wfn.org | (LWF) LWF Tenth Assembly Days Open with Bible Study

["Frank Imhoff" <franki@elca.org>]

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 20

LWF Tenth Assembly Days Open with Bible Study
Themes Come to Life in a Variety of Dramatic Presentations

WINNIPEG, Canada, 27 July, 2003 - Before the day's business begins, the theme
is sounded in Bible studies at the Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF). 

Each of the seven LWF regions plus the youth delegates has responsibility for
the eight daily bible study segments spelled out in the Assembly "Study Book"
that parses the conclave's theme, "For the Healing of the World."  

The first bible study took the day's theme, "Oh God, the healer, liberator,
savior of the world," based on Isaiah 42:1 * 12, and was presented by the
delegates from the Asia region.  Led first in prayer by Bishop Munib A.
Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan, the Asian delegates sang
and included Assembly participants in a dance.

On Thursday, participants from the Central Western Europe region enacted in
silence the story of Jesus and the woman "who was a sinner" (Luke 7:36-50),
under the day's theme "Forgive and Heal."  The dramatic pantomime depicted
the meeting between Jesus and the woman who washed Jesus' feet with ointment
and her own tears. 

Jesus' unconditional forgiveness and acceptance of the woman, in all of its
intimacy and openness, works its miracle.  The woman, forgiven and healed,
moves from her position of subjection and lowliness at Jesus' feet to her
full height, and begins to dance.  Her dancing infects Jesus and eventually
the other guests at the table who had been so eager to exclude her.  Soon
they all join in the dance.  

The actors eventually fanne out onto the Assembly floor where they included
everyone in the dance in celebration of life, forgiven and healed in Christ.

Youth delegates used the story of Ruth (Ruth 4:13 * 17) as a metaphor for
Friday's theme, "Reorder Power."  In a breathtakingly relevant dramatization,
they portrayed the exclusion that Ruth might have felt by holding up a sign
that read "VISA," in reference to the 51 individuals who have been denied
visas by the Canadian government.  They also portrayed other groups whom
society and the church often reject, those with HIV/AIDS, the poor, the
disabled, gay and lesbian persons, and others who experience the pain of
exclusion.  They concluded with the message of "God's radical inclusion" that
embraces the whole world.

"Heal our Divisions" was the theme of Saturday's bible study taken from
Paul's letter to the Ephesians 2:13 - 22 and presented by the churches of
Central Eastern Europe.  In a moving portrayal of humanity's deep divisions,
they used the metaphor of their own past divisions before the collapse of
communist rule.  A video showed eastern European churches, pockmarked by
weapons' fire and abandoned.  Stacking up cardboard boxes to represent a
walls of division so familiar to citizens of the region, the members read out
a list of opposites, of divisions: east-west, rich-poor, victim-perpetrator,
Lutheran-non.  The message of reconciliation from Ephesians was read and
interpreted as the "new law of love" that removes barriers.  Then, in
contrast to the opening video footage showing churches in a state of decay,
ran video of Christians in eastern Europe receiving communion in churches
that are full.	In a dramatic conclusion, the delegates from the Central
Eastern European churches reassembled their cardboard boxes, this time
building the now familiar Assembly graphic portrayal of the theme, "For the
Healing of the World."

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place
21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme "For the Healing of te
World." It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC).

There are almost 800 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly
including 369 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three
associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the
LWF, and meets normally every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is
governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee. 

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the
Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo@lutheranworld.org

*	*	*

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member
churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million
Lutherans worldwide. 

The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest
such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission
and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.