Diversity Week
Pastor Eric Feig
Pastor Eric Feig is an ELCA pastor in Lake City, Minnesota, a reserve chaplain in the National Guard and as you will read, an alumnus of Luther College. Writing of his recent experience on campus, we get a behind the scenes look at the discussion of human sexuality that is currently happening on one of our ELCA campuses.
Diversity, as Webster’s Collegiate dictionary defines it, is the condition of being diverse (composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities). From what I experienced, Luther College, Decorah Iowa, is not able to understand Webster’s definition of diversity.
Luther College celebrated ADiversity Week 2002: Race, gender, class and sexuality in community@ Sept 29 B Oct 5, 2002. Information on this event is available at (www.publicinformation.luther.edu/diversityweek2002.html). More than 25 ADiversity Week@ lectures, films, workshops and celebrations were designed to stimulate discussion and engender dialogue around humankind's many differences and unique histories.
One of the displays that caught my attention was the critically acclaimed photo-text exhibit "Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People and their Families," which was displayed in Preus Library, Marty's CyberCafe, and the Oneota Coffee Shop during Diversity Week.
I asked myself how would this exhibit was used to support the ELCA’s current position and their statement on human sexuality, marriage, and family? Jesus said, ask and it shall be given unto you, so I asked! I inquired at the Public Information Office at Luther who was the leader of Diversity Week, because I had a few questions I wanted answered. I was given Professor Kimberly Powell’s name, so I asked her how Diversity Week would be used to support the ELCA’s current position of sexuality. She chose not to answer, but referred my questions to Luther’s Dean, Dr. William Craft.
I wondered why I was being passed around so quickly and no one wanted to answer my questions straight up. Dr. Craft answered my questions concerning the exibit with, A=The Love Makes a Family= exhibit was not brought on campus with the explicit intent of supporting the current ELCA statement on Human Sexuality. However, its presence does contribute to the effort of the church to address openly the difficult issue of the place that gay and lesbian children of God will have within the body of Christ and within church related institutions.
I decided to check the exhibit in person for myself. I wanted to see the exhibit and hear the presentations. I was curious why nobody official wanted to dialogue with me about it. The public was invited to join the students and faculty in a series of Brown Bag luncheons held during Diversity Week. I went to participate in the luncheon with the topic, ‘Sexual Orientation.’
Here’s where Diversity began to narrow! The hour-long luncheon was held in a packed meeting room at Luther, and was led by GLBT students at Luther. During the discussion it became clear that their understanding of human sexuality and sexual expression was not confined to one man and one woman within the context of the lifelong commitment of marriage. In fact, if that was what you believed, then you’ve had a lot to learn about life and God too! Over and over again, it was stated that God loves and approves of the many different ways of sexual expression, especially those with a GLBT orientation. As long as there was love and commitment, God approved. No sin. No right or wrong. It was proclaimed that there is only a message of love and acceptance from God. In fact , the sin that abounds was to be found in those people who didn’t approve of GLBT lifestyles. They were the ones on the outside and not right with God! So much for the traditional view in the church, at least at Luther, an ELCA college.
At the luncheon, I heard that the greatest sermon ever preached had been given earlier during morning chapel (October 1, 2002). The preacher was Jim Martin-Schram. He is an Associate Professor of Religion at Luther. He has a B.A. from Pacific Lutheran University; received his M.Div. from Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary; and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary.
Since I was unable to attend chapel in person, I requested an audio transcript of the service. I wanted to hear the greatest sermon ever for myself! I should have known better. The greatest sermon ever given vilified the traditional view of sexuality and family, and uplifted GLBT lifestyles as normal and blessed by God. Experience, you see, was to be the guide for our lives. The biblical writers did not experience sexuality the way that we do now, so, they couldn’t possibly write anything other than what they knew from their experience. The Biblical writers were not writing the Word of God. What they were writing was based upon what they experienced. Because experiences have changed, so does the view of scripture and our use of it. We do not condemn our GLBT brothers and sisters as Paul did. We now welcome them and bless them. Just to give you an understanding of the new way of looking at things, as presented in this greatest sermon ever given, here’s how the sermon ends: Christians who have experienced and benefited from the righteousness of gay, lesbian, by-sexual and trans-gendered friends and family members want to change the view of the church with regard to the issue of homosexuality. Many of us all want our communities to be places where people like Dan (his friend, whose experience colors this sermon) are fully welcomed and given the same opportunities and moral responsibilities as the rest of us. We want our communities to be places where diversity is appreciated and celebrated within the context of our unity in the body of Christ. Where there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, where we are all one in Christ Jesus. In these communities we have a term for a man that loves another man. We call that man a Christian. In these communities, we have a term for a woman who loves another woman, we call that woman a sister in Christ and a child of God. Amen.
