Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Posted on 09/23/2009 2:12:10 PM PDT by george76
Absolutely no one is obligated to finance corrupt people or corrupt organizations. Eventually such coersion will result in a revolt, rightly and naturally.
Wow. What a stark contrast in priorities.
Christianity, in America at least, is going to satan. Examining a list of ACORN supporters just yesterday I found many Catholic parishes and 'action' groups listed.
Why did he totally ignore the devastation caused to his church by the “vote” about gay clergy, in the first place?
You guys as Lutheran christians know that there are consequences to your actions, some good, some bad. If you weren’t willing to take negative consequences because you ‘did what you thought was right for God’ then you maybe shouldn’t have done it.
And in the grand scheme of things, less money coming into your denomination is far less concerning than the fact your church just voted to institutionalize and celebrate such basic perversion and heresy.
“What’d they expect? I’ve left the ELCA entirely and begun attending a Missouri Synod church. My money will go there from now on, too.”
Welcome to the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I have been a member all of my life. There has never been even a hint of the kinds of nonsense the ELCA has been pushing, and I really don’t think we will ever go through it.
My money goes to support the work of God and of Jesus Christ. ELCA has decided it no longer wants to be a part of that work, so they need to find a new donor base to replace the Christians who will give elsewhere. Why is that a surprise or a problem to them?
Since it’s NOT a church anymore, why throw good $$ after bad?
They spat in the face of God even after He gave them a direct warning, and now they’re wondering why they’re not getting any money? (Clue: their troubles are only just beginning, God will not be mocked.)
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Try telling that to the Obama Administration and the IRS.
The full text of ++Mark’s letter-—I will also begin a new thread in the Religion section with this text:
September 23, 2009
Dear Colleague in Ministry,
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Colossians 3:15-16a)
I give thanks to God for your faithful leadership and your committed partnership in the gospel. I am mindful of the varied responses to churchwide assembly actions on human sexuality — joy, anger, hope, confusion, ambivalence, perhaps even detachment. In this letter please join me in reflecting on our witness together as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, particularly as we continue to live into the implications of assembly actions.
I am encouraged by the thoughtful and prayerful conversations of people with diverse perspectives who are gathering to discern what the assembly actions regarding human sexuality mean for our continuing life and witness.
My heart rejoices with those who are ready to live into the future of our shared mission. Many who had remained strongly engaged in the ELCA with their time, talent and treasure, despite feeling marginalized or unwanted, now feel more fully embraced.
My heart aches as I listen to the pain and distress of those who feel confused or even abandoned by others, not only in the decisions of the churchwide assembly but also in the decisions that are being made in congregations and by individuals.
I am disappointed that some are encouraging congregations and members to take actions that will diminish our capacity for ministry — for example, to plant and renew congregations, to raise up and train leaders in seminaries and campus ministries, to send missionaries, to respond to hunger at home and abroad, and to rebuild communities after natural disasters.
Although these actions are promoted as a way to signal opposition to churchwide assembly actions or even to punish the voting members who made them, the result will be wounds that we inflict on ourselves, our shared life, and our mission in Christ. And yet, as devastating as such actions could be for our shared life and for our global and ecumenical partners, my greatest sadness would be if we missed this opportunity: to give an evangelical and missional witness together to the world.
Therefore, I urge each one of you to make this a time to engage one another with honesty and respect in renewed and deepened theological conversation informed by an evangelical, missional imagination. We have the opportunity to think evangelically and act missionally about:
* Faithfulness: Questions about whether the ELCA has become faithless or heretical are opportunities to re-examine what it is that fills a community with faith. It becomes an opportunity to rediscover who makes us full of faith. Our goal as Lutherans is faithfulness that is both evangelical and missional.
* Biblical authority: This is a marvelous moment to deepen our engagement with Scripture through the Book of Faith initiative. We can be renewed in our understanding of the authority of God’s Word. It is the power to author — that is, create — a justifying and living faith in Jesus Christ. Again the goal is a true understanding of the Scripture’s evangelical and missional authority.
