William Lazareth, Former ELCA Synod Bishop, Author, Professor, Dies

wfn.org | William Lazareth, Former ELCA Synod Bishop, Author, Professor, Dies
The Rev. William H. Lazareth, former bishop of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) died of cancer Feb. 23 in Bar Harbor, Maine. Lazareth, 79, had a distinguished career as a college and seminary professor, author and leader with the ELCA, the former Lutheran Church in America (LCA) and the World Council of Churches (WCC), Geneva.

Two Sides of the Street

Two Sides of the Street | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/24/2008
Center City’s street population - 85 percent of whom are mentally ill or addicted or both - is the highest in 10 years, according to the city’s homeless outreach center. But that’s only the most visible part of the homeless situation. Shelters, which cater more to families, are running at capacity with 20 percent more beds than five years ago, city statistics show.

Peace-Tohickon eyes expansion

The roots of Peace-Tohickon Evangelical Lutheran Church run deep, very deep, with a presence in the Perkasie area that can be traced back 265 years.

But church officials say now is the time to look to the future, and that means expansion.

To accommodate a growing Upper Bucks community, Peace-Tohickon in East Rockhill is planning a $2 million to $3 million expansion project. The goal is to give the Old Bethlehem Road church some breathing room.

Peace-Tohickon eyes expansion phillyBurbs.com | Intelligencer

Watch Bishop Burkat’s Lenten greeting, via video from Jerusalem, by clicking the image above.

When does Christmas happen?

Youth Ministry Specialist Molly Beck Dean shared this reflection from Lisa Daross, a youth worker in our synod and a member of Synod Council:

He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming. IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before…maybe Christmas….perhaps…means a little bit more. — From How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss

I was cruising Facebook today and saw a friend’s status update. It was this: “is getting depressed knowing that Christmas is soon and I won’t even know it happened.” Wow. I messaged him, and it turns out he’s having knee surgery on December 18th, and he’ll be pretty much out of it for at least a month. Could be worse. But it got me wondering….

Daily News: Secrets of Upper Darby

A Sept. 19 Daily News article on Upper Darby notes the diversity in the community, its schools and churches:

At Christ Lutheran Church, in the 7200 block of Walnut Street, the 250 members of the congregation - most of whom aren’t Lutheran - come from 17 countries, including Albania, Jamaica, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh.

Pastor David Shaheen has erected in the vestibule a little flag from every land. “Our congregation is very proud of its diversity,” he says. “India is my most recent flag.”

Read “Secrets of Upper Darby“

Pastor supports police commissioner’s “Call to Action”

WHYY’s local “Morning Edition” offered a piece on reactions to the “Call to Action” program, with which Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson wants to put 10,000 volunteers on the streets of the city’s toughest neighborhoods to try to reduce the plague of violence. The piece features the Rev. Jesse Brown, pastor of Calvary Lutheran in W. Philadelphia and a candidate for city council, who supports the commissioner’s proposal.

• Listen to the piece (for the next few days) at WHYY’s news website. (The story begins at 29:45 into this stream.)

Hanson sees desire for space on sexuality issues | The Lutheran

While the Churchwide Assembly did not change ELCA policy regarding leaders in same-sex relationships, “something did change, said Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson following the action on the last morning, which came after more than three hours of discussion and debate over four days. ‘I sense a desire that in the midst of deep disagreements on matters of sexuality within this church that we find some space and a place for how we might live together for the sake of the gospel.’”

thelutheran.org | Sexuality votes keep focus on 2009

One of those clergy from our synod, Pr. Jeff Ziegler, was profiled in a Philadelphia Inquirer article Aug. 27.

Congregation has settled in Oxford. | Inquirer | 08/16/2007

The Inquirer’s Chester neighbors section featured Community of Love, the new church in Oxford.

Congregation has settled in Oxford. | Inquirer | 08/16/2007

Assembly actions on sexuality

The Churchwide Assembly today did not pass resolutions changing church policy regarding the ordination/commissioning of persons in same-sex relationships, but did pass a substitute motion urging bishops not to discipline such clergy/rostered leaders. Here is what the AP is reporting:

Evangelical Lutheran national assembly asks bishops to keep gay clergy in
ministry

By RACHEL ZOLL | The Associated Press
2:51 PM CDT, August 11, 2007

A national assembly of Evangelical Lutherans urged its bishops Saturday to
refrain from defrocking gay and lesbian ministers who violate a celibacy
rule, but rejected measures that would have permitted ordaining gays
churchwide.

Update (8/12) — Jason DeRose’s report on “All Things Considered”