Was this the Greatest sermon ever? Where was the balance of Law and Gospel? Where were sin and redemption proclaimed? Not a chance! At least, I couldn’t hear anything Lutheran in what was said.
I then went to look for myself at the exhibit "Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People and their Families." I toured the various sites on campus where the exhibit was displayed. The message of acceptance, tolerance and love for GLBT families was the continuous theme of the exhibit. Natural and normal are words used to describe the pictures of children being raised in GLBT homes. Was there anything that would hint of a sinful lifestyle? Not on your life. Not in this exhibit!
I was three for three, so I thought I’d express my surprise and disgust with the Campus Pastors. Surely they would provide some balance to the perceived one-sided view of Diversity Week I received. I met with Pastor Deanna Langle and we discussed the issues of Diversity Week, sexuality, and the ELCA’s study of the issue. To my surprise, from her perspective, I was the one with the problem. Luther’s Chapel is a Reconciled in Christ congregation. The campus Pastors there fully supported the positions given during Diversity Week and the sermon preached by Jim Martin-Schram. In fact, it was the pastors who arranged the special chapel speakers for Diversity Week! From her perspective, the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was loud and strong from the office of Campus Pastor at Luther. Perplexed, I realized that it just didn’t fit anything remotely associated with a traditional view.
It seems as though I struck out, trying to find balance. Diversity at Luther meant a singular view, with no opportunity for dialogue or discussion if your view is traditional. It seems that if, on a churchwide level, you can’t persuade the people of God to believe in a non-traditional view of sexuality, then start educating the young. If you give the impression that the church supports this new understanding, without any balance of the longstanding traditional Scriptural view of sexuality, what is one to believe about balance and dialog? What was presented at Luther during Diversity Week seems to be what is desired as the standard for how we view sexuality and embrace it within the church. My impression was that they were saying, we should get them young, give them only one view, and tell them it’s the only way a true Lutheran Christian sees God’s gift of sexuality and sexual expression. It’s a great scam and our future church leaders are being molded in this understanding.
My conversations with the professors and pastors at Luther were brought to an abrupt end when I inquired about meeting with them. Don’t ask, don’t tell, seems to be the policy there. I was once excited about the college and it’s ministries. After all, I’m an alumnus! How can I continue to be supportive of the school I once attended when they are no longer interested in upholding what is the current ELCA policy? How can I continue to support them when they won’t even heed the ELCA’s intent to discuss sexuality? It seems they are more interested in one-sided promotion of their already determined conclusion to any discussions about sexuality the church may currently be having. A conclusion that is hostile to our traditional Scriptural view of one man and one woman in a lifetime committed marriage relationship.
Diversity Week was diverse and didn’t have room for me. Diversity Week didn’t have room for a traditional Scriptural viewpoint. Diversity Week wasn’t diverse at all.
Getting Back to The Mission
Pastor Jeffray Greene
FOCL was formed thirteen years ago because things weren’t all they were promised to be when the ELCA came into being. Things have gone from bad to worse as we move headlong down a trail that will tear the church apart, that is unless the Lord Himself intervenes. Steady, but sure revision of what we mean when we say we are the church hammers constantly at us from the outside. We don’t have the right understanding of Scripture, some say. New studies reveal that this new direction is the right one to go. Maybe the old, old structure that was once used really is the best answer. In the politics of power, it seems as though too many things are going on simultaneously. The crazier things seem to be, the more we need to slow down, assess the whole situation and see things as they really are.
What is the state of the ECLA? Over five million Lutherans came together in the hope of being a unified confessional witness to the Gospel. There were many divergent histories that carried perspectives and memories that clouded our view. But we were setting a new course. Here we are, seventeen years later, and the wake behind the new blazed trail is one of anger, mistrust, disillusionment and a lack of hope. Sides are taken over individual causes and division is the rule of the day. But we do know how to be nice to one another.
