Connection for the Life of The World
November 7, 2025
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Central Lutheran Church. Saturday, October 4, 2025. I stood just fifteen feet away, and took this photo below. On the aisle, three pews from the back. All of us turned to face backward, towards the baptismal font and the crucifer. Where we could see standing, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, and Presiding Bishop-Elect Yehiel Curry. The Service of Installation had only just begun. With a simple Litany of Welcome for the Bishop-Elect:
Yehiel, bishop in the church of God,
We have looked forward to your coming with great joy.
In the name of Christ, we greet you.
He was supposed to respond, equally simply, with this phrase:
With all my heart, I thank you for your welcome.
But he did not. For a moment, he could not. A man I have known for the last five years as a fellow bishop of great calm and composure, clarity and eloquence – but he could not speak. For maybe a full minute.
Like many around me, I began to cry. Not out of worry or fear. But because something of wonder and awe was happening. I can only describe it as, the Holy Spirit herself, descending, and landing upon his head and shoulders. For the first time, I truly understood the phrase: the weight of glory.
Then, the silence is broken: by shouts of encouragement, affirmation, from scattered voices in the crowd: “You got this, Bishop!” “Take your time, Bishop!” “We’re behind you, Bishop!”
Then, Liz Eaton steps over to her colleague, her successor, her friend, touches his arm, supports his back, and whispers to him. We don’t see or hear the words, but it is surely an echo of the moment of Jesus’ baptism, when the Father says, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” The moment we all share in our own baptisms: “Let your light so shine…”
And then, he spoke. And then, the service carried on. And so, the service begins anew, with this new leader, this new day.
Over this same weekend, I got to hear from Presiding Bishop Curry a number of times. He shared the word he plans to emphasize, in this first year of his leadership: CONNECTION. Our connection to God by the Holy Spirit through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Savior Jesus Christ. Our connection to each other, all our neighbors, and all the world God so loves. Our connection as the church of Jesus for the life of the world.
CONNECTION is also so exciting for us right now – as the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. From this past June, we continue to hear the call of our Synod Assembly theme: “Connect the Dots.”
Our 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly just held in August is still inspiring: “For The Life of The World.” Across our church, our nation, our planet – we are all feeling the forces driving us apart. God is the only one who can pull us together. As Christ himself promised in John 12:32: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Our CONNECTION in Christ is the vision and the IMAGINATION that brings us together, holds us together, and sends us out together. As Paul describes it, in his second letter to the Corinthians:
14 For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we no longer know him in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. [2 Cor 5]
Here we have the GOOD NEWS we proclaim as the mystery of faith: “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.” We are all connected, to each of us, and every one of us. In Christ we are new creations; we are the church of new creation; and we are connected in him in our common call of reconciliation – that is, new and renewed connection. All of us reconciled and forever-connected to God and each other, by the life given to us and for us by Jesus.
Good news, indeed! And the MESSAGE our world needs now more than ever. This is why I am so thankful for our new messenger: Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry – and his message that shines light on our connectedness in Christ, the blessed tie that binds us all, which we can share on Sunday and any day of our everyday lives.
I am so thankful for our leaders, across this church, and especially across our NEPA Synod. Our Deacons – Rostered Ministers of Word and Service – who are lifting up the connection between our church and our world, our congregations and their communities. Our Pastors – Ministers of Word and Sacrament – who are lifting up Christ’s presence and the Spirit’s power coming to us and connecting us through the sacraments, Eucharist and Baptism.
And our new Licensed Lay Ministers – lay persons called by their congregations, trained and authorized to serve alongside our rostered pastors and deacons – to increase the depth and height and breadth of the sharing and spreading of the gospel – CONNECTING many more people and places in our synod with the Good News of Christ.
I am also particularly thankful for two new leaders in our NEPA Synod. They are just now assuming, this month, their new roles of service – focused on helping all our leaders and congregations to live into being new creations and connections in Christ, for the life of our members, our communities, and the whole world around us.
Deacon Chelle Huth is our new Director for Leaders
Deacon Chelle comes to us full-time from United Lutheran Seminary, where she will still maintain connections to help us find and equip current and future leaders. I am particularly grateful for the ways she is going to connect all our NEPS leaders – rostered ministers, LLMs, and lay leaders in all kinds of leadership positions – to become stronger, more skilled, and more vitalized. This is the centerpiece of our NEPS “Gaining Strength” lane.
Pastor Jennifer Hope-Tringali joins us as our new Director for New Ministries
The connection to connecting here is obvious: Pastor Jennifer will be working with congregations and leaders who are inspired by God to start new ministry creations and find new energy and resources for our existing ministries. A few examples include: our new Lutheran Indonesian congregation in Scranton, just launching as a mission-start worshipping community; walking with the newly revitalized Hope’s Table ministry in Reading; and providing specialized training and support for leaders who need a step-by-step plan for getting a new ministry started.
Both of these highly experienced, passionate, and Spirit-led leaders are joining us at a crucial moment – with new leadership at the ELCA and with a new year approaching that will be filled with challenges and fears and forces seeking to separate us and our communities. Let us not take the bait. Let us instead show everyone what the salvation and grace of our great God truly means – for us and for all people – for all creation. As St. Paul also writes, in 2 Corinthians –
6 As we work together with him, we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!
On the Way of Jesus Together,
Bishop Christopher deForest (he/him)
Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
