Sexuality and Bound Consciences

The ELCA voted yes on three major resolutions relating to gays and lesbians living together in committed relationships being able to serve as ordained pastors or as professional church workers. The first vote approved a broad statement on human sexuality, 676-338, exactly the two-thirds majority needed. The second vote, 559-451, mandated the ELCA to find ways to allow congregations "to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same gender relationships". The third vote, 771-230, was a resolution to respect the "bound consciences" or moral convictions of members and churches that continue to object to the changes.

Following the votes, Emily Eastwood, Executive Director of Lutheran Concerned/North America, a gay rights advocate group, said, "Today I am proud to be a Lutheran". On the other side, members of Lutheran CORE, a conservative coalition, is meeting this week in Indianapolis to pray and contemplate their future relationship with the ELCA, perhaps leading some to drop their affiliation with the ELCA or decrease or redirect their financial support for the ELCA churchwide. We shall see.

How did the church come to these decisions? You could say that the "culture of the times" pushed and cajoled the faithful, and there would be truth in that statement. OK, but then the church, if it is sensitive to life outside the walls of the building, needs to respond. Now, the process is critical to fostering faithful, creative conversation.

It began in earnest about nine years ago with the formation of a study commission. Lutherans like to study! Papers were produced, changed, opinions from clergy and lay were sought, more studies, more papers, more conversation. A major effort was made to produce enough documents for study in all the nearly 11,000 congregations. More study, prayer, and conversation. Additions and corrections. More public meetings to listen and debate. Central to the conversation was the question of how we interpret scripture? Literally? What is the literal truth? Critically? Consider the historical context of the various books of the Bible? Word study? Linguistic sensitivity? As Bishop Allan Bjornberg of the Rocky Mountain Synod says, "We are good at doing 'head stuff,' but sexuality conversations have to get at the 'heart stuff'". So the human dimension became part of the process. People began telling their stories, gay and straight. If I would have been present, I would have told of hiring gay and lesbian staff, and the quality of ministry they demonstrated, and that I re-hired them. More stories. More tears from those who felt excluded even though they were faithful to Christ and committed to the integrity of the ministry of the church. The human side blended with the head side to provide a fuller expression of how do we interpret scripture. We are both brain and heart.

I was at a gathering last evening and spent some time talking with a friend/colleague about "the votes". The congregation he serves is very progressive and he was pleased with the decisions. As we talked of how we interpret scripture, I made the comment that when I first met him back in college, I knew him to be a conservative fundy. He laughed and said "You're right". I asked him, "What changed you"? He responded "I took classes from Professors Lloyd Svendsby and Paul Sponheim. Svendsby opened me to Biblical criticism and Sponheim introduced me to process theology. Then after college I went to Claremont Divinity School to study under John Cobb, a leader in process theology". Then he said, paraphrased, "I have learned that when you shut-down the mind, limit your critical inquiry, and resort to making rules and laws and move to the right, you end up devouring each other". At the same gathering, I introduced himself to a man who in turn pointed out his partner. Both were leaders in the church. The head and heart coming together.

It must be said that all who were in attendance at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly were faithful and committed Lutherans. Cast no stones. Now comes the future. It is my hope and prayer that diversity be honored, that love abound, and that we can eat lutefisk and lefse together, allowing for meatballs, potatoes and gravy, plus jello and coffee (inside Lutheran diet!). I like to think of Lutherans as having a big tent, that our "bound consciences" will bind each other together in Christ, that we may be one as the Body of Christ, worshipping, praying, serving together, and "keeping the conversation going" as we eat and drink, together. I pray. I hope.

Or, perhaps this will be a time similar to the division between the German Church and the Confessing Church in Germany in the 1930s and 40s. As a bishop friend once told me: "There are times when you just have to let the chips fall where they fall". After all, we all have "bound consciences".

Peace!
Ron Letnes