At the first-ever Faithful Innovation Summit, hosted this July by Luther Seminary’s new connected learning hub, Faith+Lead, church leaders around the country were asked to reflect on a simple question:
What gets in the way?
What gets in the way of hearing God’s call? Of doing the first things first? Of attending to what matters most in ministry: faith formation, spiritual practice, and exploring new ways to connect with God and neighbor?
The answers were as honest as they were insightful.
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- Control
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- Fear
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- Doubt
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- Over-functioning
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- Complacency
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- Perfectionism
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- Clutter
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- Exhaustion
Then another question: What if you could put that down?
In fact, what if God was pruning it away to make space for something new?
It can be painful and scary to let go of the strategies we’ve used to survive. But our faith is in God who, by grace, has already ensured not only our survival, but our renewal. In a season of transitions, both large and small–back to school, changes in the church and world, the coming autumn–may God grant us the courage to let go of what gets in the way, and the openness to imagine and welcome the vibrant future God intends for us.
Peace,
Robin J. Steinke, President
Luther Seminary