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Dear fellow members of WELS,
The last week of July will feature our WELS biennial convention. This year's convention theme is "Christ's Love, Our Calling." During convention week our delegates as well as those tuning in to the convention through WELS Streams will hear sermons, essays, devotions, and many other presentations reminding us of Christ's love and our calling. And when the convention comes to an end, hopefully the planned, synod-wide four-year stewardship emphasis will help all of us to become familiar with what this theme means for our daily lives.
"Christ's Love, Our Calling" is intriguing. These two simple statements clearly remind us of the two basic teachings that Lutheranism has done its best to preserve. First, justification focuses on Christ's love as seen in his being the Lamb of God who pays for all the sins of the world—a sacrifice that God the Father accepts as the perfect payment for our sins.
Second, sanctification focuses on our calling as people on whom the Holy Spirit has gone to work. Our calling is what we do after the Holy Spirit has instilled Christ's love in our hearts. It is compulsion from Jesus to live our everyday lives for him.
May the Lord abundantly bless us through the many studies and encouragements we are going to receive these next four years.
In Our Savior's Name,
Dave Liggett
Director of Christian Giving
Please send comments regarding this issue of An Encouraging Word to: dave.liggett@sab.wels.net
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July 2009