Our merger that isn’t a merger with the Episcopal church is in full swing. It won’t really effect us, we’ve been told, while amendment after amendment, procedure after procedure slowly implements new controls in the life of the congregation. The sexuality study continues. We are revisiting what we thought we had an answer for ten years ago. Congregations are dwindling, the average age of congregants is growing older, and we seem to have lost something significant. Bishops even talk in terms of how many congregations they’ll lose if the Churchwide Assembly ordains GLTB folk and calls for blessing same-sex unions in 2005. Maybe postponing the decision is the answer is a thought put forth by others. Of course, postponing implies not only the danger of any such decision, but also that no isn’t an option.
Leaders in the church, afraid of what all this means, hunker down and don’t really want anything to do with all the nonsense that’s going on. Its as if they can just ride it through until their watch is over; it won’t be their problem any more. Just preach the Gospel and minister when and where I can and let the rest figure it out.
It’s a mess and it seems to be getting worse. That’s the bad news. Is there any Good News?
Isn’t that why we are here? The Good News. Sometimes we think that ours is the only generation that has had difficulty with the world who hates the report of the Gospel. Jesus told us that heaven and earth would pass away, but His Word will abide forever. Thank God the church’s survival isn’t dependent upon us. But we are dependent upon God and His Word.
The disciples were terrified when a great storm came upon them out on the open sea. Jesus silenced the storm with a word. Who is this that even the seas obey Him? Who is this indeed. We are called to work together knowing that all things are dependent upon Christ, picking up only the cross that He gives us. When you know the truth, and the truth has set you free, do not back down, give up, mediate, compromise, or bend, in any way, the truth. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. If there is to be inclusivity, it must be upon the basis of what we’ve been taught in Scripture. Scripture also teaches that we are to exclude those who would pull us asunder. This is not to promote schism, but it is to encourage us to hold fast to that which is true.
It isn’t about heritage. Scripture is clear on that. We are grafted in, adopted as children of the Most High God through the grace of Jesus Christ. There are no second generation Christians. It isn’t about who owns the church. Scripture is clear that Jesus Christ owns the church and it belongs to Him. It isn’t about who’s in control of the church, do not our own confessions teach us that we have one Lord and Master of us all? It isn’t even about who has the right opinion, for we are to seek understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit from the means of grace we’ve been given. We have God’s Word and His sacraments. Daily we are to seek wisdom from Him alone.
The greatest frustration is in all that is coming at us is coming from within our own church. If we were castigated (dare I say persecuted?) for believing the truth by those outside the church, it would be understandable. But to proclaim the orthodox view of Scripture in the church produces ridicule by some in our midst who are supposed to be in support of a pure preaching of the Gospel. Even such ridicule should come as no surprise. In fact Jesus has taught us that we should expect as much. But to have such division in our own house, coming from official places is hard to bear. In fairness, however, we’ve each been guilty of joining in such sinful behavior by picking our own pet position and upholding that as the place where all ought to be. But there comes a time when the solid rock of Christ is the stand from which one cannot move.
We don’t need to reinvent the church. In fact, that’s something that can’t be done. We need to stand firm in the unbridled truth of who we are as God’s people. The theology we have as Lutherans is one that is right on the money. If we didn’t believe that was true, we’d be following another understanding of the Gospel.
We are a people of the cross. It begins and ends at the cross. We are a people who understand well that we are simultaneously sinners and saints, sanctified and in need of sanctification. We are a people who are totally dependent upon the Word alone, faith alone and grace alone. We know that God’s Word is a gift. His Word, which speaks to us in a way that no other word speaks, directs us is in understanding what God has done, is doing and will do for this generation. We uphold Scripture as centered on Christ, but also as the means of norming faith and life.
We do not need to apologize if others think we are being exclusive when we preach the pure Gospel. God is exclusive. He cannot stand sin. He excludes the unrepentant sinner. Without the grace of Jesus Christ, all are utterly hopeless. We do not need to mediate the Gospel to keep the offense away. The Law is offensive when it confronts our sin. But we are also comforted by the Gospel which proclaims our salvation found in Christ.
We also need to be clear in proclaiming that God has resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead. Because He lives, we too shall live. Being a Christian isn’t about being a nice person, it’s about being dependent upon God’s grace given through Christ.
The church may be in a mess. But that doesn’t mean we have to either ignore it or passively support the mess. That’s really the heart of what FOCL has been about all these years. Although there are those who may see us as agitators, or disgruntled folk, unhappy with not being in control, we are, in fact, the church, right in the middle of it all. And we care. That’s why we’re so outspoken. We care about the bride of Christ and about keeping her without spot or blemish for the day when Christ returns. We care about the pure Gospel which proclaims total dependance upon the resurrected Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith. We care about passing along to future generations the unadulterated Good News that has been handed down to us.
