Ash Wednesday 2/25/09 and Lent 1B 3/1/09
Mike Rinehart
bishop at gulfcoastsynod.org
Mon Feb 23 08:18:11 EST 2009
Beloved Gulf Coast Leaders,
February 25 – Ash Wednesday
<http://www.textweek.com/prophets/joel2a.htm> Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 – Blow the
trumpet; sound a fast.
or <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah58a.htm> Isaiah 58:1-12 – The
fast I choose is that you loose the bonds of injustice, share your bread
with the hungry, invite the homeless poor into your house…
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm51.htm> Psalm 51:1-17 – Create in me
a clean heart O God…
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/2cor5_6.htm> 2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6:10
<http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt6a.htm> Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 – Beware of
practicing your piety before others. Give secretly. Wash up when you fast.
March 1 - Lent 1B
<http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/gen7_8_9.htm> Genesis 9:8-17 – Noah’s
covenant (age 600)
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm25.htm> Psalm 25:1-10 – Do not
remember the sins of my youth, or my transgression.
<http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/1peter3.htm> 1 Peter 3:18-22 –
Appeal for a good conscience. V. 19 “descended to the dead” passage. Baptism
like water that saved Noah.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark1c.htm> Mark 1:9-15 – Baptism,
temptation, preaching of Jesus
Codex Brenhamiticus
Three cheers to alert reader, Harley-riding Pastor Jim Berggren of Holy
Cross/Santa Cruz, Houston, the only one to comment on my quip about the
Gospel of the Texans at the end of last week’s post. Jim, come collect your
free copy of Bishop Munib Younan’s book Witness for Peace.
2009 Annual Congregational reports due. To file electronically click
<http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organizatio
n/Office-of-the-Secretary/Congregation-Administration/Report-Congregational-
Statistics-Online.aspx> here. Forms are password protected. Please call the
synod office at 281/873-5665 for your password. Let’s achieve 100%
participation!
Disaster Position
We are taking résumés for a two-year position to coordinate disaster
recovery in the Gulf Coast synod, thanks to the support of LSS/LDR. A job
description is attached. Résumés will be accepted until March 30.
Pastors and Lay Professionals Reports
I read your reports this week. Many thanks to those who took the time to
reflect on your life and ministry. They really help me “see” what’s going on
in your world. In the coming weeks I’ll be commenting on some trends I saw
in your comments.
Preaching
A few of our rostered leaders appear to be looking for continuing education
events in the area of preaching. Would you email me about events you have
attended that were outstanding? Outstanding only please. J
Lent and Sex
The release of the two documents: Human
<http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Social-Statements-in-Proc
ess/JTF-Human-Sexuality/Proposed-Social-Statement.aspx> Sexuality: Gift and
Trust, and Report
<http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Social-Statements-in-Proc
ess/JTF-Human-Sexuality/Report-and-Recommendation.aspx> and Recommendation
on Ministry Policies, coincidentally coincide with beginning of Lent.
Perhaps this is fortuitous as our Lenten texts focus on the covenants. Lent
I: Noah’s covenant. Lent II: Abram’s covenant. Lent III: Moses’ covenant.
Lent V: I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel… In the Lent II
epistle, Paul makes the case that Abram is made right with God not by the
law, but by trusting God’s promises. If our relationship with God is made
right by trust, then perhaps our human relationships are made right by trust
as well. This is the move the sexuality study takes, and it is a very
Lutheran move, based on justification by grace through faith – trusting God’
s promises. If you skip over the study to get to the recommendations on
rostering, you’ll miss some good stuff.
Both the
<http://www.nola.com/ap/stories/index.ssf?/base/national-0/1235068774140970.
xml&storylist=topstories> New Orleans Times Picayune and the
<http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/6271053.html> Houston
Chronicle picked up the AP article on the recommendation. They catch the
main thing anyway, that we’re trying to take a path that respects the bound
conscience. The point is well made: we don’t just ask others to respect our
conscience on the matter, but the study asks if we can respect others’
consciences on this as well. It also for me implicitly hits on a fundamental
question: should denominations be making these decisions, or should
congregations and candidacy committees?
