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August 23, 2009
Kate, the Church-wide Assembly, and Hope-filled GraceKate was my best “girl” friend in the days of my youth growing up in Minot, North Dakota. A fair-skinned, blue-eyed, blonde haired Scandinavian, Kate and I were a pair of “crunchy granola” types before that label even existed; our relationship found us sailing the waters of Lake Sakakawea, backpacking through Glacier National Park, planning Magic City Ski Club trips to the Rocky Mountains, cycling the trails of the local city parks, doing our best to keep one another out of trouble walking Bourbon Street during the 1976 National Youth Gathering. Since our time together as crunchy granola’s, Kate and I have continued our friendship. Kate called me one day while in college; she needed a dress for a sorority formal and wanted to know if I’d fly home with her. As Kate was a pilot with her own small plane, saying “Yes” and flying home for 24 hours was easier than driving home for a weekend. She dropped me off at my Grandpa Davick’s home on her way to get the dress. Grandpa was in hospice care dying of bone cancer. My flight home with Kate was the last time I saw my grandfather. After my divorce in 1989, I called Kate; needed a friendly voice to talk with. She could tell I was having a hard time; said I needed to get away from it all. We spent five days skiing together; Kate lived in Denver at the time. When I was in seminary, I’d meet Kate at the Minneapolis Airport; by this time she was a captain for United Airlines and would occasionally have a lay-over before her next flight. That’s a brief glimpse of my dear friend Kate. I hope you have a sense of the kind of relationship we share. Kate called me earlier this summer. She wanted to know if I’d baptize her twins, Bjorn and Lukas. Saying yes was easy; not merely because I was completely flattered, but also because it would involve a quick trip to Las Vegas, Kate’s new home. Turns out that Kate and her partner Patricia wanted to have the baptism in Minot. Most of Kate’s family is still there. Both Kate and Patricia liked the notion of having their boys baptized where Kate was baptized and confirmed; the same place where I was baptized and confirmed, and handcuffed with her brother over a certain water balloon throwing incident. Pastor Caroline, Ellie and I were in Minot three weeks ago. We never made it to the church where Kate and I grew up. The baptism took place in the Stav Kirche on the grounds of the Scandinavian Cultural Center. When Kate and Patricia asked the current pastor of the church of our youth to have Bjorn and Lukas baptized there, they were informed that the matter would have to be brought before the church council. In effect, what was communicated non-verbally is this: there exists a level of discomfort within this congregation and its leadership baptizing your sons because of your lifestyle; two christian women living in a monogamous, same-sex relationship. I share this with you today as a way to frame today’s question, “What is the ELCA position on homosexuality, on same-sex marriage?” To address these questions, we begin with the bible readings we heard this morning. Both the Old Testament reading in Leviticus and the New Testament reading in Romans are the two readings that are most often lifted up in conversation over the issue of homosexuality. Christians of a more traditional bent are likely to quote both as evidence that God abhors homosexuality. As Kathyrn Schifferdecker, Asst. Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary states, “Christians of a more traditional bent, subscribe to a “plain-sense” reading of the verses, especially with respect to the Leviticus reading; ‘you shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.’ What it says is what it means... in plain-sense terms, a man shall not lie with a man. [On the other hand] Christians with a more liberal bent counter such plain-sense reading in a number of ways. They point out that today, we as Christians, do not follow many aspects of the Levitical laws. For example, we no longer follow the law against wearing clothing made from two different kinds of cloth, nor do we refrain from lending money with interest. If we don’t follow those laws, why follow this one about homosexual behavior?” There are a number of other such arguments against the traditional interpretation of verses like Leviticus 18:22 that merit consideration. In any case, Schifferdecker concludes, “the church must continue to wrestle with these verses, and with others, as it seeks discernment of God’s intent on this thorny issue.” In the same way, the reading from Romans tends to be lifted up by Christians with a more traditional bent as evidence that God abhors homosexuality. Interpreting with a plain-sense understanding, the reading is difficult to argue. On the other hand, those with a more liberal bent say that our definition of what is “natural” and what is “unnatural” has changed significantly in the last 2000 years, and that this passage has to do with a common practice in the cultural context of New Testament antiquity that involved men and young boys, and nothing to do with a committed, monogamous, same-gender relationship. One of my New Testament professors at Luther Seminary, David Fredrickson, in studying this reading in Romans concludes: "it is anachronistic and inappropriate to think that Paul condemns homosexuality as unnatural and praises heterosexuality as a reflection of the God-given order of things." So where does this leave us? Since the inception of the ELCA in 1988, it has left us in a decades long debate. Another chapter in this debate was written last week at the ELCA’s Church-Wide Assembly in Minneapolis. Anticipating another chapter being written, Pastor Caroline and I planned this topic for today. On Wednesday, the Assembly adopted the social statement on sexuality entitled, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.” The 34-page social statement actually touches on homosexuality only briefly, and is intended as a sweeping definition of the ELCA's approach to matters of human sexuality. It also sketches out the church's approach to gender, friendship, marriage and children, cohabitation outside marriage, the commercialization of sexuality, and the global sex trade. In addition, it acknowledges what the Reverend Rebecca Larson, Executive Director of the ELCA Church in Society Unit, described as an utter lack of consensus toward homosexuality and same-sex relationships across the ELCA's membership. She said the statement's drafters agreed that such differing views could be accommodated because the homosexuality issue is "not central to our faith," Larson said. Beginning on Thursday and concluding on Friday, the Assembly passed four resolutions on Ministry Policies relative to the adopted social statement on human sexuality. The four resolutions will mean the following for our corporate church: In the implementation of any resolutions on ministry policies, the ELCA will commit itself to bear one another’s burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all; i.e., we will agree to disagree and maintain the unity of the greater church for the sake of the gospel. The ELCA sill commit itself to finding ways to allow congregations that choose to do so, to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships; i.e., all for the blessing of same-gender relationships. The ELCA will commit itself to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church; i.e., allowing gay and lesbian persons to be pastors within the ELCA with no restriction of celibacy. The ELCA will commit itself to finding ways that allow this church to continue to trust congregations, bishops, synods and others responsible for determining who should be called into public ministry; i.e., the decision to call gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, whether single or in publicly accountable, life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships will be at the discretion and direction of the congregation, its bishop and its synod. This is were we stand as of 36 hours ago. At the conclusion of the final vote on the four resolutions on Ministry Policies, sensing the joy and the sorrow in the assembly hall, Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson read these words written in Colossians: “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 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; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.Colossians 3:12-17 Then Bishop Hanson offered this concluding remark: “That passage gives invitation and expectation that those deeply disappointed today will have the expectation and the freedom to continue to admonish and to teach in this church. And so, too, those who have experienced reconciliation today are called to humility. You are called to clothe yourselves with love. But we are all called to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts remembering again and again that we are called in the one body. I will invite you tomorrow afternoon into important, thoughtful, prayerful conversations about what all of this means for our life together. But what is absolutely important for me is that we have the conversation together. I am hope-filled that this will happen. I am hope-filled because conversation and conflict, change and challenge are what makes us Lutheran; such is our reforming heritage. And because of this week’s historic actions, I am hope-filled that Kate and Patricia, Bjorn and Lukas, children of God all, will know the joy of being welcomed into a community of faith... a family of believers who do the very best they can to live the faith everyday. Let us pray. |
St. Paul's Lutheran Church § 824 N. Lewis § Waukegan IL |
