Consecration – affirmation, mission, faith, and love in God!
It feels as though the consecration service of Archbishop Lauma Zušēvica took place only yesterday, when we experienced the culmination of the trust and love shown to her. Could it really all have happened in a single service, in a single moment? I think this event will remain in our memory as life-transforming and influential, as we recall what we were thinking and how we felt at that moment… I will try, as far as possible, to share my own feelings and those of us, the Milwaukee Latvian Ev. Luth. Holy Trinity congregation, as we prepared for the great day and lived through it.
No one doubted that Archbishop Lauma has the abilities and is suited to the office of spiritual leader of the LELBĀL, but we did not really know whether our Church was ready to elect the most capable leader, even if that person were a woman. The bishop election on 15 October last year proved that we are a Church that loves God and wants to be led by the best and most capable shepherd.
It seems the archbishop herself had to experience God’s will and calling in order to agree to stand as a candidate, recognizing that this is the path God had chosen. Our congregation, too, had to recognize this, and we were ready to support Lauma both on the day of her consecration and in her ongoing ministry. So incredibly many people lent a hand to make the 19 April service a beautiful memory for everyone. We all humbly gave thanks that, instead of the rain the forecasters had predicted, on that Sunday morning everyone had to put on sunglasses as we set out before the consecration service for the Latvian church to pray quietly, meditate, and give thanks to God as the music played.
It was such a pleasure to listen to the Rev. Dr. Anita Gaide’s virtuosic organ playing. When I greeted her, Anita said to me with a smile that she was grateful for the chance to play this marvelous organ! Marvelous? Hm!! Well, our congregation’s organ is not bad at all, and it always sounds beautiful accompanying the hymns at our services, but marvelous? When Anita began to play, I understood that every instrument comes alive and gives its very best when played by a true master or virtuoso. With what heavenly sounds this marvelous organ delighted us. Of course, the whole Brusubārdis family, whom we Milwaukeeans can hear so often, delighted everyone with their God-given gifts. Great solemnity, joy, and uplift came from Benjamiņš Aļļe’s virtuosic trumpet playing. It was a true joy that most of the clergy, the many guests, and the archbishops and bishops from other countries were present and shared fellowship with us. There I also personally met Einārs Alpe, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, with whom I had spoken the previous evening and to whom I had tried to explain as best I could what the “Milwaukee Brewers” sports cap and the “Green Bay” jacket would look like, worn by the person who would meet him at the bus terminal. Perhaps the manner of speaking and the phone conversation itself brought us closer, because when Rūta Abakuka introduced me to him, I truly felt him to be a brother in Christ. Many similar small and large memories created these same feelings, as worshippers arrived from Indianapolis, London, Latvia, Cleveland, Australia, Ireland, Sweden, and other places. It seemed as though we all came from one Christian family.
The consecration service itself arrived before we knew it, and at the same time it felt as though we could hardly wait for it. There were worries: would everyone be comfortable, would the visitors know where they could rest a little, would the older generation of our own congregation be able to get to the church and be close enough to see when their beloved Pastor Lauma entered. We were anxious not to miss the entrance of Archbishop Lauma’s family, especially her mother, because our congregation wished to thank her for our pastor. In that moment, her family too was part of ours. I do not know whether anyone could deny at that moment that the presence of the Holy Spirit surrounded us. Our people were everywhere, beginning with the Brusubārdis choir “Dzimtene,” which formed the foundation of the entire service choir. Other invited singers joined, and the choir grew! The singers needed a whole wing of pews, for choristers joined from every corner of the world. At the same time, while we were preparing, our sextons and parish council members replaced the burnt-out bulbs so that we could all better see our clergy, Lauma, and you, who felt with us as you watched the “livestream.” And then… and then the people came in: pastors, deans, archbishops, members of the LELBĀL Consistory, all who in their lives have felt the calling to serve the Lord and are now present both for us and for Lauma, to bear witness to their Christian love for Him, for one another, and for us all.
I must say, it seemed to me that the service proceeded without any hitch at all. Even the moment of the consecration blessing, in which the archbishop had asked all the worshippers to join hands and form a chain of prayer. We experienced such a blessing as people joined together not only by their hands, but with beautiful folk sashes and with their hearts. Thanks are due to the Rev. Dr. Sarma Eglīte, who worked very hard preparing the order of service and this moment so that everything would go so well and smoothly.
Archbishop Lauma was consecrated by LELBĀL Archbishop Elmārs Rozītis, Uppsala Bishop Ragnar Persenius (Church of Sweden, Lutheran), Dublin Archbishop Michael Jackson (Anglican Church of Ireland), and Bishop Jeff Barrow of the Greater Milwaukee Synod (ELCA, the Lutheran church of America). Many LELBĀL clergy and deans were present, as well as bishops and an archbishop from Latvia, Germany, and America. There were hymns, readings of the Word of God, an address, the blessing, a sermon, Holy Communion… Everything seemed bathed in such blessing! So much love in people’s faces, so much pride, so much hope. It seemed each moment was more beautiful than the last… each one more significant than the one before.
