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	July 29, 2005 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 54

	Bombings leave 'legacy of unease' in England

	No members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE)
lost their lives in terrorist bombings of three London subways and a bus
on July 7. Yet, with their fellow citizens, they remain shaken and
troubled by the events that killed 56 people and injured hundreds.

	"The lives of some members were, of course, disrupted, and at
the very least many of us suffered anxieties over loved ones," said Rev.
Reginald Quirk, ELCE chairman. "There remains, of course, a legacy of
unease that something similar could happen again, and responding to this
is probably the biggest aspect of our ministry as a result of the
outrage."

	The ELCE chairman thanked the Synod for its interest and
concern. "I have received many messages of prayer and support from the
USA and from the LCMS as a whole through its president," he said. "We
appreciate this very much."

	The ELCE is one of some 30 confessional Lutheran church bodies
worldwide in fellowship with the Missouri Synod.

	In a letter sent July 8 to Quirk, LCMS President Gerald B.
Kieschnick said: "In the midst of such turbulent and uncertain times, we
may never fully understand the reasons for such violent acts upon
innocent people or be able to answer every question raised. But we do
know the God of hope, who in Christ Jesus alone brings peace the world
cannot give and offers hope that is eternal through His own death and
resurrection."

	Kieschnick wrote that the pastors and people of the LCMS are
praying and will continue to pray for the people of the ELCE and the
people of England.

	In an e-mail response to questions from "Reporter," the Synod's
national newspaper, Rev. Claudio Flor, pastor of Luther Tyndale Memorial
Lutheran Church in London, said his church was full for worship services
on the Sunday following the bombings. Members, many of whom depend on
public transportation, came despite potential risks to their safety.

	In the days following the Sunday worship, according to Flor,
"The theological questions started popping up. I have spent several
hours on the telephone, comforting, reassuring and encouraging people to
rely on God's providence and lordship. I have given my ears and prayed
publicly and privately with many members and friends of the
congregation."

	Describing emergency services as "brilliant," Flor said his
congregation was ready to provide extra care and support in coordination
with local churches, but it was not necessary.

	When asked about prayer requests, Flor asked for prayers that
God would heal the injured, that He would comfort the bereaved, that He
would protect every nation from terrorist attacks, and that He would
give eyes to those involved in violent activities to realize that
destruction only causes more destruction, and that only Christ's love
can build bridges of understanding between people.

	Paul Hill, a member of Christ Church in Petts Wood in Kent, is
foreign desk manager of The Daily Telegraph and watched the day's events
evolve around him.

	"First reports of 'power surges' were quickly discounted as the
damage and picture became clearer. All reporters available -- and even
some who weren't -- were dispatched to the center of London, to the
heart of the carnage," he wrote in an e-mail from the ELCE. "The copy
poured in on the injuries, the dead, the trapped and stranded commuters,
the frustration of families of the victims and the collapse of the
mobile telephone networks."

	Rumors also spread that The Daily Telegraph, located in the
tallest tower in the United Kingdom, was being attacked by a suicide
bomber. Hill said the staff ignored that threat -- which proved to be
false -- and carried on.

	One thing that struck Hill, who has reported on violent attacks
"well into triple figures" in his 34 years at the Telegraph, was the
calmness of Londoners compared with citizens of some cities overseas,
where panic and excitement often overshadow the attack itself.

	"Is there time for prayer among all this?" he wrote. "Often no,
if one is honest. The adrenaline is surging, the workload is enormous,
but here always comes a pause, or even a cessation, which is when one
may focus on the people who are actually involved and ask for God's help
and succor for those who are injured and are in fear and pain.

	"Pause, say a prayer -- or three -- and move on," he continued.
"There will be more trouble, more pain, but that will be tempered by
love and hope. We can all supply the latter."

	****************************************

	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.

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