Predigt – Oberlandeskirchenrat Peter Kollmar
Ev.-luth. Landeskirche in Braunschweig

Sermon, 18^th October 1998 in Blackburn Cathedral to the so called Link-Sunday

Reading: Isaiah 61, 1-6

Colossians 4, 7-18

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Dear Congregation

Greetings and wishes for benediction – they form the end of the letter, Paul had written to the parishes in Colossa and in Laodicea. With greetings and wishes for benediction we, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick, come to you here in Blackburn. We, that is a delegation of our so called Blackburn Committee, our link committee, and that is a class of assistant pastors from our preacher seminary together with their director. I am especially happy that they are here: First of all, because I am responsible for the theological education for the parish ministry. And then because the visit of this group shows to you, the people in the Blackburn diocese, and also to me, that our common partnership is alive and was formed for the future.

So let me first of all give you the official greetings from our church in this church service. Especially from our Bishop Christian Krause: Greetings to Bishop Alan and all the people here in the Cathedral and everywhere in the diocese. And on today’s link Sunday, of course, our very special greetings to the Brunswick link committee. Let me also give you the greetings from our committee and especially from the class of assistant pastors.

We thank our Lord that we are able to send greetings out of a much more comfortable situation then Paul could, who had to write his letter from prison, where he had been put in chains.

Only for a short moment it becomes evident that the parishes shall think of him and pray for him. His thoughts are directed towards something else. They are concentrated on welfare for these young parishes in the tableland of today’s Turkey. That they should protect themselves against false teachings, that they prove to be good Christians in their daily life and stay in constant prayers. He talks to several people personally and encourages them to respect the holy orders and the church ministry which had been given to them.

We hear this letter. So we have become addressees ourselves. The News of the Gospel, the Good News of mercy and love of the Lord, the witness of Jesus Christ – although it is proved in letters and words, it has always been alive because people passed it on to other people. Started their way throughout the world to proclaim it to other people. And because people became curious, felt existentially interested in this sermon about Jesus Christ. Belief comes out of hearing, Martin Luther says. And that means: Belief comes out of an active communication process between people to whom the Holy Spirit gives his benediction. And this word of the Lord and this lively witness of people who believe, is not tied to any bounds or any language.

This is wonderfully described in the Acts of the Apostles of Luke. This Apostle we remember today on the 18^th of October. His preaching painting from the hour of birth of the

Pentecost-church: Jerusalem is overcrowded with people. They come from various countries and speak all different kind of languages from all over the world. Their languages and national traditions separate them. But they all understand the sermon of the disciples of Jesus Christ who was crucified and who is risen from the dead in their own native language. There are no more bounds concerning nationality and language. The community of people already broke asunder during the prehistoric time, through their ambition and megalomania of wanting to be God themselves. A symbol for this was the Tower of Babel, which should reach right in to heaven. The result of this superstition, this megalomania, was the linguistic splitting of mankind.

But listening to the sermon of Jesus Christ and the commitment to the Lord of Trinity reunites mankind again. The bible as the basis for church, Ecumenism and the church of Jesus Christ as a basis for a peaceful community of nations and society of the world. That is the message of Luke, that is the sermon of Paul.

Dear Congregation!

Visiting us one another, hold services together, pray together and fight for the unity of the church, that is when we are in this apostolic tradition. Then we take part in these holy orders, which has been given to the whole church of Jesus Christ and to us as Christians.

We – both link committees – have met both days in Valley Abbey for theological discussions, to exactly discuss these questions and to find mutual ways. Because our partnership does also contain the effort for the unity of the church, for the visible unity of the church. There are different opinions concerning the comprehension of the ministry. But we agree about this: We are in the tradition of the Apostle, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its pure form and to administer the sacraments. To pass on faith to the next generation, no matter if in England, Germany or in New Zealand, that is our duty. And so today we feel as if Paul has given us an instruction, just as he turned to Archippus in his letter: "See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord!"

Amen

And the peace of the Lord, which is higher than all our reason, may keep your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ. Amen