Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Happy Mother’s Day! I spent my day with the good people at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Hampstead. They worked me hard (I preached at three services this morning) but they also win the prize for the most gracious welcome during a . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 05.13.2012]]> Sunday afternoon, May 13, 2012, 3:30 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Happy Mother’s Day! I spent my day with the good people at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Hampstead. They worked me hard (I preached at three services this morning) but they also win the prize for the most gracious welcome during a bishop’s visit. When I arrived at 7:30 a.m., a spread of homemade zucchini and banana bread was waiting for me. Later, there was a reception with all kinds of goodies, including dozens of cupcakes with letters made of icing that were arranged in such an order that they spelled out: “Welcome to St. Mark’s, Bishop Wolfgang D. Herz-Lane, May 13, 2012.” WOW!

I called my mom today. She lives in Germany, is 85 and kicking. I am most grateful that she is still with us. Please pray with me this week for all mothers everywhere; give thanks to God for shared love, and especially for the love God has shown us in Jesus Christ. See you next week.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Welcome to this week’s e-mail update from your well-traveled bishop. I was in Arnold, Maryland, today, preaching at Gloria Dei! Lutheran Church, and just got back from College Park where I participated in the retirement celebration of Pastor Elizabeth Platz who for . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 05.06.2012]]> Sunday evening, May 6, 2012, 8:30 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Welcome to this week’s e-mail update from your well-traveled bishop. I was in Arnold, Maryland, today, preaching at Gloria Dei! Lutheran Church, and just got back from College Park where I participated in the retirement celebration of Pastor Elizabeth Platz who for the past 47 (!!!) years has been the Lutheran campus minister at the University of Maryland. A grand celebration befitting the long and faithful service Beth has given to God’s Church! Yesterday, I ordained Susan Beck into the ministry of Word and Sacrament; Susan serves at St. John, Thurmont. So you see, this blessed bishop was privileged to celebrate with pastors both at the beginning and at the end of ministry this weekend. Thanks be to God!

My heart is heavy, too, tonight as news continues to come from Ellicott City where a homeless man shot the co-rector and administrative assistant of St. Peter Episcopal Church, then apparently killed himself. He had been a client of the church’s food pantry. This tragedy reminds us that as Christians, we engage in ministry in a world that can be hostile. How easy it would be to retreat from our ministries and to decide that it is simply “too dangerous” to feed the hungry and comfort the homeless! Yet our Lord calls us precisely to reach out to those with the most needs, and while we must be vigilant and careful, we must never abandon our work with and among the poor. Please pray with me this week for the victims of the shooting and their families, for my Episcopal colleague, Bishop Eugene Sutton and for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. May God give our brothers and sisters strength and comfort in these challenging days.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

What a great week this has been (especially since it included two days off)! I was privileged to spend three days in three locations with our rostered leaders during the spring Bishop’s Leadership Days. The sessions were well attended (all told more . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 04.29.2012]]> Sunday evening, April 29, 2012, 9:45 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

What a great week this has been (especially since it included two days off)! I was privileged to spend three days in three locations with our rostered leaders during the spring Bishop’s Leadership Days. The sessions were well attended (all told more than a hundred leaders showed up) and featured great presentations on evangelism by Pastors Ruben Duran (ELCA, Chicago) and Bill Gohl (Baltimore).

Then this afternoon, after spending a blessed morning at worship at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Edgewood, I felt privileged again as I participated in the 15th annual Ministry Awards presentations at Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, this time lifting up the contributions of lay people. Our church is truly blessed by committed rostered leaders and dedicated lay leaders, and I give thanks to God tonight for all of them!

Please pray with me this week for the Frederick (Tuesday) and the Washington County (Thursday) conferences which I will visit for the annual bishop’s visitation. These whirlwind tours are always fun and help to keep lines of communications open between the bishop’s office and the congregations and their leaders. Thank you, dear God!

See you next week.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Man, am I tired … just got home after a three-and-a-half hour trip through the driving rain from Cumberland. The drive wasn’t fun, but this afternoon’s ordination service for Tormod O. Svensson at Christ Lutheran in LaVale sure was! I find I . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 04.22.2012]]> Sunday evening, April 22, 2012, 9:40 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Man, am I tired … just got home after a three-and-a-half hour trip through the driving rain from Cumberland. The drive wasn’t fun, but this afternoon’s ordination service for Tormod O. Svensson at Christ Lutheran in LaVale sure was! I find I love ordaining people, it’s one of the best things a bishop gets to do. I also got to preach at St. Luke in Cumberland this morning and, together with our new bishop’s assistant, Ron Schlak, led a workshop on “Invitation and Hospitality” for the Allegany Conference on Saturday afternoon. So my tiredness is a good kind of tired because it was a great weekend spent with many people in the most western part of our synod. Please pray with me for the Allegany Conference this week that God will continue to bless and guide the pastors, rostered leaders and members of its congregations.

