

Are you bringing joy with you today? You are invited.

Are you bringing worry about the uncertainties of the future – of your own, your congregation’s, your community’s, this planet’s? You are invited. 

Are you bringing exhaustion or fatigue with you today? You are invited. 

Are you bringing compassion and hope with you today? You are invited. And if that’s you, don’t be shy to share a little with those of us who are running on low…

Are you bringing grief with you today? If so, you are invited. And may you be reminded that God’s presence is ever more close to you right now. So keep an eye out.

Each and everyone of you is invited to keep your eyes and ears and hearts open, expectantly on the look out for God’s activity among us. You are invited, just as you are invited to pay attention to all the parts of you that shape the lens you use to engage and understand the world. 

Thank you for saying yes to this invitation when it likely meant saying “no” to others. Welcome! Welcome to this time of sharing, of learning, of connecting. Welcome to this time of community. Your presence and participation today is what makes this community possible. And community makes all things possible. Yours truly, Kristina

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Greetings,

In the flow of our everyday lives, finding moments of peace to hear the quiet, divine whispers can be out of sight and out of mind. Today, I’m reaching out to share such a moment with you.

This is my invitation for you to join me in a quiet reflection on the profound connections between the sacred words of scripture and the intricate details of our personal journeys. As we consider how the living words of scripture, like fresh waters, bring vitality and clarity to our lives, let us pause and be present in the serenity of this understanding. Together, let’s explore how these deeper truths resonate within our own stories, guiding us towards deeper insights and a renewed spirit.

A devotion and Invitation to Reflect on Interpretation

Peace,

In my life there is this constant movement and noise, it’s sometimes very challenging to find moments of true stillness—moments where I can pause and be deeply present with the divine whispers that my busy day usually drowns out. Today, I am extending an invitation to you, an invitation to take a moment and journey with me into a reflection on interpretation; an exploration of how the sacred word intertwines with the intimate details of our personal stories.

Ezekiel 47:9, “Wherever the river flows, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.” This verse paints a picture of life and renewal—of water that revitalizes and sustains all that it touches. Like the river, the Spirit of God moves, flows, and brings life to all areas it reaches, including the heart.

I invite you to join me in nature, or any place where you can be still. Sometimes I sit quietly looking out my window and I let myself gently settle into myself. Relaxing the body and feeling the ground beneath you, listen to the subtle sounds around you, and simply watch what’s in front of your nose. Allow the initial rush of thoughts to digest, just let the mind do what the mind does- just like our digestive system works, the mind is a kind of its own mental digester; it doesn’t need you to do anything, just let the mental chatter chat away. As the mind is processing, let yourself be more and more in the moment, embracing the beauty, the sounds and feelings that are all around you. Come to a stillness.  

In this stillness, reflect on where God’s Word meets your life. Consider how the scripture from Ezekiel might be speaking into your circumstances. What fresh waters are being poured into your life? How is everything around you full of this potential for life and growth because of this divine flow?

This letter of devotion isn’t just about understanding words on a page; it’s about letting those words transform us as they connect with our personal and interpersonal experiences. It’s about recognizing the divine movement in both the extraordinary and the ordinary. As you sit in reflection, ask yourself: Where do I see the flow of God’s Spirit in my life? How does my story reflect the greater story that God is telling?

I hope this invitation will open a possibility for you to explore and deepen your understanding of how God’s living word continuously shapes and redefines our unfolding story. May you find fresh inspiration and renewed perspective as you reflect on the intersection of holy scripture and your wholly life.

In being still and knowing that I am,

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This most recent gathering on February 5, brought us back together to continue our vocational discovery work together by introducing the second artform of the public church framework – interpretation. Our current public safety realities prevented us from gathering together at Augsburg, but we still found meaningful connections during our online Saturday morning session. We learned some new technologies to enhance our online conversations and stayed cozy with hot chocolate, tea and the companion of our pets from home. We reflected on key themes congregations are hearing from their neighbors in their accompaniment work and we began to explore and name our key beliefs and theological convictions to aid our interpretive work. You can read more about what these interpretation questions sound like in  this blog post by Congregational Facilitator, Amanda Vetsch.

Our questions and conversations together set the table to begin wondering…

What does God’s story have to say about the stories we are hearing from our neighbors and vice versa?

How does what we are hearing from our neighbors connect to God’s hopes and dreams for our world, our neighborhood, and our neighbors?

Thinking theologically about the what’s going on in our corner of the world around us is a critical piece of discerning God’s call for each particular church in its unique place. The artform of interpretation isn’t reserved for pastors or scholars, it is for all of us. We interpret the world around us constantly, often subconsciously. But there is much to be learned and gained if we slow down and do this interpretation intentionally, through the lens of what we believe to be true about God. The Bible speaks of Jubilee – the abundant and life giving intentions God has for God’s creation – on earth as it is in heaven. Often our world delivers the opposite of jubilee. We call these things that disrupt jubilee oppression, insecurity, scarcity, division, harm and bad news. If the people of God are called to participate in the purposes of God, then our call is to figure out what Jubilee means here and now, with and for our neighbors. This is happens when we listen to our actual neighbors and wonder about their particular stories alongside of God’s story and promises to a creation intended for jubilee.

