CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 1998 Easter message of the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA):
"To say that Jesus has risen from the dead means that he is not where we left him.
"Jesus has not been left back in Bible times. He is still with his followers to teach them and help them. Jesus is not the Jesus of our childhood any more. He has new tasks and challenges for us as adults. Jesus is not even the Jesus we knew yesterday; he will reveal more of his nature and his power every day of our lives.
"I've just returned from a trip to Istanbul, Rome and London, to meet with church leaders of major traditions in the Christian family. It became clear to me that Jesus is so strong and so vital in this world that we in the United States only see a corner of the activity that the resurrected Christ is carrying on. If we look at the work he is doing through his church worldwide, we will only recognize that the power of the resurrection is unleashed in this world and that every day people are coming to faith because of the surprising resurrection of Jesus so many years ago.
"The women who came to the tomb on Easter morning discovered that Jesus was no longer there, and that has been the testimony of Christians ever since. As he promised, Christ is always ahead of us, always bringing us new possibilities and new hopes."
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
