Remember the philosopher George Berkeley (1685-1753)? Those of us who took Intro to Philosophy learned of him and his flashlight view of reality. It was brother Berkeley who posed the question: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?"
Prophetically, George Berkeley may have been allegorically describing the life of a blogger. You think about it; you key it into your computer and then you post it. Does it really make a sound? Possibly not.
Blogging may be more therapy for the blogger than for the blogee. Whatever the truth, I will continue to blog if only for myself. It keeps me in the Word and thinking, neither of which are fatal.
If someone is out there, let me know.
Continued
Grace & Peace!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Introductory Post: Who Cares What You Think?
There is an easy answer to that question: NO ONE!
This blog may be more for personal reflection than theological insight. With the internet tools that are available, I intend to search the web for helpful links in order to navigate the minefield of contemporary theological distortions, while hoping at the same time to not become one.
THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA (ELCA)--WHAT DID THEY DO?
At their Churchwide Assemby in Minneapolis, the ELCA, by a one vote margin, adopted the document Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust. This twenty page document is available at http://www.elca.org/. "It also adopted 15 implementing resolutions by a vote of 695-285. The social statement is a theological and teaching document that builds on the key Lutheran principles of justification by grace and Christian freedom to serve the neighbor." (Copied from the ELCA website.) On August 17th, the ELCA took the following action: Resolution 2: Adopted by a vote of 559-451: “Resolved, that the ELCA commit itself to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church.”
OUR RESPONSE
What? While we would affirm that the Church is a hospital for sinners rather than a hotel for saints and that there is room for everyone, it does not follow that we should make them all clergy. It does invite the question, "Who is next?"
If the national average lifespan of a lesbian relationship is five years and a gay relationship is seven years, what does "people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships" really mean? What kind of a litmus test does this policy invite?
CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE
While it may be inconceivable that any church body would decide doctrine by even super-majority, that is precisely what has occurred with the ELCA. Many congregations are now assessing whether they have a future in the ELCA? Within this theological wasteland, they are looking at their options of remaining in protest or leaving to join Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) or Lutheran CORE as they shape their synodical futures.
FUTURE BLOGS
In this space we will look at:
Responses from WordAlone, Lutheran CORE and LCMC.
What are the implications of the ELCA's focus on "God's work. Our hands"?
The ELCA: The Path to Division or Decomposition?
The Abuse of the Lens "Love thy neighbor"
The Word of God as Law
The Word of God as Gospel
The Authority of the Word--an historical Lutheran perspective
simul justis et pecator
Luther: Was ist das? (What does this mean for daily living?)
I invite your comments, corrections and responses.
GRACE and PEACE,
Joe Grande, M. Div.
This blog may be more for personal reflection than theological insight. With the internet tools that are available, I intend to search the web for helpful links in order to navigate the minefield of contemporary theological distortions, while hoping at the same time to not become one.
THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA (ELCA)--WHAT DID THEY DO?
At their Churchwide Assemby in Minneapolis, the ELCA, by a one vote margin, adopted the document Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust. This twenty page document is available at http://www.elca.org/. "It also adopted 15 implementing resolutions by a vote of 695-285. The social statement is a theological and teaching document that builds on the key Lutheran principles of justification by grace and Christian freedom to serve the neighbor." (Copied from the ELCA website.) On August 17th, the ELCA took the following action: Resolution 2: Adopted by a vote of 559-451: “Resolved, that the ELCA commit itself to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church.”
OUR RESPONSE
What? While we would affirm that the Church is a hospital for sinners rather than a hotel for saints and that there is room for everyone, it does not follow that we should make them all clergy. It does invite the question, "Who is next?"
If the national average lifespan of a lesbian relationship is five years and a gay relationship is seven years, what does "people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships" really mean? What kind of a litmus test does this policy invite?
CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE
While it may be inconceivable that any church body would decide doctrine by even super-majority, that is precisely what has occurred with the ELCA. Many congregations are now assessing whether they have a future in the ELCA? Within this theological wasteland, they are looking at their options of remaining in protest or leaving to join Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) or Lutheran CORE as they shape their synodical futures.
FUTURE BLOGS
In this space we will look at:
Responses from WordAlone, Lutheran CORE and LCMC.
What are the implications of the ELCA's focus on "God's work. Our hands"?
The ELCA: The Path to Division or Decomposition?
The Abuse of the Lens "Love thy neighbor"
The Word of God as Law
The Word of God as Gospel
The Authority of the Word--an historical Lutheran perspective
simul justis et pecator
Luther: Was ist das? (What does this mean for daily living?)
I invite your comments, corrections and responses.
GRACE and PEACE,
Joe Grande, M. Div.
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