ECLA Presiding Bishop Eaton: Pastoral message on COVID-19. ‘Absence makes the presence of God more profound’

YouTube blurb: In her message to this church about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said that even though “this is a time of disruption. It is also a time for us to live and act as faithful people of God.” Resources that offer guidance for congregations and members are available at http://www.elca.org/PublicHealth.

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[Transcribed excerpt 1:05-1:40] Bishop Ann Svennungsen of the Minneapolis area synod suggests that [within the church] we are practicing physical distancing, not social distancing, for we are all members one of another in Christ. Fasting is also a Lenten discipline. Perhaps this Lent we may need to fast from physical touch, and even holy communion for a while. But as St. Paul writes, we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. We might come to sense that absence makes the presence of God more profound.

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Also from YouTube: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.