Church of the Resurrection

Resurrection and Upper Midwest:

I am overjoyed to share with you that the surgery went very well, and that I have returned to normal function.

My doctor is very encouraged by my progress. He did, though, caution me regarding return to full activity too quickly, noting that my type of surgery can be deceptive in the way one feels strong while the internal reality is far more delicate.

You have been stalwart in your prayers and constant service; your loving support has changed me. I have a new testimony of meeting the Lord, even in the valley of the shadow of death.  While there are days (and nights) I would never want to repeat, these last three months (I left for Nigeria on November 5) have brought me close—to the Lord, family, and dear friends and to you all as a cathedral and diocese. I can honestly say I am thankful for this trial.

And I am thankful for you.

Love,

Bishop Stewart Ruch III

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A Reading List from the Bishop

Bishop Stewart was able to spend unusual time reading during his recovery, and below shares both the books and the insights gained by this gift found within trial. 

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January 22, 2019

Books Read During My Illness and Recovery

One of the many gifts of the last two months of recovery has been the ability to engage books, especially novels. After I got through the pain and misery of the infection and malaria symptoms (and the side effects of the medicines used to treat these conditions,) I could pray, read the Bible, and read novels. 

Below, I have compiled a list of the novels I read. 

A minor disclaimer—I certainly don’t agree with every element of some of the world views represented in these books. Indeed, that is why I read them.

The Lord of the Rings—I read this masterpiece for the first time in 1993. I was enthralled. I read it again in November, for the third time. And, yes, I was enthralled. I am unable to point to the greatest aspect of this epic—the use of the English language, the manifold and beguiling characterizations, the stalwart plot that always engages, and, of course, the transformative rendition of the Gospel. Ah, yes, the Gospel! Here, as we meet the Truth of Him who is prophet (Gandalf), priest (Frodo) and king (Aragorn), we meet the Gospel again. And it caused me to believe Him who is the good news even more fully. This novel teaches the power of the Resurrection as it depicts the deep sufferings of the Fellowship’s members and, therein, teaches us to understand our sufferings in the great light of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

A Gentleman in Moscow—A wonderful story set in Bolshevik 1920’s Moscow. It is a story with great humor, and a story of one who learns to love. I often laughed out loud.

The Dry—I read this after The Lord of the Rings which isn’t fair to any novel or author. But it was an engaging mystery with some graphic details of a murder that avoided the gratuitous.

There, There—This was the weakest of the novels that I read, but I am glad I did so. It tells the important story of contemporary Native Americans living in the urban setting of Sacramento. I would not recommend it to my high schoolers due to some detailed immoral scenes. But it breaks the heart and stirs the mind. It allows one a glimpse, albeit limited, into a community of Americans who need to be deeply loved and understood.

The Hate U Give—This novel was recommended to me this year by a leader in one of our church plants. Wow— such a moving and well told story. Like There, There it provides a window into an urban culture which, in this case, is African-American. It seeks to tell the story of African-Americans and their relationship with the police. It reveals the injustices that can be there but it does so with the complexity this national dynamic needs. It portrays heartbreak and heroism. Please note the language is very graphic and there is a scene of sexual intimacy between teenagers.

In Process 

Finally, I am working through two other books. 

Prophet of Freedom—The first is the biography of Frederick Douglass entitled Prophet of Freedom by David Blight. Douglass is an utterly captivating figure and his story is such an important one to know as we in white culture seek to strengthen our Gospel bonds with African-Americans and the black church.

Leadership in Turbulent Times—I am deeply enjoying Doris Kearns Goodwin (a Pulitzer Prize winning historian and one of my favorites) most recent book Leadership in Turbulent Times. It provides a colorful and piercing analysis of the leadership of four presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Lyndon Baines Johnson.

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Beloved Resurrection,

I am writing to you with an important update regarding our Sunday morning services as well as a few requests for you as we embark on a change together as a church family. 

As many of you have probably noticed, there is a significant imbalance in attendance between the 9am and the 11am services. It has become increasingly difficult for people to find seats together at the 9am service. Parking has also become an obstacle. Recently, a few newcomers have left after being unable to find a parking space or a seat, which is incredibly sad to see. Furthermore, our children's classrooms suffer from overcrowding at the 9am service, creating a difficult situation for our families and our RezKids shepherds. These realities have been steadily increasing over the past two years, and the 9am service now regularly exceeds the 11am service by 400 people. 

Over the past 18 months, we have been engaged in an ongoing discussion with staff, vestry, clergy, and lay leaders about the best way to serve all of our people and especially our guests with our schedule, including the Sunday Service Survey that many of you completed last year. As a result of this process, we have decided to change our service times beginning Sunday, October 1. The new times will be 8:30am and 10:30am. We will be carefully evaluating this new schedule to see if it sufficiently addresses our attendance imbalance. Based on what we learn during the coming months, we will come to a final decision on service times by the season of Advent (December 3). 

Here is what I'm asking of you during this season, Resurrection family:

1. Embrace this small sacrifice
   We are all being called to make adjustments to our Sunday routines for the sake of the whole body of Christ. I am asking that you serve our guests, our children, and one another this season by making the small sacrifices necessary to adjust to these service times.
   
   I am especially aware that our Sunday morning team members will be making a sacrifice, as so many of you already arrive well before the start of the service. I am so grateful for all the ways you already serve our guests, our children, and our entire church body. Thank you for adjusting your commitments as we try this out together. Your team leader will be working with you closely as these changes occur. 
2. Try both service times in October
   As you are able, experiment attending both the 8:30am and 10:30am in the first month. This will help our process and help you discover the best fit for you and your family. 
3. Increase your hospitality and generosity
   As it is already in your nature as a church, I simply ask you to redouble your efforts to be generous and hospitable to newcomers and to one another during this change. Keep an eye out for newcomers and offer assistance whenever possible. Do everything you can to share seats and parking spaces with one another. In every interaction, seek to follow Jesus’ example in serving one another. 

If you are a member of a Sunday morning team, your leader will be connecting with you to receive your continued feedback during this process. For our parents, information will be sent out by our RezKids Team regarding check-in procedures and other impacts on families in a RezKids email, and our Children’s Pastor Carole Seid (carole@churchrez.org) will be your primary contact for questions and feedback. 

Finally, as always for everyone, if you have questions or concerns, you can reach out to us at feedback@churchrez.org.

   
   With love and gratitude, 

   Bishop Stewart Ruch III
   Rector, Church of the Resurrection
   Bishop, Upper Midwest Diocese

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