“Brothers and sisters, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus, 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. … For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his house become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it’ and ‘Let another take his position of overseer.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.- Acts 1:16-17, 21-26
The New Jersey Synod Assembly begins this coming Thursday, June 5, and runs through noon on Saturday, June 7. Many things happen at a Synod Assembly each year, and this year is no different. We hear many different ways that the Synod and the ELCA as a whole work together to witness to God’s work in the world in ways that a single congregation could not do on its own. We also celebrate the ministries of individual congregations that help us to inspire one another, recognizing the challenges of our times and that we are not alone in striving to engage authentically in God’s mission for us. St. Matthew will certainly be present at the Assembly this year, not only through members participating but also in recognition of the ministry of this congregation this year. St. Matthew will be recognized as an anniversary congregation, with pictures of the congregation in action over the years shared with the Assembly. The several projects that we have done as part of the Bishop’s Challenge this year to promote ecologically-centered practices will also be celebrated.
Along with all of those important topics, the biggest focus of the Assembly this year is the election of a new bishop. Bishop Bartholomew has completed her second 6-year term and is not seeking a third. There will be a new bishop. There is a great deal of conversation around the synod about what to look for in a bishop for the times we are in, and who might be the right person to fill that role. There is no clear-cut favorite or even a list of candidates. Over three days, though, a new bishop will emerge. We use what is called “ecclesial balloting,” where there are up to five rounds of voting. The first ballot is nominations so any ordained pastor in the ELCA can be nominated. The second ballot includes all who accept being nominated. The third ballot will be the top 7 vote-receivers on the second ballot. If needed, the next round has three candidates, and the fifth round has two. Each round has a certain percentage of votes needed to be elected.
This method can seem strange and somewhat arbitrary, as much so as the disciples casting lots to see who would become the replacement 12th disciple to replace Judas. Yet just as they trusted the Holy Spirit in selecting Matthias in this way, we hold that the Holy Spirit is involved in this process. Recently I was having a discussion about these sorts of elections with a faithful Muslim man, and he asked if we truly believe that God determines the outcome of these ecclesial elections. I explained that it is not that any one person can sense what God’s will might be or receives direct revelation of what God wants to happen. Rather, if a group of faithful people gather and earnestly seek to discern what God might want, collectively we begin to have a sense of where the Holy Spirit might be leading us. This is never iron-clad certainty, but rather in faith we trust that collective faithful discernment will lead to some wisdom about how the Holy Spirit is acting in the moment.
Too often we search for certainty when in fact we are guided by is a faithful trust that is always at best a guess because we are too limited to see with clarity what God is up to. I think this applies to many parts of our lives, not just the election of a bishop. We pray that our eyes be opened enough that we have some insight into God’s wisdom and courage to follow it. Let us all pray for such insight daily, but also specifically this week as the Synod Assembly desires to faithfully listen to what God might be saying.