The study states the various positions taken by members of this church
regarding homosexuality. The recommendations ask: Can we agree to disagree
agreeably? The churchwide assembly will be asked to wrestle with this in
August. So far, we have been able to have a conversation about sexuality
without tearing one another apart. The world is watching.
The study is an improvement on the draft, but it is long. Staff brainstormed
some suggestions:
1. First, if you’re pressed for time, just read the executive summary
and talking points so that you are informed as a leader of this church.
2. Second, talk about the study and the recommendations with others.
Don’t become isolated. Discuss this in your Ministerium. Gather with a few
fellow pastors over lunch and brainstorm how you manage a healthy
conversation in your congregation. The conversation will bring light and
clarity to the discussion.
3. Third, encourage discussion and dialog in your congregation. This
is a pastoral decision, based on your local context. If you hold a forum.
Encourage youth to attend. They need to see healthy dialog modeled and are
yearning to hear what adults think, even when they act as though they’re
not. Invite the community in. Listen to your community as well as your
congregation. As a leader, be slow to speak and quick to listen. Show
respect for alternate viewpoints even when you disagree.
Before any forum on an issue where people are likely to be divided
(Lutherans have many different views on many things from capital punishment
to euthanasia), invite people to abide by a covenant? Since our Lenten texts
focus on the covenants it could be a good intro to the concept. Try Eric
Law’s RESPECT covenant for example:
R = take Responsibility for what you say and feel without blaming others
E = use Empathetic listening
S = be Sensitive to differences in communication styles
P = Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak
E = Examine your own assumptions and perceptions
C = keep Confidentiality
T = Trust ambiguity because we are not here to debate who is right or wrong
For an extended article on these Respectful Communication Guidelines with
explanations go to
http://216.104.171.229/ki/2007-02_Kaleidoscope_Newsletter.pdf.
The bishops have been sharing one another’s posts on the topic. Perhaps the
best one I’ve seen is by Peter Rogness, bishop of the St. Paul Area Synod. I
will paste it below for your consideration, after the texts.
For me it all comes down to this: Can I be church with someone who holds a
different view on capital punishment, pacifism, abortion, homosexuality, or
euthanasia? If we pray about a tough social issue and come to different
conclusions about how God is calling us to act, must this divide the church?
I pray not.
שלומ سلام Peace,
Mike Rinehart
Michael Rinehart, bishop
The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
12707 I-45 North Frwy, Suite 580
Houston, TX 77060-1239
281-873-5665
www.GulfCoastSynod.org <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/>
cid:image001.jpg at 01C8E732.76E2DF60
Lent 2009
February 25 – Ash Wednesday
<http://www.textweek.com/prophets/joel2a.htm> Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 – Blow the
trumpet; sound a fast.
or <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah58a.htm> Isaiah 58:1-12 – The
fast I choose is that you loose the bonds of injustice, share your bread
with the hungry, invite the homeless poor into your house…
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm51.htm> Psalm 51:1-17 – Create in me
a clean heart O God…
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/2cor5_6.htm> 2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6:10
<http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt6a.htm> Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 – Beware of
practicing your piety before others. Give secretly. Wash up when you fast.
March 1 - Lent 1B
<http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/gen7_8_9.htm> Genesis 9:8-17 – Noah’s
covenant (age 600)
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm25.htm> Psalm 25:1-10 – Do not
remember the sins of my youth, or my transgression.
<http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/1peter3.htm> 1 Peter 3:18-22 –
Appeal for a good conscience. V. 19 “descended to the dead” passage. Baptism
like water that saved Noah.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark1c.htm> Mark 1:9-15 – Baptism,
temptation, preaching of Jesus
March 8 – Lent 2B
<http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/gen17.htm> Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 –
Abram’s covenant (age 99)
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm22.htm> Psalm 22:23-31 – My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/rom4b.htm> Romans 4:13-25 –Abe wasn’t
saved by the law. He’s reckoned as righteous because he believes God’s
promise of progeny.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark8.htm> Mark 8:31-38 – Confession of
St. Peter, crucifixion prediction, cost of discipleship or
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark9a.htm> Mark 9:2-9 – Transfiguration
again.
