Northern Great Lakes Synon Assembly 2005 (Pt. 1)

The Northern Great Lakes Synod Assembly for 2005 began Sunday evening, 22 May with worship. Some 400 people- give or take- were in attendance for the "Finnish African Gospel Mass" (a fantabulous service; if you ever get the chance to participate in it, I highly recommend that you do!). I skipped the plenary session for that night, but I did attend the full day Monday and the remaining half-day Tuesday. While it certainly wasn't the most exhilerating time of my life, it was nonethless a great experience for several reasons. The next several entries will be almost exclusively about the assembly and its issues as I see/saw and experience/d them. To begin with, one of the most controversial subjects in the religious, secular and their overlapping spheres: sexuality. More specifically, HOMOsexuality.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America churchwide assembly is being held in Orlando this August and all 65 synods of the ELCA are encouraged to be looking at the recomendations put forth by the ELCA Task Force on Sexuality concerning homosexual orientation in the church. Current policy welcomes everyone as children of God; clergy who officiate a same-sex blessing will not be disciplined, but the union is not sanctioned by the church; gay and lesbians may be rostered leaders, but they are to adhere to the guidelines in Visions and Expectations: "Ordained ministers who are homsexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships." Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline of Ordained Ministers states: "Practicing homosexual persons are precluded from th ordained ministry of this church."

The service for Holy Baptism found in the LBW (pgs. 121-125) states "... in the waters of Baptism we are reborn children of God and inheritors of eternal life. By water and the Holy Spirit we are made members of the Church which is the body of Christ." and "Through Baptism God has made [the newly baptized members] of the priesthood we all share in Christ Jesus, that we may proclaim the praise of God and bear his creative and redeeming Word to all the world." It does not say "gay persons excluded." My understanding of this sacrament is that it is the call and claim of your life by God to serve Him/Her/It throughout your life in all that you do. Would somebody please explain (intelligently- I don't want a bunch of literalist interpretations of Scripture) to me how being gay and rejoicing in God's gift of sex suddenly makes a person unworthy of serving the church as a rostered leader?

Here ends Part 1. Part 2 will be about the discussion which took place at the Assembly. Any comments posted on Part 1 between now and the publication of Part 2 will be responded to at that time also.

Where are the Lutherans? The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry