From
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church In America
Volume 1, Number 1
Epiphany 1996
Invitatory
We have no need to fear the future." So said
bishop-elect H. George Anderson at a news conference immediately following his
election as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. "[The
future] belongs to God, untouched by human hands." At the beginning of a
new ministry of leadership and pastoral oversight, such words from a bishop are
obviously designed to project confidence and a profound sense of trust in the
mission of the Church. They are words designed to inspire and empower the
people of God for ministry.
Ages
ago, another prophet of the people stood at his station and peered into the
future. The prophet Habakkuk poised on
the rampart, scanned the horizon for the approaching enemy he knew was coming.
As he waited, Habakkuk prayed to God asking why God was unresponsive to all
this violence and destruction. In Habakkuk chapter 2 the prophet records God's
answer to his questions about the future. God says to the fearful one, "For
there is still a vision for the appointed time;… If it seems to tarry, wait for
it; it will surely come, it will not delay…the righteous live by faith"
(2:3-4).
As
people of faith we continue to echo this promise in our lives. And yet as we
stand at the threshold of a new millennium, societal forces are at work to
wrest such optimism about the future out of our hearts. The May 1, 1995, issue
of Newsweek described the phenomenon this way:
These
are the Nervous Nineties. Life--by any rational standard--is good . . . The
economy is good, but a majority worry about losing their jobs. The crime rate
is down, but everyone knows someone who has been mugged. Medicine can perform
miracles, but there is the threat of new viruses and some old bacteria are
making a comeback. Finally, the Cold War is over; Russian missiles aren't
pointed at Kansas City, but a terrorist bomb can turn Oklahoma City into
Beirut. The cover of last week's New Republic . . . read, 'Be Afraid. Be
Very Afraid.'
Here in
the beginning of 1996, such issues cause us to face a new millennium with as
much consternation as did Christians 1,000 years ago who genuinely believed
that Christ was returning immediately to judge the world.
Any one of us could draw up a lengthy list of
challenges to effective ministry facing the Metropolitan Chicago Synod.
Statistics about the health of many of our congregations are daunting.
Tensions
between city and suburbs strain at our common life. Ministry in the inner city
becomes increasingly difficult. Trust levels are frighteningly low. Competition
for funds and new members threaten collegiality. A common vision for how best
to address issues of worship and evangelism seem to allude us. All are reasons
to be afraid for the future of our life together as a Christian community.
But the
words from Habakkuk, echoed in the speech of Bishop Anderson, remind us of a
central Christian truth: God's dominion is coming from the future to meet us,
and until it arrives, today's disciples are invited to point to its coming with
assurance and joy. We have no need to be afraid of the challenges confronting
us in ministry and life. No matter what the future holds, God has been there
before us. The prophets envisioned justice and peace flowing over the land. The
eternal truth of Incarnation is that God has forever identified the divine with
the human. The cross is proclaimed as a constant reminder that God's power is
manifested in the midst of vulnerability and weakness. Resurrection is God's
assurance that renewal and new life are ongoing gifts to the baptized.
The
future is in God's hands. Let's talk about it—and rejoice!
Mary W. Anderson
Pastor of St. Paul, Evanston
Randall R. Lee
Executive Assistant to the
Secretary of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America
Anderson and Lee are Issue
Editors for this Issue of Let’s Talk