Looking back on this day, one can say that it was a mosaic shaped by God, in which both we and our emotions played a certain part. First of all, the archbishop’s family was present to support Lauma just as they had all along. Her husband Ivars, daughter Zīle with her family, and Kaija – both carried the cross, both as the procession entered and as it departed. After the photographs with her brothers and sisters in office, everyone else was also able to congratulate the archbishop and give their words of greeting. Nothing was lacking, including our special pīrāgi (filled pastries), which were literally brought from all corners of America – nearly two thousand of them! Thank you!
Among those offering congratulations in the lower hall were our own Archbishop emer. Elmārs E. Rozītis and LELBĀL Dean Priedkalns from Australia; Dean Abakuks from Great Britain; Dean Bērziņš from Germany; Dean Lazdiņš from the LELBA, and Dean Graufelde from Sweden, together with Uppsala Bishop Ragnar Persenius. Greetings were also given by Dean emer. Ivars Gaide, who had written a tribute to Archbishop Lauma, which we also sang during the service. Guests from other churches followed: Archbishop Michael Jackson of Dublin, of the Anglican Church of Ireland, who also conveyed greetings from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby; from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, greetings came from Bishop Froiland and Bishop emer. Hallmark, who also conveyed greetings from Bishop Jeff Barrow, who took part in the service and brought greetings from the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Martin Junge. Then came the greeting of Archbishop Jānis Vanags of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. The well-wishers from Germany were Oberkirchenrat Deneke, General Secretary of the LWF German National Committee; Rev. Kasch, director of the LWF center in Wittenberg; Kirchenrat Rieth, director of the Department of Mission and Ecumenism and of the office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg; Rev. Schoch, pastor of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latvia. Greetings were also given by the Rev. Barbins of the American Baptist association. The clergy can be seen in the accompanying photograph.
In the next portion of greetings, the congratulations of Kukainis, chairman of the World Federation of Free Latvians, were read by his deputy; the greetings of the American Latvian Association were brought by its board member Ēriks Krūmiņš; on behalf of the “Daugavas Vanagi” we were addressed by Andris Kursietis, the U.S. chairman. Then it was my turn, and on behalf of the whole congregation I congratulated our pastor, presenting a painting created by Tija Abula, in which all the colors of the Church year can be seen. With Tija Abula’s help, the congregation will present the archbishop with stoles in all the colors of the Church year! There followed a greeting from her first congregation. The greetings were brought by Ivars Bērziņš of the New York congregation, who is also the representative of the Sala district. The line of well-wishers was closed by the student sorority “Spīdola,” the ladies of the Global Convent, including Kaija Petrovska from Milwaukee and the Rev. Dr. Anita Gaide from Toronto. She also mentioned that, alongside Vilis Kolms’s wonderful composition, which we sang during the service and which is a tribute to the archbishop, other new songs were also created, including Ēriks Ešenvalds’s composition “Gaisma aust!” (“Light Dawns!”). The blessed day came to a close with Archbishop Lauma’s own thanks to everyone, everyone – and above all – to God for this unforgettable day and the love she had felt. She called on us always to serve and pray together, and to trust.
Gathering my thoughts and feelings, I wish to say that the fact that so many of us were present from so many congregations and countries bore witness that God had answered the common prayer expressed in Psalm 106, verse 47: “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us together again – from among the other nations, that we may praise Your name in thanksgiving and be happy in our pride, that we may glory in Your praise!” On that day, each person’s presence testified that the LELBĀL stands alongside brothers and sisters from near and far, who hope to continue carrying out God’s work together in the future, to His glory and as a blessing to the Latvian people.
It is of course understood that we are speaking of different nations, but when Archbishop Michael Jackson spoke of how distinctive and global our Church is, and when Archbishop Lauma in her sermon affirmed that in each period our Church has had different “headquarters” but the same goals, then it is almost as if we have done the impossible. We have called together Lutherans from every corner of the world who believe in our church. It has strong foundations, and although times and circumstances change, as we continue the work we need not worry about those foundations wavering, for these foundations have been laid in faith in God and Latvia!
At the very end, I wanted to mention what has taken place in our congregation, or with our congregation’s participation, over these past six months. In October we hosted the Synod in Milwaukee. It seemed that everyone felt well. Of course, great thanks to Tija Abula, who put in a great deal of work, both organizing the Synod and the consecration service, as well as helping host the LELBĀL plenary session. Many people helped plan and carry out both significant events. No thanks will be enough for the ladies of our congregation, who tirelessly saw to it that all would be well – and it was!! We saw their wonderful cooperation on the morning of the quiet prayer and meditation before the consecration, which took place in our congregation’s church. It is so easy to lead and to pray when the helpers themselves give their hearts to people, serving in God’s love. We wish our archbishop health, strength, patience, and God’s love as she carries out her new office.
Sandra Kalve,
Chairwoman of the Milwaukee Latvian Ev. Luth. Holy Trinity congregation