The Lutherans voted late last Friday to allow the consecration of gay identified and sexually active clergy within the denomination. I would imagine since the vote came late and right before the weekend, the reaction (online) will pick up today.
There are two posts and a question I want to highlight and ask. One by Mohler, tornado post follow up by Piper and a question from a reader of this blog (most of the content is after the jump.)
First, Mohler:
The inevitability of the votes to allow the affirmation of homosexual unions and the calling of homosexual ministers is rooted in decisions made prior to those crucial votes. The actions in Minneapolis would be inconceivable but for the fact that the denomination has for decades allowed increasing theological pluralism to mark its membership and its leadership. But plainly, this pluralism allows for radically different theologies to reside within one denomination and for fundamentally divergent understandings of Scripture and biblical authority to coexist. All parties now recognize that this coexistence will be very hard to maintain. For those who believe that the votes in Minneapolis represent the church’s endorsement of sin, heartbreaking decisions now cannot be avoided.
Read the whole article: Wearing The Disquise of Faithfulness
Exactly. I have been saying since I attended a “Diversity Day” at a Methodist conferences (as a panelist in the late ’90′s) that the denominational activists are using homosexuality as a scapegoat issue when the real issue is a fundamental understanding of the scriptures. I am not simply talking about fundamentalist vs. revisionist … I am talking about a basic understanding of the authority of scripture that a corporate body ascribes too. Anyone claiming any side in this debate has a fundamental view of the Bible. And the views represented within the ELCA ( and some other denominations ) are at complete odds and incompatible.
The reason I say “scapegoat” is because the denominations will say they split over homosexuality but that is only true to a point. The seismic shifts started occurring when, as a corporate body, the scriptures were undermined as being the authority by which all denominational decisions are made. I completely agree with Mohler on this and that this is just the beginning (continuation?) of a lot of turmoil for the Body of Christ represented in the Lutheran denomination.
Now for a tornado as a an earthly echo of spiritual reality update from Piper:
Three years ago God sent the tornado of cancer into my life. It split the steeple of my health and shredded the tents of my sexual life. I wrote an article to myself: Don’t Waste Your Cancer. It could have been titled: Don’t waste your tornado. God’s message to me in my tornado was essentially the same as to the ELCA in theirs. My tornado was
a gentle but firm warning to me and all of us: Turn from every approval of sin in your life. Turn from the justification and promotion of any behaviors in your life that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great biblical heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from your inveterate bent to distort the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform you and all other sinners. (from Thursday’s post)
That is the message of every calamity (Luke 13:1-5). And every sunny day (Romans 2:4).
…
My tornado was a call to repentance. Yours will be too. But that is not Satan’s design. Only God’s. Satan’s design is that you approve your sin. God’s is that you let him forgive it and overcome it.
Read the whole article: Clarifying the Tornado
I reserved judgment on Piper’s initial post and watched with concern as Christians started attacking Christians and arguments broke out within and with the gay community over it. I am not linking to all of it because I don’t think that would be helpful. If you really want to see all of that … you can easily google it (most of the worst arguing I saw was on various facebook pages and Piper’s blog.)
I think I understand what Piper was saying and thought it was bold of him to say something along these lines. I am always looking at the weather around me as echoes of spiritual reality. The scriptures affirm that all of creation is a witness to God. Personally, I don’t feel the need to warn the ELCA corporately (about what the Tornado means) but I had several friends, who were in that building, or at that conference, and they said that *everyone* was either joking about the Tornado being from God or those that firmly believed it was from Him. It isn’t a far fetched idea that Piper, who was also in downtown Minneapolis at that exact time, would say something like that.
To be clear, I don’t know if the tornado was stirred up by the wings of the Arch Angel Michael as a judgment or not ::: smile ::: But what I do know is that it definitely got people’s attention and it should cause all of us, who take note of such things, to pause and pray. I think Piper’s clarifying post was helpful and humble.
But whether you take the earthly pragmatic/logical view of Mohler or the mystical nature as a spiritual metaphor approach of Piper … one reader of this blog makes an obvious and passionate question after reading Mere Comments post:
What I love is his idea of asking thousands of pastors at different types of churches to “explain what they really believe, for the sake of transparency and truth.” What do the church leaders making these terrible decisions really believe anyway? Do they really “believe all that stuff” about Jesus and the Bible?
At the end of the day (ultimately, literally on Judgment Day) every spiritual leader, Pastor will have to give an account of how they represented God and led His people. It would be good of them to make a stand for what they believe clearly and transparently now instead of the murky waters of “theological pluralism.” State it clearly, definitively and be true leaders so that people will know exactly what they are getting involved in and can make decisions accordingly.
A false peace of “agreeing to disagree” on such a fundamental issue ( how to approach the scriptures on this and any issue ) is a false gospel.
Exodus is here to help in any way we can to bring a redemptive view of homosexuality to the discussion.
