CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), addressed a number of topics in
an Aug. 24 pastoral letter to the church, including differing views on human
sexuality, reconciliation, not bearing false witness against one another and
ongoing dialogue about faith and life.
"It is my prayer that we use this time for discerning and engaging; for
repenting and reconciling; for restraint but not timidity; and for rejoicing,"
Hanson wrote in his letter.
"Throughout the ELCA I hear people asking, 'Is my voice heard? Will my
voice be respected as we seek together to discern God's purpose for us?' The
answer is yes," Hanson wrote. "Nevertheless, people of deep faith and a desire
to be part of this church wonder: Do we mean it when we say we can preach,
teach and hold divergent views on sexuality and be full participants in the
ELCA's life and witness? Again, the answer is yes."
Hanson wrote that his "yes" is predicated upon members' commitment "to be
engaged together in discernment," which "must be grounded in the witness of the
Scriptures and the confessions, and it needs the voices of all the baptized."
The presiding bishop commented on the recent assembly of The Lutheran
World Federation in Stuttgart, Germany. He said the most powerful moment of
that meeting occurred when Lutherans asked for forgiveness from God and from
Mennonites for the violence done to Anabaptist Christians in Reformation times
and through continuing legacies in Lutheran teachings.
"This experience of reconciliation is underscored for me in the fifth
chapter of 2 Corinthians: the powerful announcement that if anyone is in
Christ, there is a new creation. This new creation rises from Jesus, who died
rather than be in the sin-accounting business. The implication for us of the
gospel's transforming power is that we become ambassadors for Christ. God has
entrusted to each of us the message and ministry of reconciliation," Hanson
wrote.
In his letter Hanson referred to the anticipated formation this week of
the North American Lutheran Church. "We must ask how this separation in the
body of Christ will serve the ministry and message of reconciliation entrusted
to us by God," he wrote.
"The ELCA has and will continue reaching out to others for the sake of the
gospel and serving our neighbor," he wrote. "Standing together, we are known as
a church that rolls up its sleeves and solves problems, the church that is
catalyst, convener and bridge builder. Our strong ecumenical relationships and
global partnerships testify to that commitment."
He continued, "Yet before the ELCA can undertake any such efforts with a
new Lutheran church body, I believe we must commit to obey the commandment
against bearing false witness and commit to live its meaning in every setting,
both private and public: 'We are to fear and love God, so that we do not tell
lies about our neighbors, betray or slander them, or destroy their reputations.
Instead we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret
everything they do in the best possible light.'" The quotation is from Martin
Luther's Small Catechism in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
Hanson wrote that the world is plagued by incivility, willful
misunderstanding and hurtful caricatures of people who do not agree. "Let us
declare that such behaviors will stop with us. There is room in this church for
lively conversations and disagreements about questions of faith and life. There
is room in this church for vigorous dialogue that witnesses to faith without
rushing to judgment and closing off discussion," the presiding bishop's
pastoral letter said.
Hanson called for restraint in judging others and called for speaking
charitably with and about others. He said members should not be timid in
proclaiming Jesus Christ and participating in God's healing of the world.
"Even in the midst of great challenges in the economy and in the church,
we can rejoice because the ministry in which we are engaged is a ministry of
God's mercy and reconciliation in Christ," Hanson wrote.
"Our ministry is not about us, our shortcomings or our problems, for we
proclaim Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the forgiveness that God offers at the
font and the table, in public proclamation and personal assurance. We celebrate
the reconciliation from God that breaks down every dividing wall of hostility
and unites humankind in the bonds of Christ. We delight in the promise of the
new creation that God is bringing to life in Christ. We joyfully embrace the
world and all its inhabitants in love and service," Hanson's letter concluded.
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The full text of Presiding Bishop Hanson's pastoral letter is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bishopstatement on the Web.For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elcanews
Posted for Pastor Bob
