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” 

Our teacher in Tanzania

Amanda Grant is heading to Tanzania Aug. 12 to teach for a year in the special education curriculum at the soon-to-open Sebastian Kolowa University College (SEKUCo). Amanda, a member of St. John, Mayfair, recently completed her masters in social work at the University of Pennsylvania and previously was a special education teacher in Arizona. At SEKUCo, Amanda will teach classes in special education, autism, inclusive education and learning disabilities. You can follow along with her adventure on her new blog, found at http://sekucoview.wordpress.com.

Thousands of ELCA Teenagers to Head for New Orleans in 2009

Advance info on the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering from Worldwide Faith News:

wfn.org | Thousands of ELCA Teenagers Head for New Orleans in 2009

Missional imagination

We’re posting highlights from our recent Mission Fair online. The first posting is Bishop Burkat’s keynote presentation, “Missional Imagination,” in which she outlines six core Lutheran characteristics that can fuel mission in the 21st Century.

Go to our website to read about her address or download audio/video. More resources will come shortly. Or, use the link below to listen to or subscribe to our podcast.

Claire Burkat installed as 1st female bishop of synod

Amid all the excitement, newly installed Bishop Claire Schenot Burkat once said “confusion” when she meant “confessions” while installing her staff. Later, during the installation recessional, she left the stage without the bishop’s crozier, which minutes before had been presented to her by her predecessor, Roy Almquist. She ran back to get it.

No matter. The human foibles and the self-effacing way their new Bishop dealt with them only served to warm the assembly’s ceremonial embrace of Burkat. During the two-hour-plus service, she became the first woman to head the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod with its 174 congregations across Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks and Chester counties. More than 1,000 onlookers, clearly thrilled to be part of the occasion, attended. The congregation included friends, family, Lutheran and Episcopal clergy, ecumenical and interfaith participants.

Artman celebrates 90 years of service

Artman Lutheran Home Celebrates 90th Anniversary! Artman Lutheran Home, an affiliate of Liberty Lutheran Services, will celebrate 90 years of service on Sunday, November 12, 2006, at Normandy Farm in Blue Bell, with a Brunch and Silent Auction.  Reception and preview of auction items begins at 11:30 am with continuous Brunch at 12:30 p.m.  Adults $50.00. All proceeds benefit the Benevolent Care fund, which makes it possible for Artman residents who have outlived their assets to remain at Artman.  Bring the family, shop for the holidays, and enjoy the famous culinary delights of Normandy Farm. For reservations call Jeanette Talese, at 215.283.2404.

Thinking big

The Daily Intelligencer in Doylestown today has a nice page one feature on Trinity, Lansdale, titled “Church aims to take its place among the leaders.” An excerpt:

While church leaders say they don’t think bigger is better, the church’s new senior pastor — who formally took the leadership role in March — says the church’s size means it has a responsibility to lead.

“We’re not just a little church that grew up — we’re a mature congregation,” said the Rev. Eric Shafer. …

In a vision statement the church council signed off on this year, Shafer said he wanted to see the church “take its place as a leading Christian congregation in Pennsylvania and Lutheran congregation in North America. We should lead this church in our benevolence, disaster, and hunger giving, on our outreach with the gospel in this community, across the USA and even around the world.”

Remembering grace

Lansdale’s Reporter has a piece on yesterday’ service at Trinity Lutheran Church marking the Sept. 11 anniversary. Read it here. From the article:

After the service at Trinity, Carol Ficken, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Wyndmoor, said, “I think it’s important to remember a day like today as a church - to remember the loss of life but also to remember the grace of God.”

Update: KYW report on Lutheran disaster response

KYW has posted a written piece based on our interviews here.

I haven’t heard it on the air, yet The piece aired at approx. 11:23 this morning, and may air again through the day.
In case the link expires, here is the text:

Local Religious Groups Reach Out to Katrina Survivors
by KYW’s Nancy Griffin

Tuesday marked a National Day of Remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and many Lutherans in Southeastern Pennsylvania were among the millions taking part in services around the region.

A year has come and gone since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina but Bob Fisher of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America says their resolve to serve the victims of the Gulf is unwavering:

“On this National Day of Remembrance for the survivors. Lutherans are in prayer. We are in this for the long-haul. We’ve already sent $25 million and thousands of volunteers, from the Philadelphia area.”

Mary-Ann Gleason is one of them:

“It was really a personal response for me — in thinking about what Christ sacrificed (and who he was) to everyone of Christian faith. The things that I helped with were removing trash, delivering meals and also just visiting with the people there who needed to know that people up here care.”

As I noted Friday when the interview took place, I said that the ELCA had sent $25 million to the Gulf, and that thousands of ELCA volunteers, including hundreds from our Synod, had contributed a total of 600,000 volunteer hours. I also talked about our ongoing work providing spiritual and emotional care to children and caregivers.

Despite the challenges of getting a complex story into a brief air segment, the key message got across: Lutherans are in it for the long haul!

No kindness is too small

Yesterday I had lunch with Pr. Dan Duke of Grace Lutheran Church in New Orleans. Pr. Dan was in our area courtesy of the folks at Redeemer, Jamison, who set up a pulpit exchange and provided him a Bucks County respite. Redeemer’s pastor, Susan Montgomery, was at Grace last weekend. The exchange is just one way that the people of Grace have seen God’s love at work in their lives and church over the past year.