Proud to be ELCIC

It’s nice to have a larger Canadian contingent at this LWF gathering – sometimes it has just been three of us – Bishop Ray, David Pfrimmer and me. But with our two women bishops, our youth representatives, a couple of ELCIC staff, and some CLWR board members, it feels like a significant contingent. And as I watch “our people” mix and mingle, participate in discussions and decision-making, and as I watch the esteem in which they, and all of us in the ELCIC, are held within the LWF, I am very proud of the contribution our church makes to the ministry of the LWF. I am proud to be part of the ELCIC. 

- Rev. Susan Johnson, Assistant to the Bishop of the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC, who is attending LWF Council meetings as an advisor

Marriage, Family and Human Sexuality

We spent the last session talking about marriage, family and human sexuality. The task force brought forward a series of recommendations for ongoing dialogue. What struck me the most as I listened to the discussion was how much we talked past each other. Some focussed on marriage, some focussed on homosexuality, some focussed on biblical interpretation, some focused on cultural differences and some focused on church unity. But perhaps even more significantly I notice how little we listened to each other, although admittedly the language challenges make this especially difficult.The thing I really want to lift up is the tone of the conversation – calm, respectful, thoughtful, considerate – even when sharing contradictory opinions, something we would do well to emulate!

- Rev. Susan Johnson, Assistant to the Bishop of the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC

From Babel to Pentecost

One thing that always strikes me when I come to LWF meetings are the many voices present – voices of churches and regions, voices of north and south, voices of age and youth, women and men, and a whole list of special interest groups.

But more specifically, voices with different tones and timbers and accents. Even if everyone in a program committee meeting is speaking English, they do so with different accents, cadences and inflections. Let me give you an example – I meet with the Department of Theology and Studies – we meet in English. But the English comes with a whole bunch of different sounds; English from those for whom it is not their first (or second or third) language, English from Argentina, Germany, Indonesia, Romania, Cameroon, Poland, Denmark and Finland.

And at first it is almost incomprehensible – I get a deep appreciation for those people of the time of Babel right after God mixed up the languages. But with time and patience and experience, it becomes more comprehensible, then understandable, and then my ears become fluent. And now the experience is like that of Pentecost – people from all over hearing the same message.

It’s tiring, it’s hard work, but it is so rewarding. 

- Rev. Susan Johnson, Assistant to the Bishop of the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC, is attending LWF Council meetings as an advisor