wfn.org | Kuhn Urges LCMS Delegates to be Christ-like

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

July 15, 2001 #1A

Contact Bruce Kueck (314) 342-5715

C-01-01A

Kuhn urges delegates To be Christ-like

ST. LOUIS -- Lutheran Church Missouri Synod President Robert T. Kuhn said 
in his sermon at the Saturday evening worship service that opened the 61st 
Regular Convention of the 2.6-million-member church body, "Christ has freed 
us."

He then asked the nearly 1,600 delegates and 1,500 guests in attendance, 
"Freed to be what?"

He answered that question with the theme of his sermon: "We are freed to be 
Christ-like." Referring worshipers to the epistle reading from Galatians 
5:13-24, Apostle Paul s letter to first-century Christians, he said that we 
are "free to do what Jesus Christ wants us to do."

Kuhn, who became president this past March when serving President A.L. 
Barry died in office, reminded those gathered for the Synod s triennial 
convention being held this week at America s Center convention center, that 
being Christ-like means, "We are to love one another as Jesus has loved us. 
This means that by love, we enslave ourselves to each other." Through 
Christ s crucifixion, Kuhn said, "we have been declared forgiven of the 
guilt of our sin. & As a result of holy Baptism, a new man can daily come 
forth and arise, and in that new person, we can serve each other in love."

He then applied that Biblical message to the business of the Synod s 
convention, saying, "We have been guilty of abusing the freedom the Lord 
has given us. & We surely can disagree about a lot of things, but it is 
unnecessary for us to treat each other in disagreeable ways."

Kuhn then challenged everyone attending by saying that his prayer is that 
people "who do not know us, but will be watching us, will recognize us as 
Christians because of the way we treat one another."

Presiding minister at the communion service was Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor 
of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Columbia, Ill. Assisting were Rev. Jon 
Bischof, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ill., and Rev. 
Alan Braun pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, East Carondelet, Ill. The 
three congregations from southern Illinois, all founded in 1841, are 
serving as convention hosts.

Four choirs participated in the service: a children s choir composed of 
students from six local Lutheran elementary schools, a mass men s choir of 
members of metropolitan St. Louis LCMS congregations, the brass ensemble 
from Immanuel Lutheran Church, St. Charles, Mo., and a bell choir assembled 
from local congregations.

PHOTOGRAPHS: Photos of convention coverage are available at 
www.lcms.org/convention/

-30-

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