Lutheran (ELCA) Ping!
The Dirty Dozen are:
Minneapolis Area
St. Paul Area
New England
Sierra Pacific
NW Washington
Metro New York
Metro DC
Southeastern (GA-AL-MS)
Central States (MO/KS)
NE Pennsylvania
Metro Chicago
SE Iowa
A graphic representation of the Synods' actions regarding the sexuality memorials can be found at http://i44.tinypic.com/rmmv13.jpg
consider a process to change ministry policies to make it possible for Lutherans who are in “publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gendered relationships” to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, deaconesses, diaconal ministers and ordained ministers.
You lost me right there.
You are not a Christian religion if you allow sinners that are not repentent to become pastors.
Second,exactly how do they intend to veriy the condition listed?
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Helpful graphic!
Two realizations have been heavy on my heart these last few weeks.
First, I pulled from the shelves old church directories from my childhood.
The ‘68 volume recounts the history: “On August 12, 1843, a few [German]Lutherans who with their pastor, A. Hordorf, had withdrawn from the Free Protestant St. John’s Church [Hamilton, OH] for ‘the sake of their conscience . . .’” The ‘68 volume proclaimed on the Rev. Paul M. Kampfe’s page: “A Confessing Ministry.”
I had a solid upbringing in the faith — until the “demythologizing” and “existentialism” years at Capital U. Then in ‘88 our neighborhood church across the street from the university and the [liberal] Trinity seminary became elca.
About the same time hubby and I came to understand the futility of our “higher education” thinking and living. By the grace of God we both had a solid foundation from our youth to which we could return. We - both prodigals - could “go home.” But it wasn’t until about 2000 that we understood that we couldn’t support the elca any longer. So we took the stand — along with a conservative church — of opposing their increasingly weak, false teachings that more and more resembled the culture instead of the Word.
Secondly, in the last few weeks I learned that there is a new elca study Bible! Having concluded that they cannot refute the notes of some of the other good study Bibles/teachers out there, they have apparently written one that will accommodate the theology they are furiously devising for themselves.
I have been meditating on that beautiful Holy Tinity icon and on the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. I find myself thinking about two notes in the [John] MacArthur study Bible:
Gn 18:32 That the number of righteous people necessary to forestall judgment had been reduced from 50 to 10 may have reflected Abraham’s awareness both of the intense wickedness of the cities as well as LOT’S INNEFECTIVE WITNESS THERE. Abraham probably had the whole of lot’s family in mind.
Gn 19:8 The constraints of Eastern hospitality and the very purpose for which Lot had invited the visitors in, compelled Lot to offer his daughters for a less deviant kind of wickedness, so as to protect his guests. This foolish effort shows that while Lot was right with God (2 Pe 2:7-8), he HAD CONTENTED HIMESELF WITH SOME SINS AND WEAK FAITH RATHER THAN LEAVING SODOM. But God was gracious to him because he was righteous by faith, before God.
Our witness to the stiff-necked has been too ineffective. We have dwelt on the fringes of Sodom for too long.
Our Father’s response to our prayers may just be to drag us by the hands out of there.
Could you ‘enlighten’ me on the full meaning of the graphic.
Lord Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd of the sheep, you gather the lambs in your arms and carry them in your bosom: We commend to your loving care this Assembly. Relieve their pain, guard them from all danger, restore to them your gifts of gladness and strength, and raise them up to a life of service to you. Hear us, we pray, for your dear Name’s sake. Amen.