Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Posted on 09/24/2009 7:42:35 PM PDT by lightman
Former ELCA Presiding Bishop Calls for 'Churchmanship'
What now lies before the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is not human sexuality but "churchmanship," according to the Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom. He served two terms as the first presiding bishop of the ELCA beginning in 1987.
Although the word "churchmanship" lacks inclusiveness, after "years of searching for a better one, 'churchmanship' still seems best," Chilstrom wrote in a Sept. 21 e-mail message to colleagues, called "The Real 'CORE' Issue -- Churchmanship."
Chilstrom wrote the message in anticipation of a Sept. 25-26 meeting of the Lutheran Coalition for Reform (CORE) -- an organization of ELCA pastors, lay people, congregations and reform groups. Leaders and members of CORE are planning to discuss their response to actions taken by the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August. CORE ended its status as an independent organization affiliated with the ELCA during the assembly.
The assembly approved "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust" -- the denomination's 10th social statement. The statement addresses a spectrum of topics relevant to human sexuality from a Lutheran perspective. The assembly also approved a series of proposals to change ministry policies, including a policy to allow Lutherans in lifelong, publicly accountable, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers.
In response to CORE's intent to seek other avenues for how it may relate to the ELCA, Chilstrom said the consequences of such action "would be corporate, personal and immediate. We would see the mission of the ELCA in this country and around the globe hobbled and maimed."
For years many Lutherans had hoped for the kinds of change that came at the assembly, Chilstrom wrote. "During all that time we never tried to organize another church body or some kind of independent entity within the ELCA," he said. "We never withdrew or reduced our support for the mission of the church. We never changed our wills or estate plans to cripple the seminaries, global missions, or other ministries of the church."
Chilstrom said he and many others are committed to respecting the "conscience bound" convictions of "those who believe we must continue to deny full rights to gay and lesbian persons who live by the same high standards we expect of straight Christians. This is part of our churchmanship -- part of my personal churchmanship," he said.
Lutherans have differences that do not separate them "at the heart of the gospel," Chilstrom wrote. He cited differences in areas like health care, the war in the Middle East and the historic episcopate -- a line of bishops extending back to the early church. "Why is human sexuality a more church-dividing issue for some than any of these other equally complex questions?" he asked.
Chilstrom advised that, at the very least, concerned Lutherans "need to try to slow it down" until the ELCA has had a chance "to take a deep breath and live into its future with common love and respect for each other."
He ended his statement by asking, "Can we think of a better resolution than the one we reached at our recent assembly, one that allows us to live with diversity in matters that are not central to the proclamation of law and gospel? This is the time to think and think and pray and pray again -- as the church did at its assembly -- before taking action."
For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
Wasn't the retired Bishop paying attention to the Gospel passage a few Sundays back:
"Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.”...
For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Of course, when homosexual practice is redefined as merely an inclination no better and no worse than heterosexuality through those great authoratative sciences of sociology and psychology there is no sin.
And so we continue to listen to the serpent's whisper
DID GOD REALLY SAY?
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Ping—certainly of interest to the faithful Anglican remnant that has walked this same path just a few years ahead of us.
1 Corinthians 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"
Bp. Chilstrom knows very well that the Sexuality Statement is but a symptom of the ELCA’s true crisis—it’s abandonment of the absolute authority of Scripture.
They made their bed and now hey have to lie in it. Yesterday it was donations being held back. Each day their decision will drip, drip, drip.
I love it when an arrogant perpetrator plays the role of a whining innocent victim.
I’m getting REALLY TIRED of hyperliberal pseudo-bishops and their mealy-mouthed statements! And I no longer have to deal with the consequences of these statements!!!! How much more tiring and irksome are these statements to those still in the ELCA.
Chilstrom harps on “sexuality”, over and over, and says that it should not be church-dividing. Well, what about that feminist “liturgy” that the hyperliberals forced on most ELCA congregations and synods, which made “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” optional? Chilstrom didn’t mention that at all.
Refusing to honor God as “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” was church-dividing at the time of the Council of Nicea, and it still is today!!! When a church body can’t even get the Name of God right, all sorts of other heresies pile on, one on top or the other. The idea that homosexuality is not a sin and a delusion, but a “gift of God” is just the latest.
My prayers are with all attending the Lutheran CORE and STS meetings in the coming days. I hope that y’all can shake the dust of the ELCA from your feet.
St. Basil the Great was much more educated than these people, whose education is mainly miseducation and delusion.
And St. Basil was illumined by the Most Holy and Life-Creating Spirit, Who enabled him to use his education for the great benefit of the entire Church, from his day down to our own. That’s infinitely more important than mere “book-learning”!!!!
Religious speak to guilt the faithful into submission! They didn’t have to organize because they ARE the heirarchy. Now they are afraid of losing more money and members.
Any time I read a Chilstrom letter I’m reminded of when our congregation withdrew from the ELCA in 1989 and I sent my letter resigning from the ELCA clergy roster. Chilstrom’s reply read in part, “Charles, it is my fervent prayer that one day you will return to the ELCA.” As I read this aloud to my family my five year old son said, “Bishop go for laugh . . . no get!”
Very inciteful litle guy you got there.
>> human sexuality from a Lutheran perspective...
Oh, really? I think Fr. Luther might have a thing or two to say about that.
Well, at least they have allowed individual congregations to decide whether or not Pastor Harry and his wife Fred will be welcome, as opposed to the ePISS-copalians.
Several months earlier I'd been reading aloud to my wife some choice selections from a "Lutheran Partners" article on the desirablity of using feminine and Native American names for God. As I read some of the suggestions my son, who had been coloring at the other end of the room, said, "Dad, they are daughters of Jezebel and the Lord will strike them down."
Pretty sure that came from the Lord, not a five year old.
take a deep breath and live into its future with common love and respect for each otherI'll admit it, I love my congregation, but I have absolutely no respect for the ELCA.
Now, that’s a little scary. Maybe he has a real gift.
My 21 year old chess fanatic son says of ++Mark, “If you put him on a chess board he wouldn’t move diagonally!”
How the deceiver goes into overdrive! Thank God for the belt of truth and all the other armor he equips us with daily.
What's really sad, however, is that Mark Hanson's father was a wonderful, soul-winning pastor. This is one nut that rolled far from the tree.
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