If watching glaciers is your thing, then you may be excited by the progress of the wider church body (ELCA) on addressing issues of inclusion -- specifically welcoming gays, lesbians, and others into the church.
In 1974, a group called Lutherans Concerned was formed to inform ELCA members about homosexuality and to promote understanding and acceptance. The organization actively encourages individual congregations to welcome gays and lesbians as members.
In 1991, the ELCA moved to "affirm gay and lesbian people, as individuals created by God," to participate fully in the life of congregations of the ELCA.
In 1993, a committee of the ELCA prepared a draft statement which concluded that "the Bible dose not condemn homosexual relationships". Further, homosexuality was deigned to be a "healthy part of human life". A firestorm of criticism -- including death threats to its authors -- caused this committee to be reconstituted.
In 1993, the ELCA acted to not bless by church ritual same-sex civil unions, having no place Biblically or traditionally for such blessing.
In 1995, the ELCA reaffirmed its welcome to gays and lesbians in the life of the church.
In 1996, the Southwestern Texas Synod defeated a resolution that would have welcomed gay and lesbian Christians as members and clergy.
In 1999, the ELCA voted to ban sexually active homosexuals from the clergy.
In 2001, the ELCA embarked on a "four year-study" of the issues surrounding homosexuality, the blessing of same-sex unions, and policies regarding the ordination and rostering of openly gay or lesbian clergy.
In 2005, the ELCA failed to reach any resolution, satisfying no one side of the issue. The church agreed to disagree between polar opposite views of homosexuality as sin. The church assembly neither banned nor accepted same-sex unions. The church assembly also passed on allowing openly gay or lesbian clergy in committed same-sex relationships.
In 2008, the ELCA released a draft social statement on human sexuality, concluding: Although this church [the ELCA] lacks consensus [regarding public accountability for loving and committed same-gender relationships], it calls for all people to live out their faith in the community of the baptized. Following previous decisions of this church, we call on congregations to welcome, care for and support same-gender-oriented people and their families, and to advocate for their legal protection.
And so, time marches on...
As the ELCA studies, and we at Peace ponder, it is not as if -- as sometimes appears to be the case -- that unity is being served by silence. In that respect, it is good that the issue has been brought out of the closet and is now being more honestly dealt with in Adult Sunday School.
Unfortunately, we call it just that... an issue.
And in doing so, we de-personalize it.
In 2005, The Rev. Anita Hill was denied the privilege of sharing these words with the ELCA Assembly:
"The people you see before you are baptized people of faith, here to give witness that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, their families, friends are part of this church and are here to stay. Look into our eyes and faces so we will no longer be merely an 'issue.' We are human being enfleshed before you, Children of God marked with the cross of Christ together."
"The church has just made expendable the faithful lives and God-given calls of persons in same-gender relationship for the sake of the unity of this church. The ELCA has again sacrificed the calls of its own faithful children for the sake of market share. It is sad that as this church has been making ecumenical agreements with denominations which take more progressive stands on gay people, such as the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church, we cannot extend the same offer of full communion and participation to our own pastors and congregations who take similar stands." "As you have heard in this assembly hall, we already have gay and lesbian pastors living in covenanted relationship and serving ELCA congregations. These congregations open the doors wide, not only to welcome those who walk in, but also to walk out into the world to preach the good news to those who may believe the church is their enemy." "The witnesses before you stand in silent vigil – calm and unafraid. They know that the decision you have made is not about them. It's not really about gay and lesbian people. It's really about you, and about this church. These witnesses are not going away. Their faith is sure. The ultimate outcome is assured. We are already one in Christ. But our Church is not living faithfully together with us yet. Time is the question. How long must we wait? And at what cost? " "While the church waits, lives of gay and lesbian people are ruined and faith is destroyed. We are marked with the Christ forever and are called by God and community to serve this church through Word and Sacrament ministry. We are held in the steadfastness of God. Here we will continue to stand, for we also can do no other."
While it may be healthy to discuss these "issues" more openly than ever before, I am left wondering "what's wrong with this picture?" The very fact that we are having this conversation about GLBT people without their engagement is saddening.
I recall growing up in the OLCB* and being led to fear and loathe everything different than my white, Anglo-Saxon, middle-class, Missouri Synod culture. In some ways, that is far off -- by about 4 decades and 835 miles. In other ways, it is as close as today, right out my front door. I give thanks to God that eyes and minds and hearts have been opened, and what was once a dense majority is shriveling up and dying off. Two generations removed from me, the "issue" is all but moot.
It may take until 2011 or longer for the ELCA to work out its differences. But that day is coming.
In the meantime, it would be great if my home congregation, Peace Lutheran Church in Charlottesville, could move itself as far as where the ELCA was in 1991. To explicitly recognize its bias against GLBT people as being welcome participants in the life of our church. To reform, rather than to perpetuate and live a lie.
Now is the time. To put the Gospel into action. To expose an old, minority point of view for what it is. To tell the truth. To act boldly.
Let us come together and validate our Mission Statement to Love, Grow, and Go, by adopting the following resolution:
As a community of the people of God, we are called to minister to all people in our world, knowing that the world is often an unloving place. Our world is a place of alienation and brokenness. Christ calls us to reconciliation and wholeness. We are challenged by the Gospel to be agents of healing within our society.We affirm with the apostle Paul that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female" (Galatians 3:28). Christ has made us one. We acknowledge this reconciliation extends to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.Because gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and their families are often scorned by society and alienated from the Church, we wish to make known our caring and concern. It is for this purpose that we affirm the following:
that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities share the worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God;
that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome within the membership of Peace Lutheran Church upon making a common, public affirmation of faith; and
that as members of this Peace Lutheran Church, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are expected and encouraged to share in the sacramental and general life of this congregation.
As you know, I've been out of town and only remotely aware of the buzz at church. As best I can tell, the issue is being hijacked. What is a very simple proposition has been transformed into tangential concerns for (among others) the influence of parachurch organizations, whether or not we are welcoming (period), and whether homosexuality is a sin... all of which may or may not be useful distractions, but all of which wholly miss the point, and the intent.
So, at the risk of being even more radical, by boiling this down to the most simple common denominator -- what, really, does our mission statement mean to us?
If we take "God loves us and calls us to Love God, Love One Another, Grow In Christ, and Go In Christ" seriously, as we profess, then wth does sin have to do with it?
Here is a brutal piece of honesty: If being welcome at Peace requires a "sin test" then y'all have just failed. I guarantee that we each commit sins -- knowingly and not -- that without God's grace we'd be condemned to hell for -- and I'd submit, humbly, that requiring us to identify each individual sin and repent for it, as a pre-condition to acceptance in the church, is absolute nonsense.
While we confess corporately as a part of our liturgy, it is to God, not man, that we confess our sin and ask forgiveness.
If that is not so, then by all means, let's be consistent. Let's debate, discuss, and enumerate every sin and publish it.
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
This woman confessed her sin to her Lord, and was not condemned, but told to sin no more.
Is that the function of the church -- our church? To identify sin, to demand repentence -- to "be" God?
Or, is it to reach out to a fallen world with the Good News, demonstrate love and grace, be the salt and the light?
As I read the Gospel, I find myself drawn to Plan B. And, if anybody asks, Jesus made me do it.
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