March 15 – Lent 3B
<http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/ex20b.htm> Exodus 20:1-17 – Moses’
covenant (age 80?) The 10 Commandments
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm19.htm> Psalm 19 – Let the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You…
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1cor1c.htm> 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 –
Message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us it
is the power of God.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn2b.htm> John 2:13-22 – Trashing of the
Temple; resurrection prediction.
March 22 – Lent 4B
<http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/num21.htm> Numbers 21:4-9 – Moses lifts
up the serpent in the wilderness. Murmuring. Fiery serpents.
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm107.htm> Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 – They
cried to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them from their distress…
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/eph2a.htm> Ephesians 2:1-10 – Dead in your
trespasses, for by grace you have been saved by faith… for good works.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn3b.htm> John 3:14-21 – Just as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
For God so loved the world…
March 29 – Lent 5B
Jeremiah 31:31-34 <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/jer31c.htm> – I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel. Law on their heart. Remember
their sin no more.
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm51.htm> Psalm 51:1-12 – Create in me
a clean heart O God… or <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm119.htm>
Psalm 119:9-16 – Happy are those whose way is blameless…
<http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/hebrews5.htm> Hebrews 5:5-10 –
Jesus the great high preist. Order of Melchizedek.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn12c.htm> John 12:20-33 – Some Greeks
come to see Jesus. Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
April 5 – Liturgy of the Passion
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm118.htm> – Open
the gates of righteousness that I may enter.
Mark 11:1-11 <http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark11.htm> or John 12:12-16
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn12b.htm> – The Triumphal Entry.
<http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah50.htm> Isaiah 50:4-9a – I gave my
back to those who hit me; my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard. I did
not hide my face from insult and spitting.
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm31.htm> Psalm 31:9-16 – Into your
hands I commend my spirit…
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/phil2.htm> Philippians 2:5-11 – Have this
mind among that was in Christ, who emptied himself and became obedient to
death on a cross.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark14_15.htm> Mark 14:1 - 15:47 or
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark14_15.htm> Mark 15:1-39, (40-47) – The
Passion
The Three Days 2009
April 9 – Maundy Thursday
<http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/ex12.htm> Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
– God establishes Passover as a day of remembrance.
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm116.htm> Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 – What
shall I return to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the
cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows…
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1cor11.htm> 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – For I
received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that on the night in
which he was betrayed our Lord took bread…
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn13.htm> John 13:1-17, 31b-35 – Washing
of the disciples’ feet.
April 10 – Good Friday
<http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah52_53.htm> Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 –
Song of the Suffering Servant
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm22.htm> Psalm 22 – My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?
<http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/hebrews10b.htm> Hebrews
10:16-25 – Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for sins. New covenant (quoting
Jeremiah). Access to the holy of holies.
or <http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/hebrews4_5.htm> Hebrews
4:14-16; 5:7-9 – Because he suffered, we now approach the throne of grace.
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn18_19.htm> John 18:1 - 19:42 – The
Passion.
April 12 – The Resurrection of our Lord
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/acts10a.htm> Acts 10:34-43 or
<http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah25.htm> Isaiah 25:6-9
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm118.htm> Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
<http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1cor15a.htm> I Corinthians 15:1-11 or
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/acts10a.htm> Acts 10:34-43
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn20a.htm> John 20:1-18 or
<http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark16.htm> Mark 16:1-8
Looking ahead:
Ascension – Thursday, May 21 (or move to Sunday, May 24)
Pentecost – May 31
Holy Trinity – June 7
When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and
love has always won.
There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible,
but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always.
- Mahatma Gandhi
God has shown the strength of his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
- Luke 1:51-53
The Way It Looks from Here...
An occasional e-letter from Peter Rogness
Saint Paul Area Synod
February 19, 2009
SPAS Logo
"It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us...."
