wfn.org | Methodist-Lutheran dialogue team discusses sacraments

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Feb. 19, 2002      News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-21-71B{060}

By United Methodist News Service

The rites considered sacraments by both the United Methodist Church and
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - baptism and the Lord's
Supper - were topics of discussion when dialogue team members from the two
denominations met Feb. 14-17 in Orlando, Fla.

Led by United Methodist Bishop Melvin Talbert of Nashville, Tenn., and ELCA
Bishop Allan Bjornberg of Denver, the dialogue team was meeting for the
second time. The current dialogue, the third round between the two
Protestant bodies, was initiated last September.

The two denominations do have differences in thinking about baptism, or
entry into church life, and about the Lord's Supper, also known as Holy
Communion. But, Talbert told United Methodist News Service, "We quickly came
to realize these differences are basically in terms of nuance."

As an example, he cited the issue of "real presence" in the Lord's Supper.
An examination of the teachings of Martin Luther and John Wesley show that
both denominations historically believe in the idea of real presence. The
emphasis during communion is a bit different, according to Talbert, as
Lutherans focus more strongly on relating to "the body and the blood" while
United Methodists focus on the Holy Spirit.

"When we partake of the bread, we are, in fact, remembering who Jesus really
was and is," he said. "Once we partake of Holy Communion, Christ's spirit
empowers us and sends us forth to do mission and ministry in the world."

Bjornberg noted that, on an international level, Lutherans and Methodists
already have discussed the issue of baptism, and he believes the dialogue
team essentially reached agreement on the topic, although more conversation
will follow.

"The other sacrament is Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper," he said.
"There are some perceptions in both Lutheran and United Methodist churches
that we are at some distance apart about that. What we discovered is a much
greater convergence than we thought."

Talbert doesn't consider differences in perception as barriers to the
previously stated goal of the current round of dialogue: "our hope for full
communion and fellowship between the ELCA and UMC." 

The ELCA already has established full communion with the Episcopal Church,
Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, Reformed Church in
America and the Moravian Church.

Members of the dialogue team will meet again in September and twice during
2003. Future topics of discussion include sanctification and justification,
according to Talbert, as well as how to reconcile each church's ministries
to allow for the free exchange of clergy.

In addition to Talbert, United Methodist team members are the Rev. Lars-Erik
Nordby of Norway; the Rev. Amy Laura Hall, Duke Divinity School; Jean
Miller-Schmidt, Iliff School of Theology; and Judith Crain of Green Bay,
Wis. The Rev. Paul Chilcote, Asbury Seminary, serves as a consultant.

The ELCA team, besides Bjornberg, includes Kathryn Johnson, Louisville
Presbyterian Theological Seminary; the Rev. H. Frederick Reisz Jr., Lutheran
Theological Southern Seminary; Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Graduate School of
Theology and Ministry at Seattle University; and the Rev. Timothy Wengert,
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

# # #

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org