Also pray for Pastor David Baker. I led the memorial service for his wife, Greta, on Saturday morning in Hagerstown. She was a blessing to so many, and I give thanks to God for her life. It also is time to begin praying for our upcoming Synod Assembly (May 31 – June 1 in Ocean City, Md.) In fact, today begins our “40 Days of Prayer” initiative that will culminate in the opening worship at assembly. Pray for the two committees that meet on Monday to make final preparations, the Synod Assembly Planning Team (chair, Nancy Gordon) and the Memorials/Reference & Council Committee, chaired by Pastor Jim Cobb.

Thanks for all that you do in service to our Lord.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

I’m baaack!! I am so glad to be in touch with you again after a three-week hiatus. The synod office move is over (well, for the most part with only a few unpacked boxes remaining) and our computer system is up and . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 04.16.2012]]> Monday morning, April 16, 2012, 11:20 a.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

I’m baaack!! I am so glad to be in touch with you again after a three-week hiatus. The synod office move is over (well, for the most part with only a few unpacked boxes remaining) and our computer system is up and running. I have missed my weekly visit with you and give thanks to God that your prayers for me and the Delaware-Maryland Synod have not stopped.

I am still living in the afterglow of Easter. Come to think of it, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we get to live in Easter light every single day! This year’s Easter Sunday was especially joyous for me because I had been invited to preside and preach at Grace Lutheran Church in Easton where a wonderful choir and instrumentalists presented a Bach Cantata. What a blessing!

Yesterday, I preached at Good Shepherd in Frederick and was received most graciously. May I also ask you to pray this week for Lynn Pilachowski, a member of St. Luke (Harford Rd., Baltimore) who was set apart as the newest deacon in the Order of St. Stephen, Deacon, on Saturday evening, and for two candidates who will be ordained soon: Tormod Svensson (to be ordained on April 22) and Susan Beck (May 5). My weekend was rounded out with spirited celebrations of two of our pastors: David Asplin, who is retiring after 40 years of ministry, and Gregg Knepp, who is leaving Baltimore City and beginning his ministry as pastor of St. Peter, Ocean City. Help me give thanks to God for these faithful servants.

Thanks for your prayerful support. Until next week!

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Just getting home from Frederick where this afternoon we celebrated a wonderful Service of Holy Communion with the ordination of Christopher Litton as a minister of Word and Sacrament, the commissioning of Linda Smith as an Associate in Ministry and the reception . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 03.25.2012]]> Sunday evening, March 25, 2012, 9:25 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Just getting home from Frederick where this afternoon we celebrated a wonderful Service of Holy Communion with the ordination of Christopher Litton as a minister of Word and Sacrament, the commissioning of Linda Smith as an Associate in Ministry and the reception onto the ELCA roster of Rev. Cameron Coe. It was a grand celebration in a well attended, festive ceremony at Evangelical Lutheran Church. Please pray this week for Chris and for Linda and for Cameron as they begin their ministries among us.

I’d also appreciate prayers for our staff this week, especially for my administrative assistant and chief of staff, Cindy VanVliet. Cindy has been working overtime (including Sunday afternoon, when I ran into her in the office) to get ready for our “BIG MOVE” … yes, the synod offices are moving this Friday out of the Lutheran Center and into our new digs at the Harbor Court office building on S. Charles Street. You should see our chapel, choked full of moving crates and carts waiting to be filled with books and files and office supplies. WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK for a smooth and uneventful move! Thanks!

PS: Not sure whether the computers in the new space will be hooked up by next Sunday, so I’ll skip a week and will be back in touch with you on Easter Sunday, April 8. Have a blessed Palm Sunday and Holy Week, and thank you for your prayerful support.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Prayer Partners blog … and hello from Gettysburg! I am at the Theological Seminary, along with our vice president, Yolanda Tanner, and treasurer, Mick Thistle, at a two-day meeting of leaders in Region 8. We . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 03.18.2012]]> Sunday afternoon, March 18, 2012, 12:45 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Prayer Partners blog … and hello from Gettysburg! I am at the Theological Seminary, along with our vice president, Yolanda Tanner, and treasurer, Mick Thistle, at a two-day meeting of leaders in Region 8. We have been talking about the ministry of our church in the eight synods that make up this region, and especially about new ways and innovative proposals that would advance the mission of God through our churches. Please pray with me this week for these eight synods, their bishops, leaders and members: Allegheny, Northwest Pennsylvania, Southwest Pennsylvania, Lower Susquehanna, Upper Susquehanna, Metro Washington DC, West Virginia-Western Maryland, and of course our own Delaware-Maryland Synod.

