Title: Lutherans Should Be Healers and Peacemakers Around the World
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 24, 2003

LUTHERANS SHOULD BE HEALERS AND PEACEMAKERS AROUND THE WORLD
03-012-JB

     DENVER (ELCA) -- The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) North America
Pre-Assembly Consultation "is about preparing to be healers in the
world," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), one of the LWF's 136
member churches.
     Hanson welcomed some 70 voting delegates, staff and advisors who
are attending the consultation here Jan. 23-26.  The consultation is
intended as a planning and learning opportunity for those who will be
involved in the LWF Assembly in Winnipeg, Manitoba, July 21-31, with the
theme, "For the Healing of the World."
     In addition to hearing reports of LWF activities and ministries,
the delegates will determine North American nominees for LWF president
and the LWF Council, and will discuss possible issues for consideration
by the full assembly.
     The LWF North America Pre-Assembly Consultation is the first of
five such consultations to be held throughout the world leading up to
the Winnipeg assembly.
     "If you have experienced an LWF Assembly, then you know you will
not be the same person when you come out of that experience," Hanson
said.  Hanson recalled his own experience at age 21, when he was the
youngest voting delegate to the 1968 World Council of Churches Assembly
in Uppsala, Sweden.  At that assembly, Hanson said he helped gather
signatures on a resolution calling for withdrawal of U.S. military
forces from Vietnam.
     "That was clearly a life-changing experience for me," Hanson said.
"To the youngest who are here [this weekend], don't underestimate your
chance to be a prophetic voice.  Go to the assembly to lead."
     In addition to the ELCA and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC), the North America delegates will include representatives of the
Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church in diaspora, Latvian Evangelical
Lutheran Church in diaspora and Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church,
each of which has congregations in North America.
     Hanson expressed "heartfelt thanks" on behalf of the North
American Lutheran churches to the ELCIC and its national bishop, the
Rev. Raymond Schultz, for the church's hospitality and willingness to
host the LWF assembly.

CONSULTATION PROVIDES 'QUALITY TIME' EXPERIENCE
     At least two-thirds of the delegates will be attending an LWF
assembly for the first time, said the Rev. Peri Rasolondraibe, director,
LWF Department for Mission and Development, Geneva.  He reminded
delegates the assembly is the LWF's chief decision-making body, and its
activities will include "celebrating our communion" and business
matters, such as elections and consideration of resolutions and policy
matters.
     "The pre-assembly consultation is designed to provide quality time
to allow the delegates to prepare themselves for the assembly,"
Rasolondraibe said.
     Women and youth representatives to the assembly have held
pre-assembly consultations to discuss key issues of interest, he said.
The women's consultation was held last November in Montreaux,
Switzerland, and the youth delegates met here this week.  Reports of
those meetings will be presented here.
     While here, delegates, staff and advisors will meet in "Village
Groups," which will be a central feature of the full assembly.  Bible
study and discussions related to the assembly theme will occur in these
groups.  Village group topics include justification, the Lutheran
communion, healing division, mission in a multi-faith context, barriers
that can exclude others, healing diseases and trauma, families,
overcoming violence, economic globalization and caring for creation.
     Ideas for assembly consideration will emerge from the Village
Group discussions, Rasolondraibe said.  "Village Groups are very
important in the decisions of the assembly," he added.
     Results of the North America Pre-Assembly Consultation will be
shared with the other consultations.  "It is my hope and prayer that
this Pre-Assembly Consultation will enrich the other pre-assembly
consultations that will follow," Rasolondraibe said.

BE PEACEMAKERS, SAYS ELCIC PASTOR
     In an opening worship service, the Rev. Susan Johnson, an ELCIC
delegate from Kitchener, Ontario, said the delegates "don't have to look
far to see why healing is so urgent."  In her sermon, she cited the
possibility of war with Iraq and violence at home, such as school
shootings, recent sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C., area, and
child and spousal abuse.
     "Healing" suggests curing sickness, she said, noting that
catastrophic diseases are not confined to specific geographic areas.
"Much of the world's 'sickness' has its roots in poverty," she said.
     The Gospel lesson was the story of Jesus' confrontation with a
crowd that was preparing to stone a woman to death for adultery, found
in the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.  The
crowd dissipated and left the woman alone when Jesus challenged anyone
who was without sin to throw the first stone.
     "This lesson shows us we can be peacemakers by not throwing
stones," Johnson said.  "Peacemaking begins with dropping the first
stone or taking that first positive action."
     She urged the North America representatives to take small steps in
the communities in which they live to promote healing and peace -- such
as feeding homeless people, supporting the church's appeals that promote
healing, and unceasing prayer that God can bring peace to the world.
     "God promises to lead, equip and strengthen us as we struggle to
bring peace to the world," Johnson concluded.
-- -- --
     The Web site for the LWF's Tenth Assembly is at
http://www.lwf-assembly.org/ on the Internet.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html