You know how the right tune with just the right lyrics can move you? That feeling is a gift straight from God. Throughout the 2025 NC Synod Assembly, we tapped into just such a gift. Our theme, God is Calling, came from the 8th chapter of Romans and the hymn “God is Calling Through the Whisper” (text by Mary Louise Bringle).

Our collective work at this assembly was holy ground, as we elected a synod secretary and vice president, as well as a bishop. God was calling us to discern who would lead us faithfully into the future and to give thanks for those who have led us this far. In considering an updated Mission Support formula and compensation guidelines, as well as budgets for 2026 and 2027, the call was for bold trust in God’s guidance and provision.

Because of the weight of such work before us, we were hemmed in by prayer, Scripture, and our theme hymn, reminded each step of the way to listen for God’s call.

After we sang “God is calling through the voices of our neighbors’ urgent prayers, through their longing for redemption and for rescue from despair,” we heard reports from the agencies and institutions serving our neighbors in and through our synod. As we heard the stories of redemption and the statistics of how many of God’s children have been served by Lutheran Disaster Response Carolinas in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the lyrics we had just sung rang in our hearts. Not only was God calling us to service last fall when the storm hit, but God is still calling us to draw near to our neighbors and serve those who still despair in Western North Carolina.

Over the three days of elections and reports, we received good news about the Good News of Jesus being shared at our outdoor ministries, campus ministries, and mission congregations. We heard God calling through the stories of amazing things happening on the Hickory campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University, now that Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary is settled there. The Spirit whispered, shouted, and sang in and through us, as we delighted in the mission of Jesus being lived out across our synod and the wider church.

And then, of course, we wondered collectively where God is calling us next. Following Jesus into the next chapter is our sacred work. Trusting the Spirit to intercede for us, we step forward in faith.