Taking the Good With the Bad

Many ELCA leaders continue to be mindful of the fallout from the votes on human sexuality at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.  At the time, some feared that this would be a major schism across the church.  Certainly there are many households, congregations, and synods that are still struggling with the reality that openly gay pastors in a publicly-accountable relationship can be available for a call to ministry.    

In the 17 months since the "big gay votes," about 3.4% of congregations have officially severed ties with the ELCA.  An undisclosed number of additional congregations have remained affiliated with the denomination but are withholding financial support to ELCA ministries.  These decisions have, in some cases, crippled the ability of the larger church to function in its pre-2009 form.  

Even within these congregations, some interesting stories have emerged.  One tale, in particular, caught my attention this past week.

In August 2009 pastor of a large congregation made several public statements of disagreement with the assembly votes.  Soon thereafter this congregation chose to withhold half of its benevolence to the larger church in protest of the decisions (an amount that represented less than 1% of the congregation's total budget).  A member of the congregation, dismayed with this decision, wrote the synod bishop a letter of apology.  Enclosed with the letter was a check that made up the difference for the next few years, along with a pledge to repeat this act if the congregation hadn't restored its full benevolence within five years. 

I know of other congregations that have made an intentional increase in their 2011 benevolence to support the ministries of the larger church in direct response to neighboring churches that have made cuts.  Some congregations that remained affiliated with the ELCA have seen growth in giving and attendance because people left a nearby church that became inundated with anti-ELCA rhetoric.

I'm not sure there are any larger thematic statements to be made from these stories...but I'm encouraged to hear that God continues to do creative and redeeming things in ELCA congregations.  The news isn't all doom-and-gloom for Lutherans.  Thanks be to God!

Gospel Writ Large

I am unabashed in my affection for Nadia Bolz-Weber...but not because she's edgy, or tattooed, or "emergent", or even because she's unapologetically Lutheran.  I love Nadia because she is the pastor of the only church home my sister, Krista, has known since moving to Denver in 2003.  Pastor's kids can have a difficult time finding a place in the church; especially 500 miles from their hometown.  Krista's spiritual journey collided with Nadia a few years ago, and it has been fun to be connected to her strange faith community from afar.  In that time, Nadia and I have become friends - again, not because of our Lutheran connections, but because we both love Krista.

I was excited when I found out that Nadia was preaching at the ELM Rite of Reception service last weekend in San Francisco.  I knew that she, more than anyone, wouldn't make the sermon about anything other than the proclamation of the gospel.  It would have been easy, mind you, for a preacher to claim the kingdom of God is at hand by admonishing the "conservative, Bible-beating, gay-hating modernists" and claim victory over the "evil church system" that oppressed these seven openly gay pastors for so many years.

Instead, Nadia, citing the Parable of the Workers / Landowner, talked about the kingdom of God in these terms:

The kingdom of God is like a glorious mess of a kingdom where Paris Hilton and Hilton Perez and Fred Phelps and Fredrick Beuchner and ELM pastors and CORE Lutherans all receive the same mercy we never saw coming because we were too busy worrying about what everyone else is doing.

And again:

...the kingdom of God, is founded not on the quality of the people in it but on the unrestrained and lavish mercy of the God who came and got us.

And finally:

...what makes it the kingdom of God is not the worthiness or piety or social justice-yness or hard work of the laborers…it’s the fact that the trampy landowner couldn’t manage to keep out of the market place. He goes back and back and back interrupting lives…coming to get his people.

You can watch the sermon video and read the transcript here.


Tucked away in the comments section, but no less beautiful than the sermon itself, is a reflection from a prominent member of Lutheran CORE:

While I disagree with the CWA votes, while I disagree with the new policies, while I disagree with what happened in the service yesterday, (taking a deep breath), there is much in this sermon that I know is the Gospel writ large. Pastor Megan, peace be with you and with your ministry, now recognized in this church body that we both labor in and love. From South Dakota and Lutheran CORE, 

Your sister in Christ,

Erma Wolf 

Wouldn't it be great if we could stop all of the inflammatory, partisan bullshit and start treating others like brothers and sisters in Christ?  Wouldn't it be nice if our leaders and preachers wouldn't use the privilege of their status to tear others down, cast judgment, and exalt their own piety?  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could find a way to live in the tension of our religious and philosophical disagreements without fearing the wrath of a God that we have made in our own image?

I think Nadia's sermon and Erma's response could spark a change in the way we approach differences.  I'm grateful for their witness and continue pray for the renewal of the church.