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View all the images from Thursday, August 20, 2009
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On Thursday morning, the assembly went into a Breakfast Conversation to talk to one another informally on the ministry polices recommendation. The ELCA has a long tradition of fostering moral deliberation — safe ways to talk together about tough social issues. Listening to each other's stories and insights, voting members were able to enrich their own understanding of the issue before them. For more information on becoming a community of moral deliberation within your congregation, click here. |
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When voting members serve their church at a churchwide assembly, they often leave behind family and friends for an entire week. To help them keep in touch, assembly attendees are invited to use the free E-mail Center. Banks of computers allow users to access e-mail, use MS Office applications, and print their documents. For attendees with their own computers, there are "plug-in" spots in the E-mail Center and Luther Seminary has provided free WI-FI throughout the convention center. On the first day of the assembly alone, over 300 people used this convenience. |
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Today, voting members were given the opportunity to follow Christ's loving example of service by washing each others' feet. One after the other, they knelt and bathed the feet of their fellow Lutherans and in turn had their feet bathed by another. As the warm water flowed over their hands and cleansed their brother's or sister's feet, "God's work. Our hands." was illustrated in poignant ways.
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. (John 13:14) |
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After plenary had ended, Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson went to meet with the participants of the "Affirming Young Leaders" event for rostered leaders who are in their first call and are age 31 or younger. After Bishop Hanson spoke to them about qualities of leadership, the group massed around him, layed on hands, and prayed over him and offered him their blessing. While we've had a picture from this group a few days back, this one was especially touching. |
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In 2008, The United Methodist Church General Conference (akin to our churchwide assembly) adopted an agreement btween them and the ELCA. Today, by a vote of 958-51, the 2009 Churchwide Assembly adopted a full communion agreement with the United Methodist Church. Full communion makes possible a variety of joint ministries, sharing of resources and interchangeability of clergy. The agreement is the ELCA’s sixth full communion relationship. Learn more about ecumenism in the ELCA. |
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View all the images from Thursday, August 20, 2009 |