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ELCA Secretary Advises Assembly To 'Keep Your Eye On The Horizon'
CWA-12-05-JI

     ORLANDO, Fla. (ELCA) -- The Rev. Lowell G. Almen, secretary
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), drew on
images of a flight attendant telling an anxious passenger on a
turbulent air flight to "keep your eye on the horizon" and the
coordinated movements of a swimmer as advice and example for the
church body in his report to the assembly Aug. 10.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott
and Convention Center.	About 2,300 people are participating,
including 1,018 ELCA voting members.  The theme for the biennial
assembly is "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever."
     "Keep your eye on the horizon because that remains steady,"
Almen said. "What superb advice, what a great reminder for each
of us -- and also for our ongoing life throughout the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America."
     "Remember this: A long history of faithful confession
precedes us to this place," Almen told the assembly. "The
pilgrimage of faith will continue long after our years of witness
and service.  We are charged in our time with being good stewards
of the faith and conscientious disciples of our Lord."
     He emphasized that "by the power of God's Spirit," the
church can keep its eye on several types of horizons -- "the
testimony of Scripture and the witness of the whole Church ...
[that which] shapes our particular heritage of renewal and
reform, ... [and] that grand vista as the present embraces the
past and unfolds into a future of hope."
     "The past, the present and future provide that wide
perspective," he said, just before stepping from the lectern as
the assembly viewed video footage in which Almen traced major
actions and developments in the ELCA since its formation in 1987
and gave his observations on the life and work of the church.
     He spoke of "hot" topics throughout the ELCA's 18-year
history, such as discussion and deliberation on eight social
statements adopted by churchwide assemblies, full communion
agreements with five church bodies, studies, elections, and
church organization.
     Referring to what is arguably this 2005 assembly's hot topic
-- consideration of recommendations on sexuality -- Almen
reminded the assembly that "no ELCA Churchwide Assembly has been
held without some discussion of issues of sexuality."
     "As you may realize from this report," he said, "the
secretary is, in a number of respects, the keeper of the history
... of this church. The secretary also is the steward of the
structure [and] is responsible for understanding and describing
the governing documents of this church."
     "Practicing what we say as a church body in our governing
documents helps all parts of this church--and, indeed, members
throughout this church--to keep our eyes on the horizon, to focus
on what remains steady amid turmoil and change," said Almen.
     He told the voting members and others in the assembly hall
that if he were to give them a reading assignment about the
ELCA's polity, he would include a constitutional provision that
"underscores the principle of interdependence."
     "This church shall function as people of God through
congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization, all of
which shall be interdependent," that provision states. "Each
part, while fully the church, recognizes that it is not the whole
church and therefore lives in a partnership relationship with the
others."
     "Commitment to the practice of interdependence will guide us
in our life together," Almen said.  "In a profound sense, such
commitment will help us keep our eyes on the horizon.  Indeed,
partnership and interdependence are crucial themes for the
churchly health and for the effective work of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, including all congregations, synods,
and churchwide ministries, as well as related institutions and
agencies."
      Almen's analogy of a swimmer, which he used to illustrate
that interdependence, came at the end of his report.
     Applause and laughter rose from the assembly at the recorded
image of him standing waste-deep in a swimming pool. That clip
with Almen's comments about a swimmer's movements was first used
in his report to the 1993 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
     "Yes, when done well, each stroke in swimming does appear as
one cohesive action," Almen said in the 1993 clip. "In reality,
each stroke is a necessary combination of several separate
movements or deeds. ... After all, a body pulling in opposite
directions cannot move forward effectively."
     He cited the Apostle Paul's scriptural observation: "Just as
the body is one and has many members, and all members of the
body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ."
     "And so it is also, my friends, with this church that we
embrace and know as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,"
Almen said to conclude his report to the 2005 assembly.
---
     Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/05 on the Web.

For more information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org 
http://www.elca.org/news