2008 Christmas Message from LWF President Mark Hanson

2008 LWF Christmas card featuring embroidery by Morsheda Khatun. The 20-year-old acquired income generation skills through training run by the LWF associate program in Bangladesh. Design by Sirajus Sadeque. © RDRS

God Fulfils the Promise of a Welcoming Home

Christmas brings good news that God in Jesus Christ has come to make a home in a world where the human family yearns for a place of joy, peace and hope, says Bishop Mark S. Hanson, the President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in his 2008 Christmas message.

Although universally appealing, the fulfillment of the promise of being in a place of security can be elusive in a context of the cold and harsh realities of poverty and its attendant diseases, and the infection of violent hatred at international and local gatherings, notes Hanson, presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

But, points out the LWF president, even when life's journey takes people far from familiar sights and sounds, and they find themselves uprooted and displaced, "this God finds you, this home comes to you."

The full text of the 2008 LWF Christmas message follows:

2008 Christmas Message from the President of the Lutheran World Federation

The Word became flesh and made a home among us. ~ John 1:14

Home. The promise of being at home and in a place of security and peace is universally appealing, but fulfillment of the promise can be elusive. Cold and harsh realities lurk on the horizon like an ominous storm. Poverty and its attendant diseases persist; the infection of violent hatred can be found everywhere from international forums to local gatherings. In every corner of this world the human family yearns for a home, a place of joy, peace and hope.

Christmas brings good news of a great joy for you and all people: home is not far away. God has come to make a home with you in Jesus. In the life of this human brother, on the stage of human history, God took up residence in the world you and I inhabit. From cradle to cross his life embodied the fulfillment of God’s promised mercy - forgiveness for every sinner, liberation for the oppressed, the hope of welcome in the very heart of God.

This life - the Word deeply enfleshed in human experience - is the embodiment of God’s glory, and the shining brightness of this embodied glory is like the lamp whose light transforms a cold, forbidding space into a warm and welcoming home. Even when your life's journey takes you far from the familiar sights and sounds of your childhood and you find yourself uprooted and displaced, this light searches you out, this God finds you, this home comes to you.

Good Christian friends, rejoice!

Bishop Mark S. Hanson
President, The Lutheran World Federation
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

2008 Christmas Message from LWF President Mark Hanson

2008 LWF Christmas card featuring embroidery by Morsheda Khatun. The 20-year-old acquired income generation skills through training run by the LWF associate program in Bangladesh. Design by Sirajus Sadeque. © RDRS

God Fulfils the Promise of a Welcoming Home

Christmas brings good news that God in Jesus Christ has come to make a home in a world where the human family yearns for a place of joy, peace and hope, says Bishop Mark S. Hanson, the President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in his 2008 Christmas message.

Although universally appealing, the fulfillment of the promise of being in a place of security can be elusive in a context of the cold and harsh realities of poverty and its attendant diseases, and the infection of violent hatred at international and local gatherings, notes Hanson, presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

But, points out the LWF president, even when life's journey takes people far from familiar sights and sounds, and they find themselves uprooted and displaced, "this God finds you, this home comes to you."

The full text of the 2008 LWF Christmas message follows:

2008 Christmas Message from the President of the Lutheran World Federation

The Word became flesh and made a home among us. ~ John 1:14

Home. The promise of being at home and in a place of security and peace is universally appealing, but fulfillment of the promise can be elusive. Cold and harsh realities lurk on the horizon like an ominous storm. Poverty and its attendant diseases persist; the infection of violent hatred can be found everywhere from international forums to local gatherings. In every corner of this world the human family yearns for a home, a place of joy, peace and hope.

Christmas brings good news of a great joy for you and all people: home is not far away. God has come to make a home with you in Jesus. In the life of this human brother, on the stage of human history, God took up residence in the world you and I inhabit. From cradle to cross his life embodied the fulfillment of God’s promised mercy - forgiveness for every sinner, liberation for the oppressed, the hope of welcome in the very heart of God.

This life - the Word deeply enfleshed in human experience - is the embodiment of God’s glory, and the shining brightness of this embodied glory is like the lamp whose light transforms a cold, forbidding space into a warm and welcoming home. Even when your life's journey takes you far from the familiar sights and sounds of your childhood and you find yourself uprooted and displaced, this light searches you out, this God finds you, this home comes to you.

Good Christian friends, rejoice!

Bishop Mark S. Hanson
President, The Lutheran World Federation
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

2008 Christmas Message from LWF President Mark Hanson

2008 LWF Christmas card featuring embroidery by Morsheda Khatun. The 20-year-old acquired income generation skills through training run by the LWF associate program in Bangladesh. Design by Sirajus Sadeque. © RDRS

God Fulfils the Promise of a Welcoming Home

Christmas brings good news that God in Jesus Christ has come to make a home in a world where the human family yearns for a place of joy, peace and hope, says Bishop Mark S. Hanson, the President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in his 2008 Christmas message.

Although universally appealing, the fulfillment of the promise of being in a place of security can be elusive in a context of the cold and harsh realities of poverty and its attendant diseases, and the infection of violent hatred at international and local gatherings, notes Hanson, presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

But, points out the LWF president, even when life's journey takes people far from familiar sights and sounds, and they find themselves uprooted and displaced, "this God finds you, this home comes to you."

The full text of the 2008 LWF Christmas message follows:

2008 Christmas Message from the President of the Lutheran World Federation

The Word became flesh and made a home among us. ~ John 1:14

Home. The promise of being at home and in a place of security and peace is universally appealing, but fulfillment of the promise can be elusive. Cold and harsh realities lurk on the horizon like an ominous storm. Poverty and its attendant diseases persist; the infection of violent hatred can be found everywhere from international forums to local gatherings. In every corner of this world the human family yearns for a home, a place of joy, peace and hope.

Christmas brings good news of a great joy for you and all people: home is not far away. God has come to make a home with you in Jesus. In the life of this human brother, on the stage of human history, God took up residence in the world you and I inhabit. From cradle to cross his life embodied the fulfillment of God’s promised mercy - forgiveness for every sinner, liberation for the oppressed, the hope of welcome in the very heart of God.

This life - the Word deeply enfleshed in human experience - is the embodiment of God’s glory, and the shining brightness of this embodied glory is like the lamp whose light transforms a cold, forbidding space into a warm and welcoming home. Even when your life's journey takes you far from the familiar sights and sounds of your childhood and you find yourself uprooted and displaced, this light searches you out, this God finds you, this home comes to you.

Good Christian friends, rejoice!

Bishop Mark S. Hanson
President, The Lutheran World Federation
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America