CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The coming of the third millennium should not fill us with fear or dread at thoughts of the end," wrote the presiding bishop and 65 synodical bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in a four-page pastoral letter on the significance of the year 2000.
"The coming of the end of the second millennium fills some people in our society with fear. The end of the millennium continues to spawn all kinds of wild prophecies about the end of the world. Many people, Christians included, often imagine 'the end of the world' in terms of the second coming of our Lord," the bishops wrote in their letter.
The Christian Bible refers to a millennium only "where it is said that Satan will be bound for a thousand years and that the saints shall reign with Christ for a millennium. However, the Bible does not connect this period with the second coming of Christ," wrote the bishops.
The ELCA Conference of Bishops adopted the letter, "The Year of Our Lord 2000," when it met here Oct. 1-7. The bishops also issued a two-page reflection on "The Promise of a New Millennium." Both are being distributed through the ELCA's synods and on the World Wide Web to coincide with the church's Festival of the Reformation, Oct. 31.
"The beginning of the third millennium is an occasion to mark 2,000 years of the reign of Christ and all the blessings that Christ's reign has meant and will mean for the Church and the world in the years to come," they wrote.
"Birthdays celebrate the fact that we are alive, that we have good things to look back on, that we have hope for the future. On a much loftier scale that is exactly what we are doing as Christians as we greet the new century and the new millennium," the bishops wrote.
Looking back on the past millennium the bishops considered "the great schism" of Christianity between East and West, the crusades, the Reformation of the Western church and the spread of the gospel to all parts of the world. "In spite of all the shortcomings and wrongdoing of the Church, by God's grace the reign of Christ was extended and millions upon millions were reconciled to God," they wrote.
Looking ahead to the next millennium the bishops brought up such topics as the environment, the world growing more secular and divisions within the Church and within society. "As we move into the third millennium, let our church and all its members commit to the blessed work of reconciliation of all that has divided human society in the second millennium."
"Every year is the year of our Lord," the bishops concluded. They recalled two biblical promises of Jesus -- "I am with you always," and "I am coming soon" -- as reasons to live in confidence and in hope.
[Editors: The two-page "reflection" follows. For the full text of the
pastoral letter check out http://www.elca.org/ob/millenni.html or contact
Brenda Williams at 773-380-2963.]
For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director (773) 380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
- - -
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
