“Comparisons are odious” I have quoted John Donne many times. Comparisons can be a waste of time, a ‘spinning of wheels’ instead of getting out and getting the job done. However, this blog will contain a few comparisons in order to help shed some light on this word Evangelical and the fact that it is in the name of the denomination which ordained me to be a pastor.
Here’s what google says about the word, “e·van·gel·i·cal”
/ˌēvanˈjelək(ə)l/
adjective
adjective: evangelical
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1.of or according to the teaching of the gospel or the Christian religion.
synonyms: scriptural, biblical, Bible-believing, fundamentalist, orthodox “evangelical Christianity”-
of or denoting a tradition within Protestant Christianity emphasizing the authority of the Bible, personal conversion, and the doctrine of salvation by faith in the Atonement.
synonyms: evangelistic, evangelizing, missionary, crusading, propagandist, propagandizing, converting, proselytizing, televangelical; More -
zealous in advocating something.“she was evangelical about organic farming”
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noun
noun: evangelical; plural noun: evangelicals
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1.a member of the evangelical tradition in the Christian Church.
Origin
mid 16th century: via ecclesiastical Latin from ecclesiastical Greek euangelikos, from euangelos(see evangel).
Well, let’s start over. Because the last part of that definition finally got to what Evangelical means in the name of our synod – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Euangelion – In GREEK – Means – the Good News – the proclamation that Jesus has come and changed the world, from being a focused on rules to being focused on LOVE – God SO LOVED the world, that God gave God’s only begotten Son that we might have eternal life!
When the ELCA was formed in 1988 from predecessor bodies, the LCA, the ALC and the AELC, (really just 3 flavors of lutheranism), they chose the name ELCA to represent them all – as they created the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States. But, since, then, a shift in the politics and religion in the US has made that name to be ‘loaded’ with baggage the founders didn’t predict.
The definition from Google, makes it clear that the ‘man on the street’ thinks evangelical is all about that ‘emphasizing the authority of the Bible, personal conversion, and the doctrine of salvation by faith in the Atonement’, Well, friends that’s not how I would define it. As a matter of fact the Doctrine of salvation by the Grace of God is the number one tenant of the ELCA – we cannot earn salvation – it is the free gift of God. We believe in baptizing our young people, with parents and friends ‘standing up’ for them, agreeing to raise them up the way they should go – believing in God’s saving Love.
Unfortunately, these days you are more likely to see the word “Evangelical” used to describe a zealot (see the definition above!). Unfortunately that zeal tends to point towards a certain patriotism or concretism (have you seen the bumper sticker – the bible says, it and i believe it and that’s the end of it? – yeah, that would not be on the bumper of a member of the ELCA).
Why I am I bringing this up today? Because we are in the news. Our Churchwide Assembly ( which meets every 3 years and votes on important items) has met this past week,(I wasn’t an elected representative so wasn’t there, but I am glad to support this work) and passed a memorial that “declares the ELCA a sanctuary church. The ELCA is the first North American denomination to declare itself a sanctuary church body. As a sanctuary church the ELCA is committed to serving and supporting migrant children and families in communities across the country.
I am pretty proud of this. And I am excited to imagine what it may mean in the future. How will we serve and support migrant children and families in the days ahead? Well, that’s another great thing about our church – we will figure it out in our own way. We are more hierarchical than some churches, but less than many, and each church will figure out how to serve and support migrant children and families in their own way, in their own environment. I think it’s pretty amazing. Thank you, God, for making us so evangelical – focused on the “Good News” of God’s amazing love – warm, welcoming and persistent! And thank you for sending your spirit to bring about a new thing in your church! – Pastor Patricia Hughes