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Because I harm no one; and because I keep my opinions to myself.
Several years ago, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church signed an agreement of "full communion;" in effect, reunifying the churches (We already had this with the Reformed, Presbyterian, U. C. of C. and Moravian churches). It allowed, among other things, that a member of one church is a member of the other, and equally that clergy can serve in churches of either type, under bishops of either church. It occasioned rejoicing and thanksgiving, as possibly another step toward regaining a unified, catholic Christian church.
Yesterday the Episcopalians confirmed a gay bishop, and a lot of Lutherans are pissed off. The Lutherans have handled the growing controversy in the traditional Lutheran manner, skillfully and assiduously avoiding the issue, and not doing anything controversial. (It was a credo I absorbed with my catechism that "A good Lutheran never sits in the front row." I privately attribute this to residual guilt over some of Martin's rhetorical excesses.)
At any rate, now the Episcopalians have forced us to actually confront this issue. And they did it the day before the annual churchwide assembly starts. I don't claim to understand the ins and outs of "full communion" well enough to understand the real implications. But probably the most messed-up part of the outrage is that the bigots are claiming they are upset not because the bishop was gay, but because according to the agreement, the Episcopalians were supposed to ask us first, before they did anything like that. Pastor is attending the Assembly.
And people claim going to church is boring!
I took the Small Catechism to read at the social hour after church today, and when one of the men asked me what I was reading, he thought I was joking. Too accustomed to seeing me reading trashy fantasy novels, I suppose. This edition of the catechism included Luther's original preface, which I don't recall ever reading before. He says in it that he considers it perfectly acceptable, even something that should be encouraged, for people who are, ah, less than solid in the faith, to attend church, and even accept the Sacrament, just for the social opportunities. So hah! No more vague guilty feeling for me!
Dad has completely disassembled the tandem bike. It is in piles in the workshop: gears here, pedals here, seats there. He is restoring it with epoxy putty and tape. No, really. Going over old photos with Pop-pop last week somehow made him decide to grow a mustache. His horoscope yesterday said a yard-sale find would prove better than expected, and he bought Mom two boxes of unsorted costume jewelery for fifty cents. The most interesting thing in it was a corroded medal with St. Florian on one side and St. Christopher on the other. I got St. Theresa of Avila and St. Theresa of Lisieux mixed up in an argument with him yesterday.
Also, we went to the zoo.
Yesterday the Episcopalians confirmed a gay bishop, and a lot of Lutherans are pissed off. The Lutherans have handled the growing controversy in the traditional Lutheran manner, skillfully and assiduously avoiding the issue, and not doing anything controversial. (It was a credo I absorbed with my catechism that "A good Lutheran never sits in the front row." I privately attribute this to residual guilt over some of Martin's rhetorical excesses.)
At any rate, now the Episcopalians have forced us to actually confront this issue. And they did it the day before the annual churchwide assembly starts. I don't claim to understand the ins and outs of "full communion" well enough to understand the real implications. But probably the most messed-up part of the outrage is that the bigots are claiming they are upset not because the bishop was gay, but because according to the agreement, the Episcopalians were supposed to ask us first, before they did anything like that. Pastor is attending the Assembly.
And people claim going to church is boring!
I took the Small Catechism to read at the social hour after church today, and when one of the men asked me what I was reading, he thought I was joking. Too accustomed to seeing me reading trashy fantasy novels, I suppose. This edition of the catechism included Luther's original preface, which I don't recall ever reading before. He says in it that he considers it perfectly acceptable, even something that should be encouraged, for people who are, ah, less than solid in the faith, to attend church, and even accept the Sacrament, just for the social opportunities. So hah! No more vague guilty feeling for me!
Dad has completely disassembled the tandem bike. It is in piles in the workshop: gears here, pedals here, seats there. He is restoring it with epoxy putty and tape. No, really. Going over old photos with Pop-pop last week somehow made him decide to grow a mustache. His horoscope yesterday said a yard-sale find would prove better than expected, and he bought Mom two boxes of unsorted costume jewelery for fifty cents. The most interesting thing in it was a corroded medal with St. Florian on one side and St. Christopher on the other. I got St. Theresa of Avila and St. Theresa of Lisieux mixed up in an argument with him yesterday.
Also, we went to the zoo.
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It could just be the little paranoid weirdo in me speaking, but that can't possibly have been a cooincidence.
Also, we went to the zoo.
Were the Sea Lions there? How do they keep their manes dry?
no subject