This morning, I stole away from the meetings to worship in the Mt. Joy-St. Paul Parish. Mt. Joy is located in Gettysburg (did you know we even had a congregation in Pennsylvania?) but has been yoked for many years with St. Paul, Harney, just across the Mason-Dixon line. I was most graciously received by the folks in both congregations and their interim pastor, Beverly Lange. In their bulletins, I found my prayer partners letter from last week; apparently, my Sunday musings are shared in this way with the whole congregation … and prayers abound as a result! I am most humbled and feel tremendously blessed to be prayed for by so many people. Thank you all .. and keep it up!

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Sunday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week. Almost every Sunday I get to visit one (or sometimes more) of our congregations, seeing what God is doing even through the smallest and most challenged congregation.

This morning, I had . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 03.11.2012]]> Sunday evening, March 11, 2012, 9:00 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Sunday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week. Almost every Sunday I get to visit one (or sometimes more) of our congregations, seeing what God is doing even through the smallest and most challenged congregation.

This morning, I had the privilege of preaching and leading worship at Christ Lutheran Church, Edmondson Ave., Baltimore. Almost three years ago, I visited this church for the first time in response to the church council’s plea for help. “We are running out of money and out of people,” they said, wondering if it was time to think about closing the church. I was the synod’s mission director then and helped the leadership think about various alternatives, from closing the door to applying for a redevelopment grant. Eventually, Christ Church received a redevelopment grant from the ELCA, and Vicar Kenneth Powell (a candidate for ordination through what is called the TEEM program) was sent as the new leader a year ago this month.

This morning, I could see what difference a year can make: the church was filled with a multicultural crowd of people, including visitors from the African-American neighborhood and members of the Mara Church, an immigrant congregation from Myanmar (Burma) that has found a new home at Christ. It was such a blessing to worship in such a vibrant and growing church! I thank God for Vicar Ken, for the leaders and people at Christ Church, and for the ELCA Congregational and Synodical Mission unit that agreed to reinvest in a turn-around ministry that is connecting with the community and bringing God’s love to all those who need to hear about it. And I thank God for you and your prayer support! See you next week.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Finally, some downtime! I am in Chicago, arrived on Thursday for the spring meeting of the ELCA Conference of Bishops which runs through Tuesday. We are at a hotel and resort outside of Chicago, but other than this Sunday . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 03.05.2012]]> Sunday afternoon, March 5, 2012, 1:45 p.m. (Central Standard Time)

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

Finally, some downtime! I am in Chicago, arrived on Thursday for the spring meeting of the ELCA Conference of Bishops which runs through Tuesday. We are at a hotel and resort outside of Chicago, but other than this Sunday afternoon off, there is little time to enjoy the amenities. They are working us poor bishops pretty hard with meetings that generally run from 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. or so. At least the food is good …

It is awesome to connect with my brothers and sisters from the other 64 synods as well as with churchwide staff. We are having good conversation, especially around the changes that need to be made as a result of the LIFT (Living into the Future Together) recommendations. Earlier today, we had a spirited debate about how bishops are being elected and trained in this church, so please pray with me that God would bless these conversations and guide the ELCA as we move forward. Prayers also, please, for my family back home (and all the families of all the bishops) whom I miss terribly.

Thanks for your prayers!

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

The last of the guests just left: There was a nice gathering of past and future supporters of Mar-Lu-Ridge Camp at our house this evening, a fundraiser for the capital campaign co-hosted by Margaret, Josef and me and Bishop and Mrs. Graham . . . → Read More: Prayer Partners 02.26.2012]]> Sunday evening, February 26, 2012, 10:30 p.m.

Dear Prayer Partners and Friends:

The last of the guests just left: There was a nice gathering of past and future supporters of Mar-Lu-Ridge Camp at our house this evening, a fundraiser for the capital campaign co-hosted by Margaret, Josef and me and Bishop and Mrs. Graham from the Metro Washington DC Synod. This second annual “Bishops’ Reception” raised both funds and new friends for the planned renovations to the dining hall. Thanks be to God for these generous brothers and sisters! I am also excited this week because on Thursday, Pastor Ron Schlak begins his ministry among us as an Assistant to the Bishop for the western conferences of our synod. He will also be staff support for the Mission through Partnership Team and the many institutions, agencies and ministries it supports. I am so grateful that this staff position is finally being filled, and that our synod staff is now going to be at full strength. Please pray for Ron this week as he begins his new call. He comes to us from Charleston, West Virginia, where he has served as a parish pastor for the last 17 years. Finally, prayers for travel mercies, please, as I leave on Thursday to attend the Conference of Bishops meeting in Chicago. I will be in touch with you from there next Sunday.