CELC

Pastor Robert Smith comments on his experience at the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) held this past June 2011 in Minnesota, USA. Pastor Smith serves as the Liaison for LATTE and as the chairman for the WELS Administrative Committee for Latin America.

Pastor Smith Participating in a Small Group Discussion

At the CELC conference, I had the opportunity to join in worship services with our fellow Christians around the world. On Sunday morning, we had a worship service at the chapel on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College. This was a truly memorable experience. Each Scripture reading and prayer was read in a different language by men from different parts of the world. The hymns were accompanied by choirs and brass instruments. More than 400 voices joined in the singing.

Participants from Around the World
Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America

I believe that this worship service is a foretaste of the worship services we will have in heaven. It reminded me of the Bible passage from Revelation 7:

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Participants from Latin America

Photos provided by Martin Luther College.