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Pastoral letter from the Primate and ELCIC National Bishop

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Published on 
November 21, 2010

 To the faithful of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada:

Grace and peace to you.

On July 6, 2001, in the Waterloo Declaration, we Lutherans and Anglicans proclaimed our full-communion relationship. Next year marks the tenth anniversary of this historic and holy moment.

In many parts of Canada, we are already seeing a variety of expressions of full communion —from occasional joint services in adjacent congregations to parishes sharing a building, program, priest or pastor. Perhaps your community enjoys one of these expressions of full communion. Wonderful! Perhaps your community is looking for some encouragement in that direction. Here it is!

Does your community have an accessible, neighbouring full-communion partner? Consider…

  • regular shared Bible or Lectionary study (The three-cycle begins anew this year!);•
  • a joint youth group or shared women’s or men’s ministries;
  • occasional pulpit or other leadership exchanges;
  • joint worship in Advent or Lent, during the summer or at other times;
  • a joint web presence or Facebook page;
  • a program of shared community outreach (eg. food bank, litter-walk..);
  • joint participation in the 2012 Canadian Lutheran-Anglican Youth Gathering (Saskatoon);
  • joint participation in the 2012 National Anglican-Lutheran Worship Conference (Winnipeg).•
  • Perhaps your community does not benefit from the presence of a neighbouring full-communion partner. At very least, every congregation, whether Lutheran or Anglican, could be invited to pray its way through the Anglican-Lutheran Cycle of Prayer. Copies are posted on our national websites and are available from syn­odical and diocesan offices. Your bishops would be grateful for your prayers!

Perhaps your community might even think of some manner of full-communion expression others haven’t dreamed of. Let us discern the possibilities… together!

As we look forward to the 10th anniversary of Anglican-Lutheran full communion with a great celebration on May 1, 2011, and to the joint meeting of General Synod and National Convention in Ottawa in July, 2013, may God who is bountiful, merciful and gracious empower us, encourage us and lead us in our faithful journey… together.

With our prayers for a holy and blessed Advent.

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.