Ola queridos amigos. Grace to you and peace in the name of Jesus. It is such a joy to be with you and to bring you greetings from your siblings in Christ from coast to coast to coast that are part of the family of God we call the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
The World Council of Churches recently held its Assembly in Germany under the theme Christ’s Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity. It was good to see Pastor Mauro just a couple rows ahead of me as we were both delegates. Next year, the Lutheran World Federation meets in Assembly in Krakow, Poland under the theme One Body, One Spirit, One Hope.
Both of our churches are members of these global expressions of the church. It is one of the things that unites us. But the two assembly themes I mentioned underline why we participate in these global expressions. They help us join our siblings in Christ around the world in discerning how God continues to speak to us and form us into expressions of the church. Second, they help us hear God’s call to act as God’s agents of justice and reconciliation in a world that is in so much need.
In some ways our contexts are different. Portuguese and English, the heat of the Amazon and the cold of the North. A bigger church, you, and a smaller church, us. But in many more ways we are the same. We both proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We both need the assurance of God’s strengthening presence with us now and hope for the future. And we both face the same global challenges. The climate crisis including escalation climate disasters. The pandemic. Poverty and the growing gap between rich and poor. The rise of nationalist and authoritarian governments. Working for the rights of Indigenous peoples. Gender justice. The list goes on.
That is why we need each other and the witness of our common hope in the saving and liberating mercies of God. That is why we need to encourage each other in our work for justice and peace. That is why we need each other to encourage each other as old ways of being church are fading and new ways of being church are not yet in view.
I thank you for the witness you give me in these days. I thank you for our partnership in ministry. And I promise you of our ongoing prayers for you and your mission in this place. Obrigado e te abencoe.
Bishop Susan Johnson
