By Pastor Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. Please follow/like Pastor Brock on Facebook by going here and twitter users here.
In the October issue of The Lutheran, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's official magazine, the editor writes an article calling for civility. He talks about the "rudeness if not downright hostility found in commentary directed at the magazine and the ELCA...angry put-downs". I am guessing he gets a lot of letters from upset, traditional Lutherans who are tired of The Lutheran regularly pushing ...universalism, homosexuality, and the de-sexing of God language. The article which closes the October issue is written by the head bishop of the ELCA in which she states "the church can model respectful dialogue" where "disagreement doesn't devolved into discounting."
Let's read what is in between these two articles, an article written by Kaethe Schwehn who teaches English at the ELCA's St. Olaf College. "In college I took a class on feminist theology but refused to go to daily chapel because they didn't use inclusive language for God." She withdrew from chapel attendance for a time so that "You don't have to deal with the idiots who still think God is a man, who still think marriage is just about men and women, who want to preach...damnation instead of grace."
Whew! In the November "The Lutheran", God bless the reader who responded in Letters to the Editor: "To have a young woman insult me...is the last straw. Who does she think she is to pass judgement by calling us "idiots" for believing God is a male, marriage is between a man and a woman, etc.?"
Gratefully, the editor made a note under her letter "The magazine apologizes for not editing the pejorative from the article."
If you are an ELCA Lutheran and believe unapologetically in Father, Son, Holy Spirit language for God---and you're not embarrassed to call God "He"...if you believe that Jesus is who He said He is, the only way of salvation (John 14:6)...and if you believe that marriage is for a man and a woman, then I strongly encourage you to consider joining a denomination other than the the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
In the October issue of The Lutheran, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's official magazine, the editor writes an article calling for civility. He talks about the "rudeness if not downright hostility found in commentary directed at the magazine and the ELCA...angry put-downs". I am guessing he gets a lot of letters from upset, traditional Lutherans who are tired of The Lutheran regularly pushing ...universalism, homosexuality, and the de-sexing of God language. The article which closes the October issue is written by the head bishop of the ELCA in which she states "the church can model respectful dialogue" where "disagreement doesn't devolved into discounting."
Let's read what is in between these two articles, an article written by Kaethe Schwehn who teaches English at the ELCA's St. Olaf College. "In college I took a class on feminist theology but refused to go to daily chapel because they didn't use inclusive language for God." She withdrew from chapel attendance for a time so that "You don't have to deal with the idiots who still think God is a man, who still think marriage is just about men and women, who want to preach...damnation instead of grace."
Whew! In the November "The Lutheran", God bless the reader who responded in Letters to the Editor: "To have a young woman insult me...is the last straw. Who does she think she is to pass judgement by calling us "idiots" for believing God is a male, marriage is between a man and a woman, etc.?"
Gratefully, the editor made a note under her letter "The magazine apologizes for not editing the pejorative from the article."
If you are an ELCA Lutheran and believe unapologetically in Father, Son, Holy Spirit language for God---and you're not embarrassed to call God "He"...if you believe that Jesus is who He said He is, the only way of salvation (John 14:6)...and if you believe that marriage is for a man and a woman, then I strongly encourage you to consider joining a denomination other than the the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
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