Testing the Water: Can we move beyond the two poles to be church together?
Dear Partners in Ministry,
I'm sending this to you Thursday afternoon, just hours following the
long-awaited public release of two important documents from the Task Force
for ELCA Studies on Sexuality: 1) Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, the
proposed ELCA social statement; and 2) Report and Recommendations on
Ministry Policies.
You who are rostered ministers received these documents yesterday. They
became available today at noon for everyone on www.elca.org
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102465798541&e=001aWZKYw_LpCCaq8rOPXymtVaiazuR6a-
XaV2xGxVebdNPNS30zYLL5o8WypfVGbOD2KPuxXOcAazq8fzANlZ4cSEbG-g9eM3LFdHWg9rsfpj
QwNELl7ziILWyjKS61atCw9CPK-UU2BoB0A4IKWBOZl9uAHgT91Uzuc3RbJEEBx-oOoKlMS8TcLy
Vm84VnjYhSyElqeq0NMausIWhlxFcYGwgfQL_dbEC> . Some news outlets have already
posted stories about their release. I send this note in the hope you may
find the information helpful both as you seek to understand these documents,
and, perhaps more importantly, as you seek to respond to comments and
questions among people in your congregations.
I'll respond in two parts--first, to remind you about the process; and
second, to offer some perspective on the questions our church will now
consider.
The process
Our church is participatory in how it makes decisions about our life
together,. This process was set in motion by action of a Churchwide Assembly
in 2001, with additional mandate given in 2007. A diverse task force was
formed to give its best effort --in listening, understanding, and
recommending. These documents represent a monumental effort, and, I believe,
a fine work product. Whether you agree or disagree with their substance, the
effort deserves our thanks and our study.
These documents now belong to the church. The Conference of Bishops will
discuss them in early March (we're a non-legislative body and as such, are
unable to make any changes to the documents). The church council will
receive them and transmit them with proposed actions to the 2009 Churchwide
Assembly in Minneapolis, August 17-23. In the meantime forums (in our synod,
April 16) and synod assemblies (ours is May 29-30) will discuss and, in all
likelihood, pass on memorials to the Churchwide Assembly. Then the 1,050
voting members of the assembly will make their decision on behalf of the
whole church.
So the first thing to help your people understand is that this is in
process, and this process is designed to bring the church's full
participation into the final decision. This isn't something they are doing.
The they is us, and it's a very broad "us."
The proposed social statement
It's unfortunate that this fine social statement--Human Sexuality: Gift and
Trust--will get lost in the public rush to talk about the policy
recommendations. Sexuality is a powerful dimension of our lives and badly
misunderstood in this culture. We would do well to think long and hard about
how to receive it as the gift it is, with the potential to ennoble rather
than damage life.
The statement begins by placing matters of sexuality within the two greatest
commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. If human sexuality is to be
an expression of human love, it ought to mirror God's faithfulness and
trustworthiness. Trust in relationships becomes a key theme throughout, and
marriage and family are the vehicles God gives us for building trust in
relationships.
I hope you use this statement in discussion groups. Because of responses
from people throughout the church to last year's first draft, the social
statement is substantially shorter and reflects greater clarity in certain
portions. The Churchwide Assembly will consider not only the substance of
the statement itself, but the 15 implementing resolutions (pages 32-33) that
encourage further consideration and action flowing from this statement.
The report and recommendations on ministry standards
I hope we can reframe the conversation about ministry standards from the way
it has been traditionally framed and the way the media will surely frame
it. Framing the question in the typical way describes two competing poles,
which can be summarized this way:
Argument for retaining the present policy (i.e., gay and lesbian clergy must
be celibate): "This is fundamentally a matter of fidelity to Scripture. The
Bible in several places is clear that homosexuality is sinful, contrary to
God's creative design. Those in public leadership ought not be in a
relationship the Bible clearly states is sinful. Just because the culture
has moved away from this biblical truth is no reason for us to do so."
