Greetings to the Holy People of God,
Each year you are invited to pull a word out of a basket – an epiphany word to use as a word to guide you for the season of Epiphany or for the whole year and see where God might lead you as you follow the word and see where it pops up. Last year the word was DISIPLINE for the congregation and we had lots of fun exploring the word and trying out some new disciplines.
This year, during the 8:30 worship Aaron Bengtson drew the word FORGIVENESS for us as our congregational epiphany word. What a fine word for us to explore this year. I think it is the best tool we have for living together in community and yet the hardest to handle with skill and efficiency as it requires defining sin (missing the mark) and addressing the one who has sinned against you person to person. Those are hard conversations to have. They are conversations that we avoid. They are conversations that take courage and prayer. Take time to study in depth Matthew 18 and then practice on a simple sin. Tell someone how they have sinned against you. Tell that person how they have missed the mark. It’s hard. Can we live with disagreement and division? Can we agree to disagree?
At our annual meeting on January 26, we included in our constitution this by-law B4.03.04 This congregation will support couples’ celebration of marriage regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
This by-law came up out of the council because of a conversation that I had a couple of years ago with a new member who asked what CTK’s policy was regarding whether or not I would perform a wedding for a same gendered couple. My response was that I would bring it before the council because to my knowledge the congregation has not made a decision as to their policy and practice. The council took a proactive position and put forth the bylaw.
During the annual meeting, a motion was made to strike the by-law hoping to avoid division by offering a more general statement in the constitution to covered our practice and policy.
C4.03 To fulfill these purposes, this congregation shall: e. Witness to the reconciling Word of God in Christ, reaching out to all people.
After discussion, the motion failed. There is disagreement among us. We are not of one mind which is good to know. I’ve always guessed that this would be the case but never really knew for sure. I know that we have strong feelings and values regarding sexual orientation and marriage. I don’t know what the Holy Spirit will do with us as we disagree with one another but I do trust Jesus’ promise that he will be with us and we will keep turning to Jesus.
I am grateful for the clarity of knowing your desire as a church body as well as your lack of consensus. The ELCA believes in the priesthood of all believers and your ability as a community to govern yourselves. Our governing structure allows for decisions to be made at the point where those who are most directly impacted will live with the decision.
Since 2009, the ELCA has said we will agree to disagree and left the decision to each congregation as to whether not they would call a pastor who is homosexual and whether or not they would allow people who are homosexual to be married in the church. This is your decision to make and live with and I will honor and respect your decision.
I have had one parent ask if their adult child who is a homosexual wonder that if their child desire to wed, could the wedding take place at Christ the King. This will help to clarify that parent who wonders as well as all others who may be reluctant to ask.
I am glad for the conversation and dialogue that took place at the meeting. You treated one another with respect and listened to one another. It is a sign of a healthy congregation. My hope is that you can agree to disagree and forgive one another. And I pray that the Holy Spirit will come alongside us and help us to share our differences while listening to one another while trusting that God is present.
Christ is our cornerstone, the foundation that brings us together. We do not need to be of one mind on all matters and in fact a little discord helps with sorting out what we value and where we place our hope.
Believing It Boldly Loving Expansively,
Pastor Connie Spitzack
