Sunday School was interesting this week...

[Studeclunker]

My dear friends, I was going to post this in Seajoy's kitchen and decided it wasn't appropriate for that venue.

Well, Sunday School was interesting this week. We've been working through Jeremiah and are on chapter 16. There's one part where pastor took us back to, I think, 2Kings and the description of where Manassah's son erred. Funny, that the Lord allowed the fellow to rule for fifty years whilst this king led his people so very astray. Pastor mentioned that at least the worship of Ashera and Baal weren't a problem today. I mentioned that ELCA congregation who were worshiping Ashera. You could have heard a pin drop. The pastor turned white as a sheet. "You, you're kidding, right?" he asked. "No," I replied and explained where and what I'd learned about them. Liberalism is a slippery slope and I fear for not only our country, but the Lutheran faith as well. God will not be mocked or compete for our hearts. On the other hand, he will punish those of us who stray, Second Kings and Jeremiah are good examples of this. It scares me to death the direction I see the U.S. going. We've obviously existed with his blessing for two hundred plus years. That blessing can be withdrawn. We live in scary times...

Yours,
Ron

 

[BigNorsk]

I've kind of waited for someone to bring a resolution to the ELCA convention over that congregation. Something simple like "The ELCA will break fellowship with Ebenezer Lutheran, and all clergy associated with it will be removed from any association with the synod." It would need to be spelled out clearly of course what all that means, and for purposes of a resolution it would probably have some Whereases attached to it.

But I'm not sure exactly how someone would do that.

And not being a member of ELCA I can't.

I know there's a way to bring forward a resolution but I'm not really familiar enough with the ELCA workings to know how it's specifically done.

Shouldn't be necessary, but it appears such a resolution is necessary.

I would expect to hear how one just doesn't understand. And I'm sure there would be opposition raised on the basis of it being micromanagement and not proper and that it would hurt unity. All those secondary criticisms. But it's back to it appears on the web that the ELCA is worshipping something that I think most ELCA members would be in direct, strong opposition to.

If it's going to be the teaching of the synod, it should at least be discussed. Or so it seems to me.

Marv

 

[Studeclunker]

Marv, people have been waiting in vain for the Pacifica Synod to do something about that congregation for, oh, twenty or so years. Nothing was done and with the stuff coming out of the leadership today indicates noting will ever be done. It's sad, really... but there it is.

 

[Rechtgläubig]

Dear *******,

Yes, I have made aware of Ebenezer’s website.

I take seriously your concern and am looking into this matter.

Grace and peace,

Bishop David G. Mullen
Sierra Pacific Synod, ELCA
401 Roland Way, Suite 215
Oakland, CA 94621
(510) 430-0500 ext 16
(916) 708-1942 cell
(510) 430-8730 FAX
email: bishop@spselca.org

That was the reply from Bishop Mullen on March 29 2006 after I sent him an email bringing the issue to his attention. That was two years ago, it takes 10 minutes tops to read that entire website.

 

[usafbrat64]

I just mentioned this congregation to my best friend. She's the treasurer of one of their districts and was horrified by the website. She was forwarding it on to the old bishop and to the new bishop. (They're in the middle of a switchover)

I don't know if anything will come of it, but I do know that it really has A. on shaky ground with the ELCA right now. She was fine with female pastors, but then open communion made her uncomfortable, and now this.....

 

[Studeclunker]

Yes, well... about fifteen years ago I came to A's conclusion. Bishop Chisholm (sp?) stated that the 'Statement On Human Sexuality' was a sound document that should be used as a teaching tool in all ELCA congregations. This was after it's ratification was soundly defeated. Their agenda was derailed, but not defeated. Now, the entire agenda has been slithered into place. I wonder, will these good people still in ELCA, ever wake up?