HOUSTON—Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, pastor of Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bronx, N.Y., asked convention members to show forgiveness to and share the Gospel of Christ in their own neighborhoods. “As forgiven communities of faith,” he said, “every congregation becomes a sign of God’s forgiveness in Christ for the world.”
The 64th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is meeting July 10–17 at the George R. Brown Convention Center under the theme “ONE People—Forgiven.” Among the approximately 3,000 participants are some 1,200 clergy and lay voting delegates.
Taylor spoke on the convention’s theme of forgiveness, focusing on Gen. 12:1–3, as “One People Forgiven through Christ to Forgive in the Community.” Recounting how his own parishioners cared for their community following a tragic double murder, Taylor asked convention attendees to join together as “one people, cross-focused, Gospel-oriented, baptized and Eucharistic people from every race and tongue, from every folk and nation” to share the Gospel in their own communities. By showing Christ’s love to local neighborhoods, Taylor noted, congregations will invite others “to ask about the hope that is within us.”
Convention Bible studies and Bible-study outlines are available at www.lcms.org/convention.
Posted July 15, 2010
