Orlando - Day 5

It's hard to believe that the assembly is drawing to a close. The day began with a breakfast meeting around immigration and refugees. It's hard to imagine that the Lutheran churches of all stripes first came together for mission after World War II to address the situation of Lutheran refugees in Europe.

After breakfast, the focus of the plenary session, both in the morning and the afternoon, was on the Social Satetement on Genetics and the numerous memorials that have been brought to the assembly for consideration. Having a committee of 1,025 made the process difficult at times, but I appreciated the end results. There is still more work to be done tomorrow. I was impacted by the number of people who spoke in favor of the social statement on genetics as being a real sign of hope. There was the woman with stage four cancer, the farmer from Iowa, and the genetic scientist each saying how proud they were of our church taking a stand. Their witness may me consider the social statement more carefully. The memorials also brought forward the voices of many people who feel forgotten in our times from those who are bullied, to native Americans, to our Islamic neighbors, to undocumented children. These individuals put a face and story to the actions we were taking. I will share those decisions when I return home.

Along with the legislative activity, their was still time for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. I had a wonderful lunch with my friend Gary Wollersheim and his wife Polly, who I haven't seen since seminary. It was good to catch up, share pictures of grandchildren, and talk about the joy of ministry. In the evening, the New Jersey delegation went out for dinner together to enjoy each others company and talk about the assembly. Oh course, we went to an Italian restaurant. All in all, it was another full and rewarding day. We will meet one more time in plenary session tomorrow morning, close with communion, and board our flights for home. It's been an incredible experience, but I will be glad to be home.

Peace,
Pastor Summer