Elsa Tamez names the importance of this contextual, tangible call for understanding jubilee in the following quote:

“When one speaks of the jubilee, it is essential to have before one the concrete situation that one is experiencing: debts, poverty, unemployment, violence, discrimination, exclusion, conflicts, sorrow, dehumanizing consumerism, the lethargy of the churches. For the jubilee is the good news that supposedly puts an end to that reality of suffering and dehumanization. . . If we speak of jubilee in a generic sense, the injustice is hidden, and the jubilee loses its power and ceases to be jubilee.”

Dreaming from Exile: A Rereading of Ezekiel 47:1-12

by Elsa Tamez in Liberating Eschatology: Essays in Honor of Letty M. Russell (1999)

Listening for the particular ways our neighbors are experiencing bad news and putting those stories into conversation with the promises of God is how churches do theology. Its how we hold the text and context side by side, open to the work of Holy Spirit as she helps us understand what jubilee might look like, sound like, taste like, and feel like in ways speak real jubilee in the face of real life bad news.

Amidst our collective struggles with pursuing this call during heavy and challenging times, we are struggling forward, as one of our Congregational Facilitators, Geoffrey Gill has said. And we aren’t doing it alone. We are grateful for open and curious participants, engaged in the unfolding learning experiences. We trust God is up to good things in the midst of our efforts, doubts, curiosities, struggles, joys and prayers.

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In the second artform of the Public Church Framework, Interpretation, we move into listening to God’s story and we spend time articulating our faith community’s core biblical and theological commitments. 

How do we do it?

We’ve categorized interpretation into four different layers:

1. Identify the most important things we heard in accompaniment.
2. Identify our most important theological themes.
3. Connect what we heard in accompaniment with theological themes that are similar.
4. Ask ourselves how these theological themes help us understand what we heard in accompaniment and vice versa.

This blog post will focus on steps one and two, identifying the key themes from accompaniment and identifying the theological themes of our faith community.

1. Identify the most important things we heard in accompaniment.

• First, spend time as a team sharing about your experiences practicing accompaniment.
  • Who is our neighbor?
  • Who did you talk to? What did you hear?
  • How are our neighbors experiencing hope & joy?
  • How are our neighbors experiencing anxiety, fear and heartache?
  • What are our neighbors’ hopes, dreams and desires for our shared neighborhood?
  • Who cares about the things and people our faith community cares about?

• Second, what key themes are emerging as your team is sharing?

Additionally, it’s also possible that you are curious to hear from others in the neighborhood. We will continue to practice Accompaniment even as we’re adding in the next layer of the Public Church Framework, interpretation. Take note of any other people or places you want to hear from, and whose voices may be missing from the story.

2. Identify our most important theological themes.

There are two main questions we ask to help us begin to identify some of the theological themes that are most important to us.

What are some key components of the biblical narrative that shape our understanding of “God’s Story?”

What are our faith community’s core theological commitments?

For a variety of reasons, it may seem difficult to parse out your faith community’s theological themes or reflect on the biblical narrative. You may not want to make claims about what other people believe. You may feel like you don’t know the right words to talk about God. Your beliefs about who God is may be continuing to develop, deepen, change. For all of those reasons, and many more, this artform, Interpretation, may feel uncomfortable or scary. 

Here are some additional sets of questions that break those two bigger questions down into smaller ones. 

Additional Interpretation Reflection Questions

• What are some of your favorite bible stories? 
• What are some of your favorite hymns or songs? 
• What are some of your favorite names or images for God?
• What do this stories, songs, and names say about who God is and what God does? 

• How is the Biblical Narrative used (or not used) in our faith community? Why?
• What are some songs, art pieces, poems, or readings that this community thinks is important?
• What are the narratives that our faith community gathers around?
• What do they reveal about who this community is, or who this community wants to be?

• What are some of the shared values and commitments that this faith community holds?
• What do the ministries of our church reveal about what we believe is important to God?
• What does our churches budget reveal about what we believe is important to God?

You could use things like Mentimeter, Jamboard, Google Docs, or post-it notes to gather responses to these questions.

Manna and Mercy

Another resource that we used to help us reflect on the biblical narrative was Manna and Mercy, by Daniel Erlander. This book  a short summary of the narrative arc of the bible that highlights some  important themes, like God is relational, God is a God of abundance, God cares about justice. While each person and faith community in the project may have a different relationship with the Bible. And there may be a variety of ways that they use it (or don’t use it) in their congregational life together, the Bible has been one of the primary sources in the Christian tradition and because of that it influences how people understand who God is and how God acts. It directly, or indirectly, shapes our “God Story.”

To learn more about this book, and other related resources, check out their website at. This book and these questions are some ways to begin articulating who we believe God to be, and what we believe God does. There may be other ways to name these things as well! We’d love to hear from you if you’ve got other ways of naming your communities theological commitments.

What’s next?

After we’ve spent time reflection on the key themes of accompaniment, and we’ve begun to articulate our communities core theological beliefs, we begin to put those two in conversation with each other. First where do we see connections between them, and then second how do they help us understand each other.

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