During the closing Eucharist of the Eleventh Assembly, Rev. Shu-Chen (Selma) Chen, The Lutheran Church of Taiwan (Republic of China), preaches about the abundance and faithfulness of God. © LWF/Luis E. Ramírez
27.07.2010
“We Recognize the Obligation of Feeding the World Physically and Spiritually”
LWF Eleventh Assembly concludes in joyful worship
STUTTGART, Germany, 27 July 2010 – Participants in the Eleventh Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) celebrated the end of the meeting in a closing eucharistic service today in Stuttgart’s Stiftskirche. During the 20-27 July meeting of the highest decision-making body of the LWF, delegates discussed issues of concern in church and society under the theme, “Give Us Today Our Daily Bread.”
The highlights are contained in the Assembly Message, in which delegates summarized the actions they intend to take as a result of their deliberations during the meeting. “The sacramental sharing of bread and wine obliges us to care for the daily bread of our societies,” states the message. “As a communion of small and large churches, we recognize that we fulfil the obligation of feeding the world physically and spiritually in various ways.”
The Assembly Message notes that in an increasingly multicultural world, the need for dialogue and working together grows more urgent daily. “Being well grounded in our faith tradition enables us to be open, receptive and hospitable to others.”
In what has been called the most significant legacy of the Assembly, delegates took the historic step of asking the Mennonites for forgiveness for past persecutions. Delegates unanimously approved a statement calling Lutherans to express their regret and sorrow for past wrongdoings towards Anabaptists and asking for forgiveness.
The Assembly elected a new LWF President, Rt Rev. Dr Munib A. Younan, who is the first person from the Asia region to hold the highest position at the LWF Secretariat. Younan, who is bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHC), succeeds Bishop Mark S. Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
During the closing worship service, Younan and the 48 other newly-elected Council drawn from the seven LWF regions were installed. The new Council members included 10 representatives each from Africa and Asia; 8 from Central Western Europe; 6 from the Nordic Countries; 5 each from Central Eastern Europe and North America and 4 from the Latin American and Caribbean region.
“With our faithful, abundant God, we can make this world a different one”
In her sermon based on John 6:48-51, Rev. Shu-Chen (Selma) Chen, The Lutheran Church of Taiwan (Republic of China), focused on “the manna which our forebears ate.”
She described how, for her, the manna describes the simple relationship between God, creation and humans. “God gave the manna, and people were able to sustain themselves without exploiting others or depriving them of their basic food.”
“Jesus says, ‘I am the bread of life,’” said Chen. “He is our abundant God. He wants us to share the abundance we have with those who are need. He wants us to trust him in his faithfulness.”
“With our faithful, abundant God we can make this world a different one,” she continued. “A world with more justice, more life.”
Departing from the Assembly, participants were encouraged to take this message back into their own contexts and challenges. The table needs to be set for everyone, said Chen. “Let us be good stewards, sharing the table with everyone around us.”
In keeping with the Assembly theme, worshippers held bowls of grain high as the LWF leaders asked God’s help in leading the LWF in the years to come.
Music during the service included hymns in different languages from around the world, some accompanied by drums and the jubilant ululation often heard in African churches. The Lord’s Prayer, like during other worship services at the Assembly, was prayed in as many languages as are spoken by the participants here. (594 words)
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