11/20/2014

ELCA Presiding Bishop and Ecumenical Leaders Provide Advent Devotions

ELCA News Blog

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, and The Episcopal Church have written a series of weekly Advent devotions for members of the four denominations.

In addition to Eaton, devotions were contributed by the Rev. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; the Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, primate, Anglican Church in Canada; and the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop and primate, The Episcopal Church.

In his introduction to the devotions, the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, director for ELCA ecumenical and inter-religious relations, said the church leaders have met over the past five years “to share with one another, provide worship observances for the 10th Anniversary of Full Communion agreements, to advocate for creation and the environment and to call members to prayer for situations of war and turmoil. At their most recent meeting, the leaders agreed to provide Advent devotions for the four churches.”

In her devotion for the first week of Advent, Eaton writes, “Advent is an odd season. It isn’t culturally accessible. It doesn’t lend itself to retail. There are no made-for-TV movies telling heartwarming stories about the great and terrible day of the Lord. It is an unsettled season that holds in tension the now and the not yet, longing and hope, judgment and redemption.”

The Advent devotions are available at http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Advent_Devotions.pdf.