Pentecost Message from the Presidency of the IECLB - 2020
On the day of the ascension, Jesus promised to the people who followed him: you will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses (Acts 1.8).
On the day of Pentecost, the promise was fulfilled: the Holy Spirit came and thus the Christian church was born. For this reason, Pentecost is considered the anniversary of the Church.
The IECLB is a Christian church of Lutheran confession and is the result of the action of the Holy Spirit. This is a festive day for us.
Through the action of the Holy Spirit, different people come together and are part of the same body of Christ. In the body of Christ, we learn, teach, pray, praise, serve. This is the IECLB: different people united by the Spirit in the same faith and in the same objective.
The IECLB is formed by 18 Synods and is present in all regions of Brazil. We have Synods that cover several states. In some cases, the distance between parishes exceeds 1000 kilometers. Other Synods are geographically small and people can get together more easily.
Some synods have bigger number of members; others have fewer members. Some have better financial conditions, others need help.
We are different, but the same Spirit and the same Baptism unite us.
Last year, we had many face-to-face meetings: worship services, Bible studies, groups, meetings, lectures, seminars. The Holy Spirit moved us to do different things. This year, there were few face-to-face meetings. We canceled activities because we needed social distance to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. But the Holy Spirit continues to work and move us. Now, we experience communion in another way. In social distance, the Holy Spirit moves us to find new ways to live the faith and help people.
The Spirit continues to work! In the Lutheran Church, we recognize that the Holy Spirit is given at Baptism. We are people baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. As Martin Luther wrote “Baptism is a bath of new birth in the Holy Spirit.
The action of the Holy Spirit promotes love, joy, peace, kindness. Through the action of the Holy Spirit, we can witness and live in communion.
One of the forms of testimony happens in support of the Fundraising Campaign Vai e Vem. Through this campaign, we finance and maintain several missionary projects. May the Holy Spirit motivate us to support the Campaign!
We ask that the Holy Spirit move us to act in solidarity with fragile communities and with people in need. We cannot forget the thousands of victims of this pandemic. We cannot forget people who have no jobs and those who risk their lives because they need to work. We cannot forget people who suffer violence at home and those who have no home to live in.
The Spirit of God is a prophetic spirit that denounces sin, violence, greed, the destruction of the divine Creation. By the Spirit, we cannot remain silent in face of injustice.
In a time of lies, we cry out: Spirit, Truth, come to live in us!
In a time of suffering, we cry out: Dear comforter, support us in pain!
Because we have been baptized, we cry out: make us announce your brightness to the world!
Our goal at IECLB is to announce the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to live out the Gospel, to promote peace, justice and love. May the Holy Spirit allow us to stand firm on that goal.
O Holy Spirit, give us strength and faith!
Blessed day of Pentecost!
Pastor Sílvia Beatrice Genz
Presiding Pastor of the IECLB
Pastor Odair Airton Braun
Pastor 1st Vice-President of the IECLB
Pastor Dr. Mauro Batista de Souza
Pastor 2nd Vice-President of the IECLB