* What it means to be Christ’s church: In this moment let us not build walls of separation. Together let us be living stones, built into a spiritual house, with Christ Jesus the cornerstone, and proclaim the mighty deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Both universally and locally the church is gathered around the means of grace and engaged in mission in Jesus’ name. Our goal as Lutherans is a witness that the church is evangelical and missional.
* Leadership: How we serve in our varied callings and contexts as evangelical leaders of a church in mission calls for shared wisdom and encouragement rather than isolation or separation into like-minded enclaves. The church is a community of faith that is born of the Gospel promise and therefore has authority in the proclamation of the Word — all the authority that is needed for evangelical, missional leadership.
* Law and gospel: All of these opportunities for conversation call for a renewed commitment to deepening our fluency in what Martin Luther called “the highest art among Christians,” distinguishing between law and gospel. Let us be valued allies in this endeavor and not adversaries in a power struggle for control of a church body, synods, and congregations.
While we engage in these important conversations let our evangelical, missional imagination be marked by the signs of a church that lives in faith, hope, and love through:
* a continual dwelling in the Word of God and prayer
* listening that is fully attentive to others, especially to those with whom we disagree
* leadership committed to and focused on mission
* a commitment to remain in respectful and caring relationship with one another
* patient waiting on and breathing in the Spirit, remembering Jesus’ command to his disciples to “stay until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49)
* the creation of safe places for conversation, where it is safe to articulate deeply held biblical, confessional, and theological convictions, where it is safe both to affirm and admonish one another, and where it is safe to explore the questions that come with faithful service and witness
* an elasticity rather than rigidity in our ways of supporting and carrying out ministry and mission
Specifically, I ask for restraint from decisions that may separate us from one another prematurely, for bearing one another’s burdens in continued conversation, and for the long-suffering patience that frees us to remain together in mission. In his two letters to the very conflicted church in Corinth Paul repeatedly spoke of their unity in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. He also spoke of their calling to care for each other as members of one body and to use their spiritual gifts for the common good. Our attentive listening to one another and patient waiting for the Spirit’s work in these conversations will be a powerful witness.
In my opening sermon and oral report to the churchwide assembly I asked, “What shall be our witness? What story shall we tell?” I believe those questions remain central for us as ministry is carried out in our varied contexts and in our life together as the ELCA.
I concluded my reflections at the end of the assembly with this conviction that sustains me in my leadership and gives me confident hope: “We finally meet one another not in our agreements or disagreements, but at the foot of the cross, where God is faithful, where Christ is present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are one in Christ.”
In that promise I remain your servant in Christ,
Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Find related resources at http://www.elca.org/faithfulmission,
including a new video message that will be posted after 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 24.
zot
Real Lutherans don’t have “Bishops”.
I am a post-Episcopalian. The parish I'm a member of is one of the big ones in Northern Virginia that seceded (and kept its property) a few years ago. ;)
That has been my experience. When my church started having difficulties a few years back (because of a new pastor who was very much in support of the ELCA liberal direction), this pastor was much more concerned (and angry) about the people reducing or redirecting their giving than he was about finding out WHY people were leaving or "withholding" their money.
It became obvious it was time for us to go when we could not in good conscience give to our own church.
Some congregations more so than others. Be ever watchful, ever testing what you hear and see by the standard of Holy Scriptures.
Gee, leave the Word of God, cater to gays / queers and expect people to continue donating $$$$$$$$$$$s. Who’da thunk it. Too bad the ECLA even calls itself Lutheran these days. They should take Lutheran out of their name and call it the QCCA for Queer catering church of America.
It is a grave sin to finance heresy, or to aid it in any way.
It’s high time to leave the ELCA! Y’all should have left 1-3 years ago when they imposed that feminazi “liturgy” on your congregations, as I left. There’s NO EXCUSE for not leaving—none whatsoever. I know all the excuses—not one is valid.
If you think that you have a valid excuse, pray to God fervently as to whether your excuse is really valid, and what you should do about it. I believe that God will give you an answer, and give you the strength to overcome all obstacles and to leave the ELCA!!!!
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