Title: ELCA To Specify Uses of Word and Sacraments ELCA NEWS SERVICE July 25, 1996 ELCA TO SPECIFY USES OF WORD AND SACRAMENTS (91 lines) 96-18-053-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The first draft of a statement on sacramental practices drew about 850 written responses from members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA Task Force on Sacramental Practices considered those responses here July 18-21 while working out details for the final draft. The responses served the basic purposes of underlining parts of the draft that were confusing or could have been worded better and of clarifying the direction of the statement, said the Rev. Karen G. Bockelman, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Circle Pines, Minn. Bockelman chairs the task force. The direction of the statement is summarized in its title, "The Use of the Means of Grace," she said. "We cannot and we have not been asked to write sacramental theology. We are trying to focus on issues of use." The draft specifies the means of grace as "the Word and the sacraments." "Word" includes the Bible and affirmation of the gospel. "Sacraments" include Holy Communion and Baptism. The first draft was divided into three main sections: Christian Assembly and the Proclamation of the Word, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. The task force decided to add a fourth section on "dismissal into the world" -- carrying the gospel beyond Sunday morning worship. Much of the material in the new section was in other sections of the first draft. "We talked a lot about the use of the means of grace for our lives in the world," said Bockelman. "Strengthened and nourished by Word and sacrament, we are dismissed into the world to bear Christ's life to the world," she said. "The responses were extremely varied, ranging from brief single comments to multi-page letters commenting on a wide variety of topics," the Rev. Michael R. Rothaar, ELCA director for congregational studies, told the task force. "On the average, each person or group commented on about three topics." Written responses came primarily through a form distributed with the first draft, he said. Others came through open forums, parish leadership conferences, private conversations and an exchange on LutherLink -- part of Ecunet, the ecumenical computer network. "There have also been published articles pertinent to the subject or directed specifically to the draft statement," said Rothaar. The task force categorized the responses into 34 topics for discussion. It gave much of its attention to two topics: the age of admission to first communion and the Trinitarian language -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- used in Baptism. The former American Lutheran Church (ALC) and Lutheran Church in America (LCA) adopted "A Statement on Communion Practices" in 1978. "It is the practice of the Church to admit to Holy Communion those who, in its judgement, are ready to participate," it said, describing "readiness" as being able to understand and appreciate the gifts God gives through the sacrament. "Thus infant communion is precluded," it inferred. The ALC, LCA and Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches formed the ELCA in 1988. In 1989 the ELCA adopted the 1978 statement as its policy. "We have not said that infant communion is precluded," said Bockelman. The draft statement emphasizes that "admission to the sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized." The Lutheran church baptizes people of any age. A few Lutheran congregations commune infants. "We are trying our best, without back-pedaling on that issue, to say there is a larger question here," said Bockelman. "We have a world where there are increasing numbers of adults who have not been invited into the baptismal life." The task force decided not to change what the first draft said about the "Trinitarian formula" used in Baptism. "Holy Baptism is administered with water in the name of the triune God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit," said the draft. The task force will present the new draft of the statement to the board of the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries in October. That board can reject the statement or edit it before proposing the ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopt it. The ELCA Church Council will review the statement in November and formulate its recommendations to the assembly. The next Churchwide Assembly will be Aug. 14-20, 1997, in Philadelphia. "We hope that it can become a reference point for pastors and church councils and worship committees as they talk in their own congregations or in their own settings about these various issues," said Bockelman. "We hope it will call for and be used as a guide in the preparation of all kinds of study and curricular materials." For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956