The WWE - Church Style

Is it time that the Church catholic wrestle with some of our ecclesiology, the way we are Church? This isn't a debate about the emergent movement VS the traditional way - they both have voice and place; this isn't a debate to return the Church to the "worship wars" of the 90's, been there-done that; this isn't a debate about incense VS projection devices in worship. This is a debate about just how we do the "business of Church"

It's an interesting month for Christ's bride. For example, in the month leading up to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Churchwide Assembly we have seen the two following events.

1. The investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and their theology by the Vatican. There are some very interesting articles that can be found at the National Catholic Reporter website. It seems as if some of the teaching and theology of the Women's Religious Orders of the Roman Catholic Church (NUNS) are seen as being out of line with Vatican teaching. In a sense the U.S. Nuns have been called to recant of some of their teaching with formal investigations ongoing.

2. The Bishops of the Episcopal Church USA have decided to further push the envelope on the ordination of homosexual Bishops creating further tension within the Anglican Community. Their move has been seen by many as being a unilateral decision causing alienation and dissension within both the ECUSA and the Anglican World Communion. There is much background available on the web, but I would call your attention to an interesting blog written by Jonathan Wynne-Jones in The Sunday Telegraph.

3. The ELCA will be meeting in Assembly next week in Minneapolis with many great mission topics on the table. Resolutions surrounding HIV/AIDS, the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, a possible social statement on Justice for Women will be discussed. However, a month from now the only thing that the world will know about is what did the ELCA decide about the ordination of people in committed same-sex relationships. You can read more at the ELCA website. This decision will not be made by Papal decree or by Bishops but by clergy and laity, young and old, seminary trained and those who may not have graduated high school.

So, my friends - the question is this. What's the best way for the Church to make decisions about her identity? Papal decree? Decisions made by Bishops and teaching theologians? How about by democratic vote? It seems to me, during the last three months we are seeing that the both ways of "doing Church" seem to be flawed in some ways. As a voting member to the ELCA CWA I have spent hours reading and studying the documents and I will confess to being confused and overwhelmed by all of the material and information. However, I am shocked in talking to some other voting members who have not opened their packets as of today.

As one of the voting members - I would appreciate your prayers - your support - and your thoughts as the Lutheran Rite of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church wrestles with difficult questions and what it means to be Church.

Blessings
David+