MORE:
Exodus Troubled by ELCA vote
About Randy Thomas
I share John Piper’s view of extreme sickness. When you become afflicted with a disease or condition that brings you to your knees, the attraction of sin loses much if not all of it’s grip. In the sexual realm, that can apply to sinful encounters, masturbation, and porn. I have experienced that in my own life when asthma nearly took my life and severely impacted by energy level to the point where I could at times barely get out of bed.The attraction to sin became nearly non-existent. I have been restored for many years, but the atrractions to these activities came raging back to the forefront.Sadly, memories can be so short at times
Yes, health and tragedy can be life jarring events that refocus perspectives and goals. Especially for those of us in the west who are so distracted by so many options of busy-ness, infotainment and pleasures ( of all kinds ).
I don’t wish any harm or health problems for anyone but if they do happen, and they do, the Lord uses them for our good if we will receive that from Him.
Test Email. Virus hit my PC yesterday
Yikes dude. I hope all is well today.
Hi, Randy. Thanks for the well wishes! I am having Norton try to find the virus/spyware…at a cost of course
I just hope I don’t have to reinstall my Windows operating system. That would be something I don’t want to even contemplate 
One word
Get an iMac, MacBook something.
Thanks, Bro! My PC is just a year old
I would like to keep it longer. But seeing that I have an iPhone 3GS like you, I think I will definitely consider that later. I’m getting ready to call the Norton folks. The ones doing the repair are in India. I just hope they know what they are doing 
Miss reading your blogs the last couple of days. It’s kind of like withdrawal symptoms
Hope you have a great weekend!
So much, so much going on here.
First you have well-meaning people who want to welcome all people into the faith and church, and want to make life and faith easy and comfortable and non-threatning to them, which is all good-intentioned stuff.
Second you have people who don’t want to change the Gospel in its fulness, who want to stand for all Truth, and this can come across as prejudice to others.
I agree with Randy. There is a lack of a holy attitude for the Scriptures. If Jesus quoted the Scriptures constantly, speaking Truth whilst showing love and no condemnation, surely we should be following His example. People were changed instantly from Jesus’ interactions with them. 3000 people became followers in one day because of the followers’ love and attitude.
Another issue is that most Christians cannot tell you WHY God said one man and one woman. They can tell you ‘God said’ and ‘it’s in the Bible’ but they can’t tell you why. So they come across as blind-faith bigots, which they are, really. If they do not know WHY.
They cannot tell you about the one piece of flesh ripped apart to form man and woman, rejoined in marriage. About the Trinity being 3 and man and woman and God in a marriage being 3. About God relating to Humanity throughout the entire Bible as Groom to Bride, and the Book of Hosea.
Christians need to know what the believe and believe what they know. Otherwise, we are blind-faith bigots.
As someone who has major issues with some of the church leaders and attitudes and messages taught in growing churches here in the UK – very right wing and elitist, coupled with outright sexism – I do believe we should be praying for our church leaders, and if we don’t go to church then pray for the churches in our town and their leaders. I think a whole lotta praying needs to be going on.
I think “blind faith bigots” is harsh
BUT I agree with you that if you don’t know the “why” you are only focusing on what to be against and not what we consider to the be the best. The beautify of gender complementarity, the witness of marriage to the Character of God Himself … and so much much more … is what compels an argument and points to the whole “T”ruth.
Amen sister.
So much, so much going on here.
First you have well-meaning people who want to welcome all people into the faith and church, and want to make life and faith easy and comfortable and non-threatning to them, which is all good-intentioned stuff.
Second you have people who don't want to change the Gospel in its fulness, who want to stand for all Truth, and this can come across as prejudice to others.
I agree with Randy. There is a lack of a holy attitude for the Scriptures. If Jesus quoted the Scriptures constantly, speaking Truth whilst showing love and no condemnation, surely we should be following His example. People were changed instantly from Jesus' interactions with them. 3000 people became followers in one day because of the followers' love and attitude.
Another issue is that most Christians cannot tell you WHY God said one man and one woman. They can tell you 'God said' and 'it's in the Bible' but they can't tell you why. So they come across as blind-faith bigots, which they are, really. If they do not know WHY.
They cannot tell you about the one piece of flesh ripped apart to form man and woman, rejoined in marriage. About the Trinity being 3 and man and woman and God in a marriage being 3. About God relating to Humanity throughout the entire Bible as Groom to Bride, and the Book of Hosea.
Christians need to know what the believe and believe what they know. Otherwise, we are blind-faith bigots.
As someone who has major issues with some of the church leaders and attitudes and messages taught in growing churches here in the UK – very right wing and elitist, coupled with outright sexism – I do believe we should be praying for our church leaders, and if we don't go to church then pray for the churches in our town and their leaders. I think a whole lotta praying needs to be going on.