What’s going to happen in the future? Jesus will return and claim His bride, the church. We are to be diligent to be like the wise virgins who were prepared, not knowing the hour of the bridegroom’s return. We are to continue holding our feet to the light of Scripture, like the Bereans, seeking understanding from God’s revealed Word daily. We are to continue standing firm and steadfast against the relevancy that is proclaimed by the world, standing entrenched instead in the unchanging truth of God’s Word.
As your new editor, I will continue to bring news from as many quarters as I am able, to share what is happening in this church we love. I will also endeavor to bring you news where the Gospel continues to be preached in all its unblemished glory. In all that we do, may we go into all the world, preaching the Gospel, making disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all that Christ has commanded us. Stand fast and stand firm in the truth. We are called to no higher calling than that of letting the light of Christ shine through us that the truth of the Gospel may be revealed to a world in desperate need of that which we ourselves have received!
Jeffray S. Greene, Ph.D., the new editor of FOCL-POINT, the newsletter of the Fellowship of Confessional Lutherans (www.foclnews.org), takes on the reigns of George H. Muedeking. He is the Senior Pastor of Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in La Habra, California.
News Items:
We aren’t the only ones.
A former seminary student has filed a $2 million lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, Bishop William Murphy and top officials of its seminary, charging they promoted what he called "pro-homosexual teachings in contradiction to authentic Roman Catholic doctrine. (Newsday, Inc.)
The Gospel is not enough?
English priest believes knowledge of witchcraft can be useful. The practice of Wicca is seen as useful in the church. (Ecumenical News International Daily News Service)
The Gospel and . . .?
PLTS campus pastor’s contract not renewed when, instead of doing the psychological things a gay student expected, she asked him if he would like to pray for the gift of celibacy. He eagerly agreed then in joy went and told a gay lesbian support group on campus. It seems this was not the thing to do.
Expectations or just suggestions?
Bishop Peter Rogness lifted censure on two congregations Reformation Lutheran Church (the congregation which ordained Anita Hill) and Hosanna! Lutheran Church, on January 15, 2003 in the St. Paul Synod with the following announcement: As we begin a new year I am hopeful we might also be about the business of creating a more open and affirming posture toward those ministries (such as Hosanna! and St. Paul-Reformation) which have pressed the edges of our pattern of life together.
Is Money Talking?
CHARLESTON, S.C. (ELCA) Unaudited financial results for the Churchwide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 2002 were "mixed," according to a report presented to the ELCA Conference of Bishops here. Receipts declined $3.7 million in 2002 compared to 2001, but a mid-year spending reduction in 2002 helped the ELCA churchwide organization finish the fiscal year with a small surplus. In addition, contributions to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal totaled $16.0 million, $400,000 more than was contributed in fiscal 2001, said Christina Jackson-Skelton, ELCA treasurer, in her report to the bishops.
Some groups have more to offer.
ELCA established formal relationship with Lutherans Concerned / North America (a pro-Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Bisexual group) in October, 2002 in an action by the ELCA Division for Outreach which acknowledged a formal relationship. The Board of Directors of the Division for Outreach passed a resolution which established a formal relationship to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, under new guidelines established this April by the Church Council of the ELCA. The formal relationship will mean some greater visibility for Lutherans Concerned. It should help in getting information tables for local chapters at Synod assemblies and other church related events. It will also qualify Lutherans Concerned / North America to apply for national grants and other programs administered by Thrivent Financial Services.
What Faith Will Be Shared?
CHICAGO (ELCA): The board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) met here Feb. 21-22 and took steps to finalize "Sharing Faith in a New Century: A Vision for Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" for presentation to the ELCA Church Council and to the 2003 Churchwide Assembly. The plan, thus far does not mention the Gospel, but only strategies of reaching out to people. What is missing is what the message will be.
Reader Responses:
I am writing in response to Pastor Timothy Hoyer’s letter concerning what constitutes a false gospel. I was rather amazed to see Pastor Timothy’s interesting way of calling sin innercore corruption, as though that were different. The Word of God makes no such distinction. It says in 1 John 3:4, A sin is the transgression of the law.
