And a truly courageous confession.
Be sure also to read:
Pastoral Guidance Concerning Same-Sex Unions
Delight, Design and Destiny: Toward a Doxological Ethics of Sexuality
Statement by Three Dissenting Members of the ELCA Task Force on Human Sexuality
Its Not About Homosexuality--Not Really
Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust: A Critique by Carl E. Braaten
When There Are No Biblical or Theological Grounds to Change, Dont
WordAlone Network responds to ELCA human sexuality proposals
Lutheran CORE leaders urge rejection of ELCA task force recommendations
Well Apropo. Myself. I have asked God to stop Obama and save us. He will.
Speak the truth in love!
Very well said, and yes, truly courageous.
I understand the writer’s sorrow for the position of the church. It’s almost like a betrayal. I wish both the “management” of the ELCA and the Episcopal Church could be touched by this. Unfortunately, it sounds like both organizations have become minority political mouthpieces instead of instruments for teaching the word of God.
Maybe Lutherans should try listening to Luther:
“Faith is not that human illusion and dream that some people think it is. When they hear and talk a lot about faith and yet see that no moral improvement and no good works result from it, they fall into error and say, “Faith is not enough. You must do works if you want to be virtuous and get to heaven.” The result is that, when they hear the Gospel, they stumble and make for themselves with their own powers a concept in their hearts which says, “I believe.” This concept they hold to be true faith. But since it is a human fabrication and thought and not an experience of the heart, it accomplishes nothing, and there follows no improvement.
Faith is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God (cf. John 1). It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. What a living, creative, active powerful thing is faith! It is impossible that faith ever stop doing good. Faith doesn’t ask whether good works are to be done, but, before it is asked, it has done them. It is always active. Whoever doesn’t do such works is without faith; he gropes and searches about him for faith and good works but doesn’t know what faith or good works are. Even so, he chatters on with a great many words about faith and good works.
Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God’s grace; it is so certain, that someone would die a thousand times for it. This kind of trust in and knowledge of God’s grace makes a person joyful, confident, and happy with regard to God and all creatures. This is what the Holy Spirit does by faith. Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; he will serve everyone, suffer everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown him such grace. It is as impossible to separate works from faith as burning and shining from fire. Therefore be on guard against your own false ideas and against the chatterers who think they are clever enough to make judgements about faith and good works but who are in reality the biggest fools. Ask God to work faith in you; otherwise you will remain eternally without faith, no matter what you try to do or fabricate.”
From http://www.ccel.org/ccel/luther/romans/files/romans.html
As you have said - EXCELLENT! Thank you for the post. Have been gone a couple days and need to catch up.