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The Holy Work of Reconcilliation and Renewal

By Pr. Lisa Rygiel

The following article appeared in this month’s Living Lutheran. Because of recent conflicts I have been aware of, I found it an appropriate read. Hopefully, you can take something from it as well. The article was written by Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, the president of Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., and a former member of the U.S. Congress.

Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19).

Before I became a college president, I was a lawyer and a politician.

Nearly 30 years have passed since I began my career working for a judge in the federal district court in Pierre, S.D., yet I still have vivid memories of certain witnesses and their testimony in both criminal and civil cases. I recall moments of intense emotion in the courtroom, especially in criminal cases: the anxiety of victims, the remorse of defendants and, at times, the frustration of prosecutors and defense attorneys.

I ran for Congress a few years later. Though this was over 20 years ago, I distinctly remember standing in the dusty office of a grain elevator in north-central South Dakota, talking with the manager about market prices and agriculture policies. I could sense his initial skepticism of me, and I recall feeling some initial discomfort with him, but before long, we connected. I was grateful for his time and insights, and he seemed impressed that I had shown up, listened and asked questions.

Over the past nine years, I’ve had the privilege of leading Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. It’s been an extraordinary time in higher education. Demographic shifts, the COVID-19 pandemic, policy changes, technology and artificial intelligence have all been disruptive. Yet I feel truly blessed to be in a professional setting that surrounds young people with care and opportunity as we witness their growth and discernment. We’ve navigated a lot of change together.

In addition to the chapel in the heart of Augustana’s campus, we established an interfaith reflection room in the student union in 2014. A few years ago, we built a new residence hall next to the beautiful campus green, which included a space that administrators thought would be better suited for the interfaith room. During the winter break, the room was moved from the student union to the new residence hall, which did not go over well with some students. They expressed their anger and dismay on social media, the local newspaper decided to cover the issue, the university was in reaction mode, and hurt feelings were felt all around.

Moving the interfaith room had included some prior consultation and communication, so we might have held firm. But I thought it important to convene a broader meeting among student leaders, faculty advisers and administrators to discuss what had happened, why, and how we might move forward. As the meeting started, emotions were running high. I began by apologizing to the students on behalf of the university for moving the interfaith room during the break. Then two recent graduates offered helpful historical context about why the room was originally located in the student union.

Over the course of the meeting, everyone listened respectfully, asked good and challenging questions, offered diverse perspectives, and deepened their understanding of the situation. We all learned from this honest interaction. After the meeting, the administration made the decision to move the interfaith room back to the student union. (I came to know well one of the student leaders who attended the meeting. He graduated last spring, and his parents traveled from Nepal to celebrate him.)

The document “Rooted and Open: The Common Calling of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities” states: “The essential relationality of Lutheran theology believes that individuals flourish only as they are embedded in larger communities, families, civic spaces and ecosystems that are also empowered to flourish. Cherishing and protecting healthy communities go hand-in-hand with cherishing and protecting the well-being of individuals.” The anecdote of the interfaith room highlights the importance of history, spaces, agency and communication in cherishing and protecting both communities and individuals.

When I reflect on my career and my leadership journey, I recognize clearly the importance of building context and relationships in serving other people — as individuals, communities or organizations. This always begins with listening and learning; it also requires both showing up and convening gatherings with care and attention. The purpose: so, we can share stories, experiences and perspectives that facilitate mutual respect and flourishing. The challenge: a social environment in which people are prone to judge quickly and harshly as well as a political culture marked by outrage and distrust.

Bearing witness requires a daily recommitment to overcoming that challenge, which can be very difficult. It requires discipline, courage and emotional energy. But if we remain curious, ask good questions, and make time to form new relationships and repair damaged ones, we honor God. And when, as servant leaders in our families, communities, churches and workplaces, we convene meaningful gatherings and lean into society’s tensions with humility rather than seek to avoid or perpetuate conflict, we do the hard work God calls us to do—the holy work of reconciliation and renewal

19th Sunday After Pentecost, October 4, 2026

Announcements

  • Fellowship: Join us after worship for our First Sunday Potluck. All are welcome.
  • Zion’s Book Club: Our Adult Study is at 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall. Our next study is Tuesday, Oct. 6 in the Fellowship Hall as we discuss “What if Jesus was Serious about Prayer”.
  • Blessing of the Animals: Our annual blessing of the animals will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, on the lower lawn of the Fellowship Hall, with Pr. Robert Hoenike officiating. All socialized animals are welcome. Please bring animals on a leash or in a crate/cage for a blessing. If your pet cannot be with you or has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, bring a photo or even their “stuffy” for a special blessing. Stay afterward for food & photos.
  • Docents Needed: The Trinidad Chamber of Commerce is presenting Doors Open Trinidad on Saturday, Oct. 3, which is an opportunity for people to explore historic sites in Trinidad, including Zion’s Lutheran sanctuary. Doors Open Trinidad offers access to landmark locations in Trinidad, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free, family-friendly event invites residents and visitors to step behind the scenes of historic landmarks, many of which are rarely open for self-guided public exploration. Zion’s needs volunteers that day who are willing to welcome people to Zion’s and to share our history and message. If you can help, please contact Steve Hanson or Jo Moss. We will have brochures to share and a list of talking points for our docents to use.
  • October Newsletter: The Zion’s monthly newsletter Connections should arrive in email boxes Wednesday and Thursday, with paper copies available in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall.
  • Church Council: The Zion’s Church Council will meet at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13. This represents a new monthly council schedule that allows the council to meet upstairs, which is more accessible.
  • We’re Here for You: For pastoral care, Pr. Lisa has office hours from 9 – 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and by appointment. Call Zion’s at 719-846-7785 or send an email to zionsluth@gmail.com.

E-Formation

One definition of a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” The gospel for this coming Sunday is a parable about a vineyard, but we understand that the story is really about the call to accept and honor Christ as our master. Come on Sunday to worship Christ, the Son of God, the cornerstone who secures our lives.

Matthew 21:33-46
Matthew’s intention in the parable need not be ours: recent Christian theological discussion attends not only to Matthew’s condemnation of Jewish religious leadership, but also to Paul’s testimony that God remains faithful to Israel, into which believers in Christ are grafted. On Sunday, each biblical reading means to address the assembled Christian community: thus, it is we as the tenants of the vineyard, now interpreted as the church, who are called to heed the Son and to build upon Christ as our cornerstone.

Isaiah 5:1-7
The poem in Isaiah 5 is chosen this Sunday because the gospel’s parable explicitly cites its details, and it is good to know the Old Testament reference that the evangelists assume their audience has. When Christians hear this “love song,” we are to examine to what degree we are yielding only wild grapes, unfit for producing good wine. Looking at us, does God see justice, or bloodshed?

Philippians 3:4b-14
Both today’s readings in Isaiah and Matthew include what Lutherans call “law”—that is, the bitter truth of our own human failings. Paul writes “gospel”: we now know Christ and are found in Christ. Thus, we can respond to God’s call, despite the rubbish?!—of even our devout religious practices.

Zion's Lutheran Church
zionsluth@gmail.com
719-846-7785