wfn.org | Easter Message of ELCA's Presiding Bishop

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 30, 1998

EASTER MESSAGE OF ELCA'S PRESIDING BISHOP
98-069-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 1998 Easter message of the Rev. H. George
Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA):
     "To say that Jesus has risen from the dead means that he is not where
we left him.
     "Jesus has not been left back in Bible times.  He is still with his
followers to teach them and help them.  Jesus is not the Jesus of our
childhood any more.  He has new tasks and challenges for us as adults.
Jesus is not even the Jesus we knew yesterday;
he will reveal more of his nature and his power every day of our lives.
     "I've just returned from a trip to Istanbul, Rome and London, to meet
with church leaders of major traditions in the Christian family.  It became
clear to me that Jesus is so strong and so vital in this world that we in
the United States only see a corner of the activity that the resurrected
Christ is carrying on.  If we look at the work he is doing through his
church worldwide, we will only recognize that the power of the resurrection
is unleashed in this world and that every day people are coming to faith
because of the surprising resurrection of Jesus so many years ago.
     "The women who came to the tomb on Easter morning discovered that
Jesus was no longer there, and that has been the testimony of Christians
ever since.  As he promised, Christ is always ahead of us, always bringing
us new possibilities and new hopes."

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html