Northern Great Lakes Synod Assembly (Pt. 2)

!Hola again on this bright, sunny day! Today's entry is Pt. 2 of my NGLS Assembly impressions. First on the agenda is a response to comments from Pt. 1.

At the end of Pt. 1, I asked "Where are the Lutherans?" Chris responded "The Rev. John Stendahl." So naturally, not knowing who Chris was talking about, I googled the "rev. john stendahl." He is the only Lutheran signer listed of the Massachusetts Declaration of Religious Support for the Freedom of Same-Gender Couples to Marry. He also appears to be a signer (one of three Lutherans) of the New England Interfaith Call for Climate Action. Rockin' job, John! Chris also said (directly quoting because I think it's well articulated): "Yeah, it is interesting that the ELCA is kind of forgetting the Lutheran idea of vocation, and the priesthood of all believers. That is, we are all serving the Lord in whatever we do, whether Pastor, bum, CEO, or Candlestick maker. Yet the ELCA wouldn't stop someone who is gay from being a Candlestick maker." I totally agree, Chris.

Next on the agenda: discussion of the Sexuality Task Force Recommendations. The recs in half a nutshell are:
1) The ELCA (meaning everyone and everything that's ELCA) concentrates on finding ways for us all to live together faithfully.
2) The ELCA continues to follow the 1993 statement made by the Conference of Bishops. (Basically they recognized that there was no scriptual or traditional basis for the blessing of homosexual relationships but will not discipline a pastor who performs a blessing.)
3) Allow the call and ordination of qualified gay and lesbian persons in commited same sex relationships provided they are otherwise in compliance with Visions and Expectations.

Delegates and pastors were allowed three minutes at the microphone to speak to any one, two or three of the recommendations. A resolution passed the day before limited the discussion to one hour. Within that hour, several people spoke to both the allied and the anti sides. Among the more memorable speaches (paraphrased and in no particular order):
+ A woman stood up and confessed to having lived a homosexual lifestyle for 30 years. But through studying the scriptures and prayer she has renounced that lifestyle and God has delivered her out her sinful ways and she is now living in Christian goodliness.
+ A man talked about being an alcoholic though he's been dry for several years and how through the grace and help of God he's been able to resist the temptation to drink. [I think what he was trying to say is that homosexuality is like alcoholism and if you have God you can live without succumbing to your addiction.]
+ A pastor said that voting would have a cathartic effect; it would allow everyone to feel as if they had accomplished something by voting and thus have a decison before them. Such voting would take the focus off of "journeying together faithfully." [Journey Together Faithfully is the name of the ELCA sexuality study.]
+Another pastor spoke of the third recommendation creating a double standard- homosexual clergy would be allowed to have sex if in a commited relationship "supposedly for life," but unmarried hetersexual clergy would still be expected to remain celibate.

I could go on, it was an hour of discussion, but you get the idea of what was going on. The ballots were passed out to delegates and pastors, and from what I understand (I was an unregistered visitor), the recommendation's number was listed with "yes" "no" and "abstain" for the voting choices. It was asked how blank ballots would be counted (would they be counted as "no"s or "abstain"s?) and Bishop Skrenes said they would be counted as blank ballots. Thus, the vote was taken. Recommendation 1 passed with 183 yes, 45 no, and 16 abstaintions. Recommendation 2 also passed: 175 yes, 44 no, and 24 abstaintions. Recommendation 3 did not pass: 79 yes, 130 no, and 34 abstaintions. There were 8 blank ballots. I could have voted, I would've added a "duh" option to number 1 and checked that.

So there it is- the end of Pt. 2. Part 3 will continue the sexuality aspect with my discussion of the resolution on the hate crime law. When the minutes are available online, I will of course put up a link to them.