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A Message from Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson
November 2006
Dear Colleagues in Ministry:
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ."
These words of greeting, with which the Apostle Paul begins his
letter to the churches of Galatia, were heard in a special way
this week by the ELCA Church Council. In the meeting that ended
earlier this week, the council spent several hours engaged with
the letter to the Galatians and Paul's strong invitation to
those churches to live the freedom given to each of us through
the Gospel in service to neighbor.
At its meeting last month the Conference of Bishops heard the
entire book of Galatians recited aloud, and then spent several
hours discussing Paul's letter. We know that synod assemblies
this spring and the churchwide assembly in August also will take
time to dwell in Scripture, hearing the good news of the Gospel
as spoken to us by Paul in Galatians.
Why this focus on Galatians?
In response to the action of the 2001 Churchwide Assembly, this
church is in the process of preparing a social statement on
human sexuality for consideration at the 2009 Churchwide
Assembly. As with all ELCA social statements, materials are
prepared for study and response, which is used as input into the
deliberations of the task force that has the responsibility for
drafting the social statement. I want you to know about the next
phase of the process.
On December 4, the task force for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality
will release "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor: Lutherans
Talk about Human Sexuality," a study that invites participants
throughout this church into a discussion of human sexuality. The
study is grounded in the New Testament book of Galatians and
Martin Luther's essay, "On the Freedom of a Christian."
Through its engagement with these texts, the task force found
energy and insight for its conversation about human sexuality.
This also was true for the Conference of Bishops and the Church
Council. I am confident that those who participate in the study
will find it a rich foundation for their own conversations as
well.
Over the last three years, I have been profoundly grateful for
the key leadership roles that you and other leaders have played
in this church's conversations about human sexuality. Thank you
in advance for your continued commitment and leadership during
the next phase of this church's study and conversation. I
encourage you to participate in "Free in Christ to Serve the
Neighbor: Lutherans Talk about Human Sexuality," as individuals,
with congregations, and in synods, and to communicate with the
task force concerning your responses to the study. Your comments
about this study, as with those on the two previous ones, will
help shape the social statement on human sexuality.
The study will be available for download online at
www.elca.org/faithfuljourney on
December 4, 2006. Soon thereafter, each ELCA congregation will
receive a printed copy of the study. Additional printed copies
may be preordered at the URL above.
As this church continues discernment regarding God's gracious
gift of human sexuality, I pray with Paul, "May the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters.
Amen."
Living in God's amazing grace,
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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