April 25 – “E” is for Evangelical

We are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – the ELCA. I have often wondered how many people know that the “E” in ELCA stands for Evangelical. And do you know what Evangelical means? It means “according to the teaching of the gospel of the Christian religion”.

There is a branch of Christianity who call themselves the “Evangelicals”. They are an enormous religious, worshipping community. They carry a lot of power in the realm of religious thought and theology. They follow very closely the idea of the rapture and those who will be left behind at the end times. I have never read the books that are part of the “Left Behind” series, but I think it is an interesting theological construct, just like I believe the Church of Latter Day Saints is also an interesting theological construct. But as I think about the ministry of Jesus, when did Jesus ever believe in leaving someone behind? When he hung on the cross, he turned to the thief hanging next to him and welcomed him into the kingdom – wouldn’t this guy be a great candidate for being left behind – after all he deserved his sentence of death? And what about the woman caught in adultery – she was someone we might expect would be left behind; but when everyone else had left her, who was there still with her to the end?   Jesus.  Wouldn’t this woman, this sinner, be a candidate for being left behind? What about the man born blind from the Gospel of John, chapter nine? This man is someone the disciples believe was born blind because of sin. His disciples ask that great question “Teacher, who sinned that this man was born blind?” Jesus does not say anything about the hope that this man is “left behind” to show others they better get themselves right with G*d. Jesus says this man’s blindness will be used in two ways: to show the glory of the works of G*d — that the glory of G*d can be shown through him; and that those who think they know G*d will be shown to have the blindness that fills their souls because they “think” they know the mind of G*d.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is Evangelical because all of our teachings, our worship, our theology — all of these are based on the Gospel teachings of Jesus, and the biblical truths of G*d through all of scripture. And as such, all of those who belong to the ELCA are then “evangelists”. We are all called to go into the world making disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching people to obey all of the teachings that Jesus taught his disciples. (Matthew 28:19ff)

We are Evangelicals – the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – and we are evangelists; and as such we don’t want anyone to be left behind.

Pastor Dave