Taking a breather

I've just been stumbling my way through the ELCA Task Force on Sexuality draft statement. We were told that this report is better than the previous ones. More balanced. I'm stunned. Just stunned. Using the "FIND" command, I located the word "social" 118 times: Jesus 10. Commitment 31: Husband and/or wife 0. Society 21: Luther 14. Relationship 98: marriage 48. That should tell you something.

social forces
social location
social context
social influences
social legitimization
social influence
social scope
social framework
social institutions
social order
social trust
social trends
social conventions
yada, yada

Also, deeply, profoundly and humbly are favorite adverbs, and the report writers seem to sincerely believe that we live in special and unusual times with problems never before faced in the history of the human race. These times are so special and unusual that, "Scripture cannot be used in isolation as the norm for Christian life and the source of knowledge for the exercise of moral judgement." (line 417) Not to lose heart, dear readers, the writers go on to tell us that Scripture can shed light and can speak to us.

Also, did you know the reason God created human beings, according to the task force, was so they could be in relationship with each other? I immediately opened Genesis and didn't find that anywhere. Whether you think there is one account or two in Genesis, it's pretty clear he created them to fill the earth and subdue it. The closest you come to that is God created a woman to be a helper for the man. The man had been given some mighty strict instructions on not trying to be God even before God created the woman. Even so, the writers skip right over that MAN and WOMAN part.

Some parts sound like a sex manual with a cut and paste from a Dale Carnegie course:

"Erotic interest between adults open to romantic relationships can be a desired part of growth of trust and intimacy."

"The purpose of marriage is not solely to legitimate genital relations but to create long term durable communion for the good of others."

By page 36, they finally get to their charge--homosexual couples in the church and pastorate.

"It is only within the last decades that this church has begun to deal in a new way with the longing of same-gender persons to seek relationships of life-long companionship and commitment and to seek public accountability for those commitments. In response, this church has drawn deeply on its Lutheran heritage to dwell in Scripture and listen to the Word of God. This listening has brought biblical scholars, theologians, and rostered and lay persons to different conclusions. After many years of study and conversation, this church does not have consensus regarding loving and committed same-gender relationships. This church has committed itself to continuing to accompany one another in study, prayer, discernment, and pastoral care.

In such a situation this church draws on the foundational Lutheran understanding that the baptized are called to reflect God’s love in service to the neighbor. This social statement is grounded in the evangelical gratitude for the Lutheran tradition where with St. Paul we believe that, along with all other sinners for whom Christ died, we are made acceptable to God through the righteousness of Christ, not our own (Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-11). In our Christian freedom to serve the neighbor and to make the world a more trustworthy place, we are called to seek responsible actions that serve others. This church, both those who regard same-gender sexual relationships as sinful and those who do not, calls for mutual respect in relationships and for guidance that seeks the good of each individual and of the community."

Are there more Scientologists than Lutherans in Upper Arlington?

Although I was unaware the Upper Arlington Public Library policy forbids meeting space to groups that pray during their meetings, I'm not surprised (Columbus Dispatch, March 8). The UAPL collection policy is quite hostile to both political conservatives and to conservative Christians. Although these two groups are not necessarily the same, the group that is bringing a law suit is both. For almost 30 years I was a Democrat and a conservative Christian, and before that I was a humanist, a member of First Community Church and a Democrat. One does not necessarily mean the other. By the way, any UAPL librarian that classified the 2003 film on Martin Luther with the subject heading, "Lutheran convert," is probably not up on the finer points of the faith.

The collection policy at UAPL seems to be to buy everything possible in the special interest areas of the staff (if they are liberal, progressive or Democrats) rather than select those titles which reflect the majority of the community. Remember the outrage about the gay free-circ newspapers left in the lobby of the library a few years back? With explicit sexual "guidance." The library director held her ground against concerned parents and community leaders. Although she wasn't obligated by any policy I've ever heard of to provide space and distribution for free advertising fish wrappers, she then brought them from the lobby INTO the library and had special shelving built. UAPL has a first class collection on film and theater and a jazz CD collection larger than rock or pop music. And although I'm not familiar with the size of the genre, the UAPL collection on homosexuality for young adults is large.

I'm sure liberals more often request and use titles owned by the library--conservatives by default have learned to go to bookstores, trade titles with each other, or go to their church libraries. Most people don't complain--they vote with their feet. They stay away.

Several years ago I reported in writing to the [position title unknown] staff that the most recent book on Lutherans was 40 years old. There's been a lot of water over the theological dam and numerous mergers since then. Plus, UA has three Lutheran churches, one being one of the largest in the country. They got right on it--and in a year or so, they purchased ONE book with Lutheran in the title published in the 21st century. I can't be positive it was the result of my request since I never got a response. "We've always done it this way," doesn't happen only in churches. Trust me.

But to get to my point. Imagine my surprise this morning when I saw sixteen hardcover Scientology titles on the New Book shelf at Lane Road branch, all by L. Ron Hubbard (these were not his fiction titles, but his church titles and guidebooks). If the on-line catalog weren't so difficult to use, I'd check to see if there is an equal number at Tremont Road, because the author search certainly brought up more than 16. Martin Luther, John Wesley and John Calvin have probably written 500 or more titles, and I'd make a guess that not even one unique volume in their own "Works" appears in the collection in a nice new clean edition (there is a volume or two in a Christian series).

Advent Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran and Upper Arlington Lutheran Churches can probably seat about 2,000 folks on a Sunday morning in 15 or so services. I wonder how many Scientologists the librarians could gather up to do whatever they do.