wfn.org | Europe: What does it mean to have faith?

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

The gospel at the dawn of a new era

MEISSEN, Germany/GENEVA, 1 October 1999 (lwi) - Faith as the assurance
of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1),
was the subject that gave insight into the reflections of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) European Church Leaders' Conference which took
place place in Meissen, Germany, from Sept. 26 to 30.

Delivering the opening worship sermon in the Cathedral of Meissen on the
evening of Sept. 26, Superintendent Luise Muller from Salzburg and
Tirol, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria, invited
the 60 participants to focus on what it means for the followers of Jesus
Christ to have faith now and in the future.

Based on the biblical lessons of the miracles Jesus performed, Muller
presented an interpretation of a scene in which one of Jesus' disciples,
Simon Peter, grapples with the question of his own insufficient faith
when the master feeds the crowd of 5,000 and later on calms the rough
sea when the disciples' boat is caught in a big storm.

The fisherman asks the older David in the village of Capernaum: "Why is
my faith not sufficient? Why are my doubts and panic always greater?" By
presenting this kind of encounter, Muller emphasized David's assurance
to the young disciple that those who believe in Christ can risk the
darkness and threats, venture from "our narrow boats at the mercy of
wind and waves because he is calling us" and "our faith is carrying us."

For the European church leaders, meeting under the theme, "The gospel at
the dawn of the third millennium" and in the midst of a threatened
world, Muller's message was that "our stories of faith today rarely make
us radiant triumphant winners" but are more often a bold decision based
on the promised word much like it was with the disciples.

Held every three years, this is the second meeting of its kind for the
now 42 LWF member churches on the continent. The first conference took
place in Budapest, Hungary in 1994. Similar regional church leaders'
conventions are held regularly in Asia, the Americas and Africa. The LWF
member churches in Europe represent some 37 million Lutherans in 25
countries. Host church to this conference is the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Saxony.

(The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of Lutheran
churches. Founded in 1947, the LWF now has 128 member churches in 70
countries representing 58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans.
Its highest decision-making body is the Assembly which meets every six
or seven years. Between Assemblies the LWF is governed by a 49-member
Council which meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.)

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/