LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 119

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nt Bohimann, Dear Sisters and Brothers in
rist:

he very beginning I want to congratulate you,
¢ Bohlmann, on your reelection, and I want to
ulate the convention on having such good sense
t.and to do it so quickly. I’ll admit as well that
yawhat envious of that kind of majority. I think I
een on more ballots than any other living person
‘Lutheran Church in America, because it always
e- awhile to get elected. I remember in Chicago
after the election I was kidding with Jack
fe was congratulating me on my election, and I
“Well, Jack, I don’t know much about politics, so
ou fellows will have to teach me more about
d-Jack said, ‘“Now, Jim, anybody who gets
yy six votes on the fifth ballot, and stands up
é convention and talks about his mandate had
ot talk to the rest of us about politics.”

gs indeed a pleasure to bring you greetings from the
1 Church in America. Especially in this anni-
ary year of the birth of Martin Luther, that “Father
fie faith,’ as even a renowned Roman Catholic
ilar'entitles him, we celebrate together our heritage.
have an identity as Lutherans, a way of under-
\ding ourselves, that gives us a unique sense of
sion.

fhe Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran
h—Missouri Synod also have distinctive ways of
ving themselves. We must have a healthy respect
h other’s distinctiveness, an appreciation for our
fess, and with candor we must also be willing to
nine the different directions our paths are taking.
of us knows who we are and why we act as we do.
Bdo not always recognize the right of the other to have
ifferent view and to take a different action from our
I propose that we examine some of those self-

e share a confessional, Biblical, and contextual
léness. We acknowledge the same writings to be our
a fession of faith. From the earliest ecumenical creeds
the last paragraph of the Book of Concord, we point to
ia@éntical documents and claim them to articulate
curately the life, faith, and witness of our churches.
“were forged in the crucible of a historical struggle in
lich the confession of Jesus Christ as the only Lord
id Savior took on new cogency and meaning. That
sssion has been the thread by which a living
ition has been woven for us.

Thus we each affirm and assert that we are con-
essional churches. In the present moment that founda-
on has as much significance for us ag at any previous
tinie in our history. In fact, many events in the last few
fears have caused us to reflect anew on how our
heology is properly applied to the world and its
blems.

‘Both of us are Biblical churches. In fact, we value our

GREETINGS OF THE BISHOP
OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA

Greetings of the Bishop of the Lutheran Church in America

confessional documents so highly because we see them
to be accurate expositions of Holy Scripture, which
alone has the authority to bind human conscience and
to be the source and norm by which the life and work of
the church are to be judged.

We do have different approaches to the Bible and its
exposition, but both of us share the conviction that the
books of the Old and New Testaments are divinely
inspired and that they have an integrity and an
authority that are central for us. In a time when the
normative function of Scripture is questioned, we should
speak our common convictions loudly and clearly.

We live and witness in the same context, in both the
same temporal and geographical arenas. Our culture is
not the most amicable for the nurture and expression of
genuine spirituality; we face a growing secularity, an
increasing tendency to interpret life solely in economic
and political terms, an erosion of ethical standards, and
a frightening dependence on weapons of ultimate de-
struction for national security. Powers and principali-
ties today indeed tempt us to fail to fear, love, and trust
in God above all things.

Again, our members share that world and culture.
They are often brothers and sisters, parents and chil-
dren, members of the same family who belong to both of
ourchurches. They are plagued with the same questions,
engaged in similar struggles to express Christian dis-
cipleship. Our failure at times to speak with one voice
out of our confessional heritage is often baffling and
confusing to members of our congregations and cer-
tainly to people beyond them.

That we can point to much that is of such great
importance that we have in common is a source of
discomfort and pain as we must also recognize our
differences. We have to look at them, for they give us
trouble that our churches need to seek to overcome. And

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