Do any conservativeLutheran churches have gay communicants who are openly gay? How would you commune them? Some churches leaving the ELCA will have gay communicants and there will be an expectation that they continue to be communed. How will this church fit in LCMS? AALC?
Do any conservativeLutheran churches have gay communicants who are openly gay? How would you commune them? Some churches leaving the ELCA will have gay communicants and there will be an expectation that they continue to be communed. How will this church fit in LCMS? AALC?
Curious.
Cos
In the WELS, being openly gay is being openly sinful. We must examine ourselves and repent of our sins before approaching the Table. Repentance includes throwing our old Adam aside, not continuing to live that sinful lifestyle, so no WELS pastor would or should commune an openly sinful, unrepentant person.
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Someone who has a tendency to Homosexuality would be welcome to commune at any conservative (more properly, I suppose anymore would be to say orothodox-Lutheran) Lutheran church. Just as anyone who has a tendency to alcolholism, or any other sin. One must remember that this type of practice is recognized, Biblically, as a sin. A particularly vile sin at that. As long as the Homosexual is repentant, ie: not active, not living with a "Life Partner (same sex)," etc... I see no reason why not. However, an openly practicing homosexual will find themselves refused communion at any altar that practices basic Christian principles of elegibility for Communion. They would be refused just the same as co-habiting couples should be, drunkards (out of control alcolholics), etc, etc, etc... If someone is in blatant sin in any area, a pastor is responsible to refuse them communion till they come round.
As to how these churches would fit in LCMS, WELS, etc... they wouldn't. Not if they expect to continue in the erroneous practices of the ELCA (ordained women, open homosexuality and so on). However, I happen to know of a number of ELCA congregations that wouldn't allow that kind of behaviour. In fact, I know of several that behave themselves (doctrinally and liturgically) better than the local LCMS congregation. Those very conservative ELCA congregations would have very little trouble assimilating into LCMS. I honestly doubt though, that will happen. There is already a splinter group from the ELCA that these people will likely gravitate to. Besides, the LCMS is facing the same situation presently. A number of congregations have about had it with the behaviour of the leadership and are ready to jump to either WELS or form another Synodical organization.
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Last edited by Studeclunker; 4th November 2009 at 12:13 PM.
In the WELS, being openly gay is being openly sinful. We must examine ourselves and repent of our sins before approaching the Table. Repentance includes throwing our old Adam aside, not continuing to live that sinful lifestyle, so no WELS pastor would or should commune an openly sinful, unrepentant person.
What exactly does openly gay mean? I think people try to overthink this. If some guy is openly heterosexual and that means sex is number one in everything and he's having sex with lots of women he isn't going to be communed.
If openly gay means the person would talk about their struggle with same sex attraction. Well, of course they need the strengthening of communion.
One's sexuality really shouldn't be in everyone's face whatever they are. If it is, there's problems.
It's when one choses the sin over God that one is not communed.
It seems to me that usually when people talk of someone being "openly gay" that they are talking where the person has decided to chose the sin, and make it a public issue. As such, they are not communed.
__________________ Eze 36:25-27 ESV (25) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. (26) And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Heb 10:22 ESV let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
What exactly does openly gay mean? I think people try to overthink this. If some guy is openly heterosexual and that means sex is number one in everything and he's having sex with lots of women he isn't going to be communed.
If openly gay means the person would talk about their struggle with same sex attraction. Well, of course they need the strengthening of communion.
One's sexuality really shouldn't be in everyone's face whatever they are. If it is, there's problems.
It's when one choses the sin over God that one is not communed.
It seems to me that usually when people talk of someone being "openly gay" that they are talking where the person has decided to chose the sin, and make it a public issue. As such, they are not communed.
I believe this is the best path.
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In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Romans 8:26
It seems to me that usually when people talk of someone being "openly gay" that they are talking where the person has decided to chose the sin, and make it a public issue. As such, they are not communed.
I think that's the definition that's been assumed by most so far on this thread.
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