Response to ELCA Church-wide Assembly
Response to ELCA Church-wide Assembly
8/17/05
Thank you Synod 4C for allowing me to be your voting member at the Church-wide Assembly. It was a privilege I took with great humility and responsibility. The required reading was colossal (over 1000 pages of reports,) the plenary sessions long (sometimes 5 ½ hours with no bathroom break,) the hearings intense and emotional, but Christ was present there, prayers were felt there, and instead of clapping or booing over controversial votes, hymns were sung.
Communion services each day truly called us to love God and one another in a variety of worship styles and music. Bible studies asked us to stretch our minds and not be afraid of what Christ might call us to.
And I must mention the food. Although I seldom saw the sun in a week in Orlando, I did enjoy their food, especially the key lime pie.
From the first day of the assembly I chose to wear a rainbow stole to signify solidarity with the Lutheran gay and lesbian community. I’ve been married to my husband, Ed, for 36 years. But I understand the pain of those persons who are not fully included in our church. I am a pastoral counselor who accepts persons of all sexual orientations. When sexuality task-force resolution three was being debated, about 150 gay and lesbian seminarians and non-rostered clergy walked illegally into the assembly hall and stood a silent vigil before us. After the approximately 50-50 vote, which defeated the resolution because it needed a 2/3 vote to be adopted, I walked against the crowd leaving the hall and went forward to say thank you to the disappointed silent demonstrators.
As I witnessed their sad, sobbing faces I asked them to forgive us. The night after the assembly I had a vivid dream. I was sitting in a corner of a café and I witnessed a mother being nasty to her child. I chose to walk over to her with the intention of chastising her. When I got there I looked into the face of her child and saw Christ’s face. And then another silent, Christ-like face appeared, and another. I looked at the mother again, who appeared bewildered. I said only, “You have beautiful children,” and I walked away.
The ELCA has many beautiful children, God’s children, all of us trying to live a Christ-centered life. I met many people at the assembly, farmers, ministers, retired folks, all of us trying to discern God’s will.
We will take the faces of God’s children home with us: The faces of the world’s hungry, whom we voted to feed; The faces of Palestinians, whom we voted to help work for peace; The faces of Methodists, whom we now join in interim communion; The faces of young and old Lutherans, who will be able to worship in new ways due to Renewing Worship; And the faces of some who still remain hidden to us.
God be with us all, Cynthia Gustavson
Accidentally found your blog while goofing around the net. Our faith leads us to reach out to others like the mother in your entry….like the gays and lesbians who stood silent…like those who have yet to discover that we are all entitled to the same access and love and forgiveness and hope with God. I try to remind my fellows that those who still don’t know that gays are especially loved are coming along….they’re just a little slow.
Comment by Bob | 02.23.2007 | 2:30 am