My view
gone by and I am still not welcome to take communion in the Roman Catholic Church. All that has been agreed upon in the intervening time is nothing but fluff. I will not applaud the Second Vatican Council until I am able to take communion with my son and his family. Unfortunately, I cannot wait
another 50 years. Bill Smith Littleton, N.C.
Decisions by polls
The magazine cited a Gallup poll (July, page 11) that Americans now consider gay marriage and lesbian relations as “morally acceptable” and “the new normal in public opinion.” Amazing that the ELCA would cite a secular poll to support its own position that pro- moting gay activity, including ordain- ing active gays/lesbians as pastors, is morally acceptable. Is the church now basing its doctrine on public opinion and the need to be politically correct
rather than on the word of God? Bonnie Sturm Sidney, Ohio
Good recommendation I want to express my appreciation for Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat’s rec- ommendation for the book Kneeling With Giants by Gary Neal Hansen (September, page 42). I ordered the book and am enjoying it very much. I find it helpful and challenging. Thank
you to them for recommending it. Doris Rolander Seattle
Send “Letters” to: Letters to the Editor, The Lutheran, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631-4183; fax: 773-380- 2409; email
lutheran@thelutheran.org. Please include your name, city and state. Your letter will be considered for publication unless you state otherwise. The Lutheran publishes letters representa- tive of those received on a given subject. Be brief and limit your letter to a single topic. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Letters must be signed, but a re- quest for anonymity will be honored if the subject matter is personally sensitive.
“My view” submis- sions should be 400 words on a societal event or issue or on issues in the life of the ELCA. All submis- sions are subject to editing. Send to: “My view, ” The Lutheran, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631; email: lutheran@
thelutheran.org; fax: 773-380-2409.
Brockmeier is a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Random Lake, Wis., and secretary of the Greater Milwaukee Synod.
By Matthew Brockmeier
Seeds for renewal Review your constitution
D
oes anything sound as dry as a congregational consti- tution? But if you scratch the surface, you may find it contains some seeds of renewal for your congregation. Embedded in the ELCA’s Model Constitution for Con- gregations are words and opportunities to elaborate that can encourage congregations to open their doors wide, sharing the good news and the grace of God generously. One door that comes clearly into view when looking at a congregation’s governing documents is the one to member- ship, or how we define our church family. Many older con- stitutions or bylaws contain hurdles to maintaining mem- bership in a congregation. By adopting the model constitution’s language, and
understanding that older, often unexamined restrictions to the definition of membership may create more insular con- gregations, we can take an important step toward a more open, welcoming church.
What the constitution leaves for further consideration is the approach a congregation takes with members who have fallen away. This creates an opportunity to look anew at how we reach out to those who are missing, and to learn from them what has kept them from walking through our doors to share in praising God with their sisters and brothers. Even the small choices matter on membership. Do we, for instance, include all Christians, or just Lutherans, as associate members of our congregations? How wide do we open the ecumenical door? Perhaps that isn’t such a small choice after all.
Something rattling around the governance attic for many
congregations is language describing the circumstances under which communion is shared, especially with non- members. Having a healthy discussion about this, based in part on the church’s guidance from the ELCA’s 1997 docu- ment “The Use of the Means of Grace,” is another way of revisiting how we engage those outside our walls. By affirming that “all baptized persons are welcