ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 8, 2007
ELCA Assembly Hears Message of 'The Apostle Paul' 07-CWA-013-CA
CHICAGO (ELCA)-- Bible studies -- when pastors and theologians parse the texts of Scripture, analyze original languages and find applications of the Bible passages for modern times - are staples of church meetings.
But Dr. David Rhoads, professor at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), didn't do any of those things when he led those attending the 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in a "study" of the book of Galatians on Aug. 7. LSTC is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
The assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,071 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Living in God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
Introducing Rhoads, Connie D. Thomas of Chicago, a member of the ELCA Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality, told the 1,000 voting members of the assembly not to open their Bibles or take notes. "Now I know you will be tempted to open your Bibles and pull out your notebooks," she said. Instead she told assembly participants to "put your note pads away and just listen to the spoken word."
Rhoads stepped to the podium and without the usual pile of notes and with no Bible in his hand, looked at the assembled crowed and began reciting the book, a letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Galatia, a region of Asia Minor. "Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ," he declared in a loud voice.
For the next 30 minutes, it was as if the Apostle Paul were preaching to the Lutheran assembly using the voice of the Chicago seminary professor. In the Book of Galatians, Paul explains his "authority" to speak to the churches, and -- in the kind of forceful language that might be considered impolite in more genteel Lutheran forums -- berates the Christians in Galatia for being lured away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
His voice rising and falling as appropriate for the words that were at first reproachful and then comforting, Rhoads concluded the presentation as the Apostle concluded the letter and might have concluded a sermon to the congregation of the early Church. "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen."
The more than 1,000 people in the room, who had remained silent throughout the presentation, broke into applause as the Bible study ended.
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Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog