Minneapolis church votes to leave ELCA over gay clergy
by Cathy Mayfield
Jessica Mador
Minnesota Public Radio
September 30, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — Members of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis decided to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America after a 96 percent vote by members on Sunday.
The decision to leave came after the ELCA Church-wide Assembly vote on Aug. 21 in Minneapolis, that allowed gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy.
Before the ECLA's decision, gay clergy were allowed to be ministers only if they were celibate. Some church members object to the new policy, saying it goes against Scripture. the rest
posted by Pat Dague @ 9:45 AM
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1 Comments:
There is a good deal of self-righteous condemnation going on in American society today. It’s as though the ugliness of political polarization and divisions make us feel it is legitimate to accuse others of being evil, especially anyone disagreeing with us. Those with different positions from ours on political and social issues are racists, sexists, socialists, fascists, communists, on and on and on. A civil exchange of ideas is not only to be promoted and fostered by Christians and whenever a denouncement of another occurs, it must be condemned. We are mandated to model ourselves according to the compassion, mercy and love that our Lord evidenced in his life responses. We Christians are not authorized to sit in judgment on other human beings’ consciences nor does it excuse us from examining our own. Those who are most eager, in hurling charges are themselves just as biased or bigoted although the object of their bigotry is different. Liberals and Conservatives who denounce their adversaries ought first to ask themselves whether they are not also engaging in stereotyping. We all need to ask ourselves whether we in fact are faithful to the American tradition of freedom and justice for everyone, regardless of age, sex, color, whatever the difference may be. Always remember that manners like morals are based on the consideration of others. It’s worth noting that not many converts have ever been made to a political cause by denunciations, nor many supporters won over by name-calling, impugning motives or by telling others they ought to feel guilty. Anyone surveying American society at the present time would have to conclude that there are many people without sin in our society, since we so eagerly compete with one another to cast the first stone. When Jesus wishes to be merciful and loving in his behavior toward us, does he not expect us to behave in the same way toward others? If God in Jesus wants to be insanely generous with us, is that a problem? Or can he realistically expect us to imitate him when dealing with others. Perhaps this is why we are so reluctant to accept the message of God’s almost crazy generosity with us. If we did then we would have to behave the same way toward our fellow human beings. Is that altogether too much to ask? What are we arguing about, Jesus asks us. How do we answer? Will we hang our heads in silent shame before Him? Can we learn to let go of our pride, ego, the need to argue, in order to become one another’s servants, to serve everyone as Jesus did? What does he say to us as we argue among ourselves? Let it all go. Let go of ego, of demands upon others that they must serve you. Let go of control, domination, and greed. The 1st Epistle of John provides this guide-on: “The way we can be sure of our knowledge of Christ is to keep his word. Whoever keeps his word, truly has the love of God been made perfect in him? The way to be sure one is in union with him is to conduct ourselves just as he did.” (Ch 2:3-6). In his example, we are to serve one another, the poor, the disenfranchised, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the imprisoned, the desperate, the different, the young, the elderly, the dying, abandoning the need to argue to follow Jesus through humble, loving unconditional service to a suffering humanity.
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