ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2011, ctd

Now that the 2011 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA is complete, I think would like to share a couple of resources that can help us to understand the work this church has done in that place and continues to do around the country and the world. I did follow much of the Assembly online, and used and followed the Twitter hashtag #cwa11 like it was manna from heaven. I had the privilege of representing the European American Lutheran Association all week on Twitter, supporting resolutions related to immigration.

Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson set the tone for the week with his sermon at opening worship, which you can watch on the archived videos or read at LivingLutheran.com. I strongly encourage everyone to check out this sermon, which I believe started the week's path toward consistent post-Assembly feedback that this Assembly demonstrated that this church, the ELCA, finally knows its identity for the first time since its conception in 1987.

ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2011

Today begins the biennial Churchwide Assembly (called CWA11 by us church-nerds) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Even though today is my day off, I've spent most of my recent hours watching opening worship on the ELCA's live stream. Bishop Mark Hanson's sermon on Mary's Song from Luke was very powerful, and I hope it will be available to watch later online. I am enjoying hearing some of my best people making music for the Assembly as well.

If you want to keep up with CWA11, in addition to following the live stream, go to Twitter and search #cwa11 - the official hashtag of the event, to hear what everyone is saying about it. You needn't join Twitter to do so, but of course it would be awesome if you did (and if you followed @AndrewTengwall and @EuroAmLuthAssn).

Also, the European American Lutheran Association (EALA) is active at CWA11, supporting the resolution on immigration that got me all riled up in my sermon this past Sunday.

So come and see what God is up to through the ELCA this week!