As a blog that wrestles with denominational politics, it was pretty quiet here last week, and that’s a good thing. I’m sure the temperature will rise again on ELCA, Lutheran CORE, NALC, and LCMC controversies, but Holy Week was an appropriately peaceful interlude. The one item to note from last week was the positive news from the ELCA that 2010 has seen forty-one new mission “starts” according to an ELCA press release.
These new starts represent what America is becoming, as 23 (of the 41 new starts) are among immigrant populations … Of the 41 new starts 12 are “worshiping communities” authorized by the ELCA’s 65 synods. These are communities with ministry potential.
Several of these are residuals of ELCA congregations that voted to leave but with a remnant of ELCA supporters pursuing an ELCA mission start. Lilly, one of the frequent commenters on this blog, reports on such a group in her Wisconsin community.
Before moving on to the inevitable skirmishes, allow me one look back at Holy Week at my
ELCA congregation (Bethel) and the rest of the Northfield ELCA community. Thursday morning, the normal “Blue Monday” gathering of six or eight ELCA clergy was rescheduled as a “power lunch” to coordinate weekend events. The Maunday Thursday service at Bethel was a dramatic skit themed around Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” masterpiece. While the thirteen actors portraying Jesus and the disciples held their Da Vinci pose, each in turn stepped to a microphone and offered a monologue. I portrayed Andrew. The skit ended with Jesus sharing the bread and wine with his disciples who then stepped in front of the table and shared the meal with the congregation. Good Friday evening at Bethel featured a Stations of the Cross presentation. Saturday, most of the local ELCA clergy gathered for a traditional Easter Vigil in Boe Chapel on the campus of St. Olaf. Bethel’s new associate pastor–Charlie Ruud (a St Olaf graduate)–was honored to preside over the eucharistic liturgy. Dramatic readings were accompanied by the pipe organ riffs of St Olaf music professor John Ferguson and rising incense followed by candle lighting and bell ringing. A combined choir concluded with Handel’s Hallelujah chorus. The Hallelujah chorus also highlighted each of the three Easter Sunday services at Bethel.
After a week of familiar Lutheran liturgies, I borrow a Youtube video from Lutheran Pastor and blogger John Petty which is a delightful sampling of Eastern Orthodox Easter music, Christos Anesti, Christ is risen.
As a pastor of one of those 41 mission starts I look forward to the negative spin some folks will put on this news. Being a new two point parish we don’t look very Lutheran, one worshiping community of Native Americans, mostly homeless, and the other, a group of people who live their lives by various 12 step programs. Recovery Worship had over 150 in church yesterday, and we have a sister congregation in Yakima, WA that we have been working with helping them to get a start. Strange thing is, it is a Mo. Synod church. Toby, the pastor there, sees the mission of ministry more important than the rules, God bless him.
@Ray
That is awesome news about Recovery Worship. You are providing such a wonderful facet of recovery.
Oh, I’m sure there will be negative spin to many of these mission startups. And as an ELCA member that may soon join the ranks of a mission congregation, I find it quite hopeful instead of negative. It tells me that despite the predatory efforts of NALC and the LCMC that manage to splinter the ELCA, the ELCA community is very much alive. They can take our buildings away (which essentially is what these battles boil down to) but they cannot take the fellowship and community away.
Our second vote is this coming Sunday. Part of me is queasy, nervous and still very much angry about the process, which, in my opinion has been very unilateral in its presentation. For example, the Easter bulletin included the following:
<blockquote)CONGREGATIONAL MEETING –will be held at 1:00pm Sunday April 11th for all voting members of [Small Town Lutheran Church] for the sole purpose of voting to end our affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of [sic] America. Childcare will be provided. If you are in need of transportation, please contact the church office.
So much for neutral wording. Even the announcement to vote has a slant. Why not …voting to determine our affiliation.
No, its a drive to End affiliation. And if you need a ride to support the leaving, we’ll give you a ride as well!
Needless to say, I am hopeful, but also bringing a my withdrawl of membership letter if my church leaves the ELCA. I won’t be a part of misguided orthodoxy or exlusionary practices. I owe my daughters so much more.
That said, I am hopeful that theses mission congregations send the message that the ELCA is not splintering. Those who are chosing to leave are leaving and that it is not the ELCA that is abandoning us.
Kelly, the interesting thing that is happening on this side of Wisconsin, is that the ones who want to stay ELCA are not being fast about terminating membership in the LCMC church. As of last week only about 10 people had resigned from the congregation. I am waiting to see if I can transfer to another church but still am not sure which one yet. Some are waiting to see what happens in the neighboring town, and others are driving a bit further to attend an ELCA church. It is taking the remnant here a little time to get organized. They have been waiting until after Easter to meet again for an organizational meeting. So far no one wants to be the one in charge of organizing the church.
If you haven’t already organized a place to go the following Sunday, perhaps the bishop will help you find a place and supply a pastor for a few weeks like they did here. This group is officially a synod authorized church for now and will decide in the coming weeks about becoming an official mission church
@Kelly
Kelly , I just found and read your church’s website including the April newsletter. Your congregation really got a snow job from your pastors. At least you were allowed to put your statement of disagreement in the newsletter . Here we were accused of having unauthorized meetings etc. Anyone wanting to know more should check LaCrosse synod ELCA churches and find Tomah.
Credits note for the Easter Vigil at St. Olaf College: The professor of music at St. Olaf is John Ferguson. In fact, he’s the Cantor of the Student Congregation. As one of the clergy, and before that as one of the laity, I have participated in the Great Vigil of Easter for nearly as long as it has been held by the ELCA churches in Northfield. I “think” that is since the late 1980’s. It has become very important to me as the capstone to Holy Week.
@Keith Homstad
Thanks Keith, change noted.
Thank you for this post, Obie. I attended services on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for only the second time, though I’ve been a Lutheran my whole life (the Saturday service is not a tradition in my hometown church, and in fact I’d never heard of a Lutheran Easter Vigil before leaving the Midwest, though I grew up going to church on Thursday and Friday of Holy Week). I remain thankful for meaningful liturgies, excellent sermons, the scores of visitors who worshiped with us throughout Holy Week, and the amazing community of believers that I belong to.
I am also thankful to belong to a church that celebrates our membership in the ELCA. Kelly and Lilly, I am praying for you and your churches.
@Ann
Kelly,
I am also very thankful for the ELCA and for the strong ELCA support here in Northfield, a city of three large ELCA congregations plus St. Olaf college. I haven’t heard of problems in the other two congregations, and my congregation of around 1400 persons saw three persons leave right after CWA09 and hardly a peep since.
There was a fourth congregation, but it is a prosperity gospel mega church wannabe that started a few years ago and was always ELCA in name only.