Argument for changing policy, allowing gay and lesbian clergy in committed
relationships to be rostered ministers: "This is fundamentally a matter of
justice. The Bible passages cited are not directed to persons whom we now
understand to have a same-gender orientation. We now know this is part of
who these people are, and we have come to see that there are wonderful gifts
for ministry that this church should allow to be claimed."
The task force recognizes again, as it did in 2005, that this is a church
with no consensus on these fundamental issues. That might mean--if we are
drawn into the polarization of this matter--that we now launch into a
tug-of-war to see who wins.
But the task force suggests another way. My first reaction is twofold: I
think it borders on brilliant, and I think it's deeply Lutheran.
Lutherans have always held to the importance of conscience--based in
relationship with God, grounded in Scripture, guided by our theological
heritage (see lines 384ff for references beginning with Luther himself). But
the task force turns our more typical use of "conscience" on its head and
gives it back to us to deal with. Typically one asserts "conscience" as a
trump card. For example, "If my conscience tells me so-and-so, I get my way;
you can't make me go against my conscience." But the task force calls us to
receive each others' conscience as similarly binding and then challenges us
to find a way to be church together, giving honor to the bound conscience of
those whose convictions lead them to differing conclusions than our own. The
tug of war is ended, in this approach. Rather, we are called to find a way
that grants integrity and respect to differing, faithful, conscience-bound
positions.
I think we're being challenged to find a way to be church together. We don't
have to have one side lose so the other can win. But both sides--all
sides--need to decide if we can respect the other sufficiently so as to
allow them to shape the life of the church in their place in that way that
they believe God is leading.
So what does this mean?
So how does all this work? What specifically would it mean? Rather than
propose constitutional changes (as was proposed and defeated in 2005), the
task force recommends letting those structures that already make judgments
about suitability for ministry continue to do so. These structures include
synod candidacy committees, seminary faculties, bishops, congregational
councils, and call committees. All of these entities now guide the church's
decisions and would continue to do so.
If this church decides to allow for these processes to consider a gay or
lesbian person in a committed relationship as the person whose gifts for
ministry seem well-suited for a particular setting, then we would put in
place "structured flexibility" to guide such decisions. The blanket
preclusions to their ministry would be eliminated. But also, consistent with
respect for bound conscience, those places in the church that do not believe
in such suitability would also be respected.
The task force lays these matters before the church in a logical four-step
progression, and my previous paragraph describing how the process would work
is step four. Since we place great importance on accountability to ministry
standards, the church would first have to decide whether it was willing to
allow congregations and synods that choose to do so to "find ways" to
recognize lifelong, committed, monogamous, same-gender relationships. In
other words, the same rigorous standard for conduct that we hold for
heterosexual clergy in marriage would need to find parallel for same-gender
couples. The question is this: Driven by respect for the conscience-bound
convictions of some, is this church willing to allow those persons and
congregations to be led in that direction, even if others are led in another
direction?
"For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us...."
In the 15th chapter of Acts, when a deeply divided early church came
together to consider how to proceed as the gospel moved beyond the Jewish
world to be embraced by Jew and Gentile alike, the apostles and the elders
announced their decision: "For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to
us..." (Acts 15:28) In the Smalcald Articles Luther spoke in almost
sacramental terms of "the mutual conversation and consolation of the
saints." The task force has put squarely before us the question of how
seriously we can take the "us" in the apostles' words.
Can we value each other, respect each other, and trust each other's
faithfulness enough to find a way through deep differences?
Can we desire the fellowship the Spirit gives so much that we resist the
polarizing hysteria of this cultural moment over this volatile issue?
Can we step carefully and sensitively forward and talk these things through
to the end that we remain a strong church with varying perspectives and
practices in our faithfulness to the one God who has claimed us in Jesus
Christ?
This is, finally, the Lord's church, not ours. Each day I remain thankful to
have been called into ministry with all of you together. I cherish our
relationships, both those of you who will believe this proposal moves too
far and those who believe it moves not far enough. And I look forward to our
demonstrating that we can and will have a respectful and open conversation
together in the coming weeks.
Grace and peace,
Peter Rogness
Bishop
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