Title: Lutherans See the World at Global Mission Events
ELCA NEWS SERVICE=20
July 22, 1997
LUTHERANS SEE THE WORLD AT GLOBAL MISSION EVENTS
97-MR
SEGUIN, TEXAS (ELCA) -- About 2,600 members of the Evangelical =
Lutheran Church in America gathered from around the world for two Global =
Mission Events, titled, =22Look to Jesus -- Run the Race.=22 They took =
place July 10-13 at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill., and again July 17-20 =
at Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas. About 2,000 participants =
gathered in Wheaton and about 600 in Seguin.
=22Jesus is the human face of God,=22 said Dr. Elsa T=E1mez, =
president of the Latin American Biblical Seminary, San Jos=E9, Costa Rica. =
=22To look at Jesus is to feel sure and confident about ourselves because =
we know God is there; to put our eye on Jesus is to discover the will of =
God for our day.=22 T=E1mez was the keynote speaker at each event.=20
=22Instead of running a race to strengthen our body and spirit, we =
dehumanize ourselves and others through competition,=22 said T=E1mez. For =
Christians, our race in life is not the one set by American society, she =
said. =22The race is a struggle,=22 not a competition where =22a neighbor =
becomes an obstacle to overcome. When our eyes are on Jesus, this type of =
competition does not exist.=22 Patience and perseverance are more =
important than =22being number one. God will give us the strength to run =
the race of life,=22 T=E1mez said.
The Rev. Bonnie L. Jensen, executive director of the ELCA=27s =
Division for Global Mission, Chicago, spoke at the events=27 opening =
celebrations. =22We, who are members of the most powerful nation in the =
world, dare not speak of mission as conquest; but mission is walking with =
the outcast, the humble,=22 said Jensen. Americans can learn from other =
Christians around the world to pray from their hearts, to talk boldly =
about Christ, to be less preoccupied with material things and to dismantle =
racism, she said.
Dr. He Qi, art instructor at Nanjing Theological Seminary and Nanjing =
University in China, said he was introduced to the =22imported religion=22 =
of Christianity through art. He spoke to participants via videotape =
followed by a live telephone conference. =20
=22I have a dream,=22 he told the participants, =22to use Christian =
art to let the Chinese people know that Christianity is not just a Western =
religion. It belongs to our Chinese people, too.=22 Dr. He said his =
dream =22shares a message of love and peace.=22
ELCA missionary staff came from many countries to take part in the =
Global Mission Events, along with international guests from partner =
churches around the world. Worship included music from Africa, Asia, =
Latin America, North America and Europe.
=22Jesus was once a refugee. As a child, he and his parents escaped =
Herod=27s death squads and fled to Africa,=22 said the Rev. Stephen =
Larson, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Geneva, Switzerland, =
during the event=27s Sunday worship service. =22Look to Jesus and you may =
find yourself looking into the face of a Rwandan refugee child.=22
The event=27s theme served as the focus of a =22Global University=22 =
that offered 95 courses in more than 200 seminars and another 80 sessions =
of videotapes or conversation. Topics ranged from the current peace =
process in Liberia to HIV/AIDS, from promoting gender equity to Christian =
outreach in Chinese Hong Kong. A special =22track=22 of courses offered =
in Seguin concentrated on Latino ministry while courses in Wheaton gave =
insight into Islam, a world religion. Youth participated in global =
programs designed for junior high and senior high school ages at each =
event.
The offering from the opening worship service in Seguin -- =242,400 =
-- was divided among the Oak Indian Center, Oaks, Oklahoma; the =22Z=22 =
Place, Zion Lutheran Church, San Antonio, Texas; and the ELCA=27s Corridor =
Ministry on the border between Texas and Mexico. The offering from the =
opening worship service in Wheaton -- =246,300 -- was divided between =
Lutheran Family Mission of Chicago and the Southwest Asian Outreach =
ministry of Central Lutheran Church, Des Moines, Iowa. A second offering =
was given to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
