August-September 2022 Vineyard

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ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2022 5 things you need to know The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gathered in Columbus, OH, August 8-12, for its first Churchwide Assembly since COVID-19 upended churches across the country in 2020. The triennial gathering brought together members from all corners of the ELCA to hold elections, make declarations, and consider legislation guiding the country’s largest Lutheran denomination. Here are some of the actions the ELCA Churchwide Assembly took. coming together as a denomination 1. Apology to Santa María Peregrina Four representatives from Iglesia Luterana Santa María Peregrina in Stockton, California, traveled to receive a public apology from Bishop Eaton. The former bishop of their Sierra Pacific Synod had abruptly removed the Latino congregation’s pastor on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and it had sparked outcry across the denomination. “I think it was a healthy thing to do, and I’m touched by the courage of these four to stand up in front of all these people and say, ‘This is how this affected us,’ ” Eaton said. 2. First Asian American vice president elected The ELCA elected Imran Siddiqui as vice president of the denomination, making him the first Asian American elected to the highest office a layperson can hold. But, in his words, “This doesn’t mean we have solved racism yet. We have a lot of work to do, church.” Siddiqui is a senior investigator for the U.S. Department of Labor and current vice president of the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, which spans Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. He grew up Muslim and became Lutheran in 2011. Siddiqui will take office in November. 3. Support for #Landback movement Voting members considered a memorial (proposal) urging support for the #Landback movement. In the end, they approved a memorial encouraging ELCA members and entities to support “creative programs of restorative justice in partnership with Indigenous peoples.” That can include returning land to the appropriate Native American nations when selling or transferring property. 12 The memorial also encourages ELCA members and entities to explore making land acknowledgments a part of their public gatherings, to educate themselves about the Indigenous peoples whose land they inhabit, and to deepen relationships with Indigenous peoples and tribal nations. 4. Revisions to Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust A lot has changed since 2009. That’s when the ELCA adopted its social statement “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” which allowed Lutherans to hold differing views about same-sex relationships and opened the door for LGBTQ clergy. A memorial authorized a narrow review of the social statement about sexuality to make sure its wording “reflects current church understanding, church policy, civil law, and public acceptance of same-gender and gender non-conforming couples.” 5. Restructure the governance of the ELCA Is it time for another Reformation? Bishop Eaton said she thought the idea was “brilliant” when she first heard of plans to consider restructuring the governance of the ELCA, which was formed 35 years ago by a merger of three Lutheran denominations. Voting members seemed to think so, too. They approved a memorial directing the ELCA Church Council to establish a Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church to reconsider the principles of the denomination’s organizational structure and the statements of purpose for its churches, synods and the churchwide organization. The memorial instructs the commission to be “particularly attentive to our shared commitment to dismantle racism.” Adapted from Religion Newswire, “5 Things You Need to Know from the ELCA Churchwide Assembly”
coming together with God Looking for inspiration? Attending to our spiritual health “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) As we move into September, we know that life will get just that much busier. More dates on the calendar, more meetings, more school activities, more work. And in the current climate of angry voices and anxiety-inducing challenges, where do we go to find peace and hope? If you’re looking for a daily devotion, inspiration, or a faith resource at home, here are a few possibilities. God Pause is a daily email sent by Luther Seminary, written by a variety of pastors living in a variety of areas. Each day offers a short reading, a devotion, and a prayer. Click here to see samples and sign up. Daily Grace is a short daily email message from WELCA (Women of the ELCA). While it does have some feminine themes, it is not exclusively for women. The topics covered span a wide variety of interests. Click here to see samples and sign up. Inspiring Quotes is a daily email that shares positive quotes from a wide variety of individuals including authors, actors, scientists, and other well-known people past and present. Click here to see samples and sign up. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations are in-depth email reflections written by Richard Rohr and the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) faculty. Frequent guest teachers and authors also reflect on the wisdom and practices of the Christian contemplative tradition. Click here to see samples and sign up. = = = = = = You can also pick up the two small devotional booklets available at St. Mark’s Welcome Center: “Christ in Our Home” and “The Upper Room.” There are also many inspirational or positive pages for those of you who are on Facebook. The St. Mark’s page, the ELCA page, the Hesed House page, A Hygge-ish Life page, Fred Rogers Quotes, Snoopy pages, High Church Coyote (Episcopal Humor), and others that can bring a smile to your face. Frederick Buechner, 1926-2022 This month, we lost one of the great beacons of faith, Frederick Buechner. He was arguably the foremost spiritual writer of his generation. His writing career spanned six decades, during which he wrote more than 30 books, and his work has been translated into 27 languages. Here’s just a small sampling of his insightful writing: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” “Turn around and believe that the good news that we are loved is better than we ever dared hope.” “Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace.” For more inspiring Buechner quotes, CLICK HERE. 13
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August-September 2022 Vineyard

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