2004 Synod Assembly: "Called Into God's Marvelous Light"

Live update added 2 p.m., Friday, April 23, 2004

Bible Study I: Kathryn Bradley-Love Leads Bible Study on Acts 9

In a Bible study that was both invigorating and challenging, the synod assembly walked with Saul on the road to Damascus in his encounter with the "marvelous light" of Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on Acts 9, the Rev. Dr. Bradley-Love asked the voting members, "Can we locate ourselves in Saul's experience?" She proceeded to not only answer the question, but provided the atmosphere to do so. In the first part of the study, which focused on verses 1-9, Dr. Bradley-Love made several connections between Saul's conversion story and the lives of Christians.

Noting that Saul's efforts were passionate but misdirected, she asserted that, "We in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America want to be sure that our passions are leading in the right direction." We "have to take our membership cards and do something with them," she added.

The study participants were also asked to think about their own "Damascus places," places where there are struggles and places of going out and coming in. "God stopped Saul in the process of his going" and often asks us to do the same for others, she noted. In the process we are called to share our stories of what God has done for us already.

Finally, Dr. Bradley-Love told the assembly that we should model Saul, who was told to wait and think. As we do so we, too, will be "called to a period of prayer and commitment." Putting the cap on her passionate presentation, Dr. Bradley-Love encouraged the voting members by saying, "We must take the gift God gave Paul and use it to God's glory".

The Rev. Dr. Kathryn Bradley-Love serves in the Division for Congregational Ministries as Associate Director of Evangelism.

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