Also, Pastor Timothy tells us Lutheran Theologian Walter Pannenberg is preaching a false gospel when he writes, a church which no longer regards homosexual activity as a departure from the Biblical norm, has ceased to be an evangelical church. It is false, says Pastor Timothy, because it bases its opinion on Scripture and not on Christ.
How ludicrous. Christ is the Word. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the . . . Word was God. You cannot have faith in God without believing His Word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) If we cannot base our belief (opinion as Pastor Timothy calls it) on the Word, we have no basis at all. An evangelical church ought to preach law and gospel, Law, to show us our need for a savior. Gospel, to proclaim the forgiveness of our sins by the One who paid for them in our stead.
Pastor Timothy also asserts that to make the Bible a moral code is cowardice. No one is making the Bible a moral code. It is a moral code. Pastor Timothy seems to think it cowardly for God to have given us the Ten Commandments.
Furthermore, according to Pastor Timothy, Christ is for those without fear of God. But I read in Psalm 111:10, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding have all they that do His commandments. Next, Pastor Timothy insists that Christ is for those without faith, whereas the Word teaches, it is impossible to please God without faith. (Hebrews 11:6)
So, who is preaching a false gospel?
Martha DeBoni, Los Altos, CA
Augsburg Fortress Termination
Rev. Dr. Roy A. Harrisville III was let go from his job in January as General Manager of the Book Team at Augsburg Fortress Books, allegedly due to conflict over management style between himself and the CEO, Beth Lewis, although the actual details were declared >confidential.= He was hired by Augsburg Fortress in 2001, sending a signal for many that they were willing to allow for some balance in the books and materials that would be published by the church’s official publishing house. Augsburg Fortress has been losing millions of dollars each year for the past several years.
During the time he was with Augsburg Fortress, Dr. Harrisville was working on new materials, which, according to Dr. Robert Gagnon included items that were from a centrist biblical perspective. Gagnon said, that Augsburg Fortress, prior to 2003, had never published a book supporting the biblical stance against homosexual practice, not even so much as a chapter in a book. This has happened in spite of the fact that they have published a dozen or more books in the past twenty years that have promoted the pro-homosexual agenda.
Gagnon also said, It was Roy who was open to the publication of the papers presented at the Conference on Christian Sexuality, sponsored by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau (papers by myself, Robert Benne, James Nestigen, Merton Strommen, Amy Schifrin, Russell Saltzman, Thomas Skrenes, Phillip Johnson, and Jay Scott Newman). We have now lost our advocate. An advocate has also been lost for many future projects written from a perspective congenial to the center of the church.
FUND RAISING LETTER
Dear Friends in Christ.
It is again time to give you an accounting for the way your gifts were used this past year and to solicit your continued encouragement and support through your prayers and your gifts. Did your support to FOCL this year make a DIFFERENCE? We certainly hope it did.
Four quarterly issues of FOCL Point, our newsletter, were sent to you. These were packed with meaningful articles on Christian faith, life and practice. They contained pertienent news of theological developments and practical happenings within our church that demand attention, cause, concern, and call for action. We maintained eight pages of reading in each issue of FOCL Point so that we could bring more information to you. The response has been gratifying. Circulation has remained stable. Many eagerly look forward to reading the next issue. As one woman repeatedly says, “I cannot wait to get the next issue of FOCL Point. It is so interesting and challenging!”
During the year, FOCL Point provided you with many thoroughly researched articles. One article on the 23rd Psalm, was sent by our president, the Rev. Dr. Herbert Schaefer. Other articles, especially from our editor at large, the Rev. Dr. George Muedeking, updated you on developments – present and future – within the church.
During our 2002, Satis Est Scholarship program continued to assist ministers between the ages of 35 and 55 who are working in congregations to do further studies in areas related to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Three persons have thus far completed their studies. We can think of no greater way to bring our church back to the center – that is, back to the centrality of Christ and His Word and faithfulness to our Lutheran Confessions – than by equipping those who preach and teach as ministers within our congregations. Why not apply for a scholarship?
So we again need your support for our endeavors. Through your gifts and by your prayers, you join us in our struggle “to encourage Biblical, evangelical and confessional witness to our Christian heritage.” We rely entirely upon your gifts, since we charge no dues and have no other source of funding. God bless your faithfulness to His precious Word.
The Rev. Dr. Herbert Schaefer The Rev. Dr. Jeffray Greene
President, FOCL Editor, FOCL Point