FELC and changes (and the lack thereof)
Well last night I had a mini explosion when I talked with my Dad on the phone. He told me the family had a dinner together, including the in-law Slosses whose company I never really miss, and I was filled in on the happenings... one tidbit of which was Church stuff. Evidently the ELCA (Evangelican Lutheran Church of America)'s decision to ordain clergy in same-sex relationships hasn't been so smoothly taken back home. I've always known my area is conservative (to say the least) and old money on top of it, but... Pastor Schmitt evidently wants to stop sending money to the synod because of his outrage over the decision. He sent out letters to the whole congregation siting the typical old testiment verses which "prove" gay couples are living in sin and called to have a meeting about the money.
The pompus, hypocritical, stone-age bully of a Pastor has made me angry yet again. Not only has he been re-using sermons for years now, and never gets involved with the youth, and hardly ever listens to anyone but himself, and got Pastor Gamocka (sp) run out because she and her husband decided to have a baby, and before her drove out Pastor Paul (so other members have put it) and has now installed a seminary friend as the associate Pastor (who I guess isn't such a bad guy) so that they'll both end up retiring in the next couple of years.... I can't WAIT for Schmitty to leave.
Anyway, I avoided sending him a damning e-mail last night. I wrote one today, but haven't sent it yet. I think I wrote it so it's blunt, but in as non-confrontational a manner as possible... not much finger pointing, no swearing, no threats... pointed out our church's mission, the mission of ELCA, and how writing that letter to the congregation was not aligned with anything our church as a whole should stand for, that Lutherans should be all about reforming and change, and if a gay person is called by the Holy Spirit to serve who the HELL does he think he is to deny it? .... okay, so I didn't say it exactly like that, there was no mention of hell. I'm going to ask Adam to look it over for glaring mistakes tonight, and think it over some more before I send it; I don't want it to be reflected on my family, yet it needs to be said, nor do I want to assume someone else will do it.
The pompus, hypocritical, stone-age bully of a Pastor has made me angry yet again. Not only has he been re-using sermons for years now, and never gets involved with the youth, and hardly ever listens to anyone but himself, and got Pastor Gamocka (sp) run out because she and her husband decided to have a baby, and before her drove out Pastor Paul (so other members have put it) and has now installed a seminary friend as the associate Pastor (who I guess isn't such a bad guy) so that they'll both end up retiring in the next couple of years.... I can't WAIT for Schmitty to leave.
Anyway, I avoided sending him a damning e-mail last night. I wrote one today, but haven't sent it yet. I think I wrote it so it's blunt, but in as non-confrontational a manner as possible... not much finger pointing, no swearing, no threats... pointed out our church's mission, the mission of ELCA, and how writing that letter to the congregation was not aligned with anything our church as a whole should stand for, that Lutherans should be all about reforming and change, and if a gay person is called by the Holy Spirit to serve who the HELL does he think he is to deny it? .... okay, so I didn't say it exactly like that, there was no mention of hell. I'm going to ask Adam to look it over for glaring mistakes tonight, and think it over some more before I send it; I don't want it to be reflected on my family, yet it needs to be said, nor do I want to assume someone else will do it.