In the blog post below, you'll find an imaginary letter with imaginary names based on my real experience visiting a village congregation earlier this winter. I hope you'll forgive me for my using a literary device - perhaps it is the English major in me trying to find his way out.
Bradn
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Respected Pyotr Ivanovich! Respected Evdokmia Fedorovna!
Respected Ivan, Boris, Marina, Natalija and Larisa!
Dear Nastya, Pavlik, Lesha and Vova!
While I have a number of items to talk with you about related to the ministry of your congregation, first I want to say a few words to you, personally, Pyotr Ivanovich.
Visiting your village was an important experience for me. On the one hand I was reminded again of how differently people live in this country than in the big cities. No one in Novosibirsk would work for $50/month, like your brother-in-law does. Even your son Ivan, with one of the best jobs in the town, makes only $200/month. How do you (and the rest of the 2000 residents of N....) get by?
On the other hand, you might ask the same of us, city-dwellers. Not in the sense of money, of course, but in the way we interact with the world and with others around us. I saw the way you and your family (5 children! and already 5 grandchildren!) interacted - it was an amazing mixture of respect (they addressed you with the formal "Vy") and of joy. I had only heard about the fact that in the old days all the men (even the boys) were served first at the table - this was the first time that I actually saw it. As a westerner it should have made me uncomfortable. But as I left I thought - when was the last time I laughed so much? Have I ever seen in this country such a close relationship between neighbors?
And the food! Over the weekend I don't remember eating a single thing that was sold in a store - it all came from the labor of your family or other villagers. The honey, the butter, the bread, frozen wild strawberries and goose...even things that I was convinced that I did not like - kidney, for example - on your table were simply delicious.
Yet, not everything in your village is working right. There is a lot of drinking. For many years there was not a single church.
But then, you felt the call. God was asking you to restore the village's church, a simple building abandoned after basically all the Germans had emigrated in the early 2000s. Despite your heart trouble, you milk the cows, feed the pigs, gather the eggs, clean out the
chicken coop.... and you will do your best to make sure that people have a place to go and pray.
I will be praying for strength and wisdom for you. I hope that, in some way, I and others in our Lutheran church are able to help you.
And now, down to "business."
1. Your questions regarding funerals. I'm very happy that you've taken this very important ministry into your hands. One the unique virtues of the early Christians was there willingness to bury those who had no one else to arrange an appropriate burial. Since you are the only person in your village who is ready to take up this task, it is especially important that you keep at it. You will be in my prayers.
2. Baptism. We spoke about the fact that in our church we consider it important for those adults who want to be baptized (or parents of children who are to be baptized) to carefully consider the meaning of this sacrament. Normally an ordained pastor would do this, but since we are all so far away from you, in circumstances where the baptism needs to happen quickly you should know that this is the your right, as it is the right of every baptized Christian. If the situation is such that you have time to walk through the basics of the faith with them, I recommend using Martin Luther's Small Catechism.
3. By the way, about the Small Catechism - if you need copies, please let me know, and I'll send you some by mail.
4. I think that it would be very good if, in the future, you would be officially blessed as a preacher in our church. For that to happen the usual order would be that congregational members would ask me (as the acting dean) to consider such a request and take it to the Synod Council meeting (which happens twice a year) in Omsk. Before an official installation in this capacity, however, it would be important that you first take part in some of the educational seminars that the church offers. The next seminar which would fit your situation will be offered in October, and I'll be sure to send you an official invitation.
5. Right now there is no consistent practice in our church regarding whether or not preachers have the right to administer Holy Communion. In the meantime, please talk with me or with Gustav from Omsk about arranging that one of use visits you at least 3-4 times a year to support you in this regard.
Besides these questions, we also have questions related to the "prayer house."
I spoke with our church administration earlier this week and then with the state administration after that. To my surprise the state administration was willing to help us right away, and they called your village administration to clarify the situation. As I told them and they confirmed, the building itself is not registered anywhere, nor does it officially belong to anyone - this happened rather frequently, apparently, in village settings. At any rate the first step for the congregation to get official ownership of the building is for you to register as a legal entity. We spoke about that a bit when I was with you; if you like I can send you examples of the way these documents should look. Since the registration itself has to take place in Novosibirsk (and I know that it isn't easy to get back and forth between your village and the state capital), if you like you can go to a notary and give me the rights to make the application. I'm open to whatever works best for you. After registration, the congregation then will have to go to court to get official ownership. The state administration is willing to give you legal help, if necessary, as is our church office in Omsk. The trial itself will be in your county seat, which should be much more convenient for you.
This letter has turned out to be much longer than I had intended - I'd best sign off. Once again, please pass on my thanks to everyone in your family for their hospitality. In addition, please greet your sister, Maria, who
served so many years in your region as an un-official deaconess, and whom I had the privilege of giving Holy
Communion to. Also a big hello to Manya, Frida, Katya.
Take care and God bless!
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Bradn
