Lutherans Should Be Healers and Peacemakers Around the World

DENVER (ELCA) -- The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) North America Pre-Assembly Consultation "is about preparing to be healers in the world," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), one of the LWF's 136 member churches.
Hanson welcomed some 70 voting delegates, staff and advisors who are attending the consultation here Jan. 23-26. The consultation is intended as a planning and learning opportunity for those who will be involved in the LWF Assembly in Winnipeg, Manitoba, July 21-31, with the theme, "For the Healing of the World."
In addition to hearing reports of LWF activities and ministries, the delegates will determine North American nominees for LWF president and the LWF Council, and will discuss possible issues for consideration by the full assembly.
The LWF North America Pre-Assembly Consultation is the first of five such consultations to be held throughout the world leading up to the Winnipeg assembly.
"If you have experienced an LWF Assembly, then you know you will not be the same person when you come out of that experience," Hanson said. Hanson recalled his own experience at age 21, when he was the youngest voting delegate to the 1968 World Council of Churches Assembly in Uppsala, Sweden. At that assembly, Hanson said he helped gather signatures on a resolution calling for withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Vietnam.
"That was clearly a life-changing experience for me," Hanson said. "To the youngest who are here [this weekend], don't underestimate your chance to be a prophetic voice. Go to the assembly to lead."
In addition to the ELCA and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the North America delegates will include representatives of the Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church in diaspora, Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in diaspora and Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, each of which has congregations in North America.
Hanson expressed "heartfelt thanks" on behalf of the North American Lutheran churches to the ELCIC and its national bishop, the Rev. Raymond Schultz, for the church's hospitality and willingness to host the LWF assembly.

CONSULTATION PROVIDES 'QUALITY TIME' EXPERIENCE
At least two-thirds of the delegates will be attending an LWF assembly for the first time, said the Rev. Peri Rasolondraibe, director, LWF Department for Mission and Development, Geneva. He reminded delegates the assembly is the LWF's chief decision-making body, and its activities will include "celebrating our communion" and business matters, such as elections and consideration of resolutions and policy matters.
"The pre-assembly consultation is designed to provide quality time to allow the delegates to prepare themselves for the assembly," Rasolondraibe said.
Women and youth representatives to the assembly have held pre-assembly consultations to discuss key issues of interest, he said. The women's consultation was held last November in Montreaux, Switzerland, and the youth delegates met here this week. Reports of those meetings will be presented here.
While here, delegates, staff and advisors will meet in "Village Groups," which will be a central feature of the full assembly. Bible study and discussions related to the assembly theme will occur in these groups. Village group topics include justification, the Lutheran communion, healing division, mission in a multi-faith context, barriers that can exclude others, healing diseases and trauma, families, overcoming violence, economic globalization and caring for creation.
Ideas for assembly consideration will emerge from the Village Group discussions, Rasolondraibe said. "Village Groups are very important in the decisions of the assembly," he added.
Results of the North America Pre-Assembly Consultation will be shared with the other consultations. "It is my hope and prayer that this Pre-Assembly Consultation will enrich the other pre-assembly consultations that will follow," Rasolondraibe said.

BE PEACEMAKERS, SAYS ELCIC PASTOR
In an opening worship service, the Rev. Susan Johnson, an ELCIC delegate from Kitchener, Ontario, said the delegates "don't have to look far to see why healing is so urgent." In her sermon, she cited the possibility of war with Iraq and violence at home, such as school shootings, recent sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C., area, and child and spousal abuse.
"Healing" suggests curing sickness, she said, noting that catastrophic diseases are not confined to specific geographic areas. "Much of the world's 'sickness' has its roots in poverty," she said.
The Gospel lesson was the story of Jesus' confrontation with a crowd that was preparing to stone a woman to death for adultery, found in the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The crowd dissipated and left the woman alone when Jesus challenged anyone who was without sin to throw the first stone.
"This lesson shows us we can be peacemakers by not throwing stones," Johnson said. "Peacemaking begins with dropping the first stone or taking that first positive action."
She urged the North America representatives to take small steps in the communities in which they live to promote healing and peace -- such as feeding homeless people, supporting the church's appeals that promote healing, and unceasing prayer that God can bring peace to the world.
"God promises to lead, equip and strengthen us as we struggle to bring peace to the world," Johnson concluded. -- -- --
The Web site for the LWF's Tenth Assembly is at http://www.lwf-assembly.org/ on the Internet.

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