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Concluding Remarks

Lutheran CORE Convocation

by Pastor Erma Wolf

“What will be our witness for these two days? What will we say about this convocation? I know that there is a wide variety in Lutheran pieties regarding the use of a crucifix in the church. Some find a crucifix a good object of devotion, while others see it as focusing on the wrong thing, the death of Christ rather than his resurrection. But I think we needed to be here for these two days, before this crucifix. From where I stand up here, I look at the stations of the cross, with Jesus taking up his cross and carrying it, then falling, then rising, then falling again, and finally being nailed to it. And you are looking at the end of that journey, at his death. It is good that here, for this time, we have been reminded of the cost of our salvation.

If we in the church are indeed the body of Christ, then this is the church—broken, pierced, abused, despised, dead. The church is always dying. And heretical, because Jesus bears all our sins on his own body, on the cross. Scripture says that “He became sin in our place, so that we might become his righteousness.” The church is heretical; the church is also holy. We are one holy catholic and apostolic church, but also sinners and heretics, and we are dead. If we are the body of Christ, we are dead because Christ really died. The crucifix proclaims the most outlandish, terrible, unbelievable proclamation, that Jesus Christ died and was buried. If the church is his body, we too die, buried with him. That is the portrait of the church in the world. Paul wrote, “We carry in the body the death of Jesus.” It’s not the end of the story, but it is a necessary part of the story; otherwise the resurrection is a sham, a trick that God pulled. But Jesus died, and was buried. And then, he rose.

The power of the resurrection is not ours; it does not belong to the church as a possession. It is God’s gift alone. He gives to unworthy sinners whose only merit is that they have been buried with Christ in baptism, so that they might be raised to new life in Christ, with Christ.

So go and tell this about these days: As prophesied, we gathered at the foot of the cross. We gathered, not in anger, despair, or fear; instead, we’ve entered a time of discernment, of active resistance, confessional discernment. We’re seeking the guidance of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, for us, for the ELCA, for the whole church. It is about prayer. We must pray, for ourselves, our congregations, pastors, bishops, pray for guidance, wisdom, courage, patience. We need to pray for those who disagree with us. If you don’t have someone you’re praying for that you disagree with, pick one. Pick the one you’re maddest at, the person or organization that drives you nuts, pray for God to be with them and bless them and be active in their lives. They don’t understand us. But they are our brothers and sisters, for whom Christ died, and Jesus ordered us to love one another.

Discernment is about repentance. Our repentence: for the time we’ve wasted over the years, for our failure to bear witness to the gospel, for those we’ve not welcomed because of race or sexual orientation, for letting the church shut the door on them, for our failure to walk with them, to declare to them that they are God’s precious sons and daughters, Christ’s lambs for whom he died. It is not about withholding anything.

I said this two years ago, and I will say it now: You are the leaders you are looking for. You came here because you love the Lord, and because when his body is broken and in pain you could not stand idly by. You would not be here, none of us would be here, if God had not laid a call on you. God has called us, and he is faithful to his church because we are his body. And we have our work cut out for us! But discernment is also about hope, new life, and joy, because we know the end of the story. There’s a lot we don’t know right now, but we know the end of the story. We believe in the power of God to bring life out of death.

I’ve been moved, and humbled, by those who have witnessed to us, especially Pastor Baro and Pastor Perez. Their witness gives me courage, and it honors us by their willingness to walk with us, in and through this time.

So go and give this witness: that we gathered together at the foot of the cross. We are not on the Titanic; we are not in a lifeboat. We’re in the belly of the ark of the church, and Jesus is with us, and with all the other sinners dressed only in the garment of baptism. We will arrive safely at the port we are bound for. God is faithful. He will sustain us in this season: of discernment, of prayer, of repentence, of mutual support, and of hope and new life.

So let us end as we began. Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!) Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!) Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!)

Go and tell the joyful Gospel!

© 2008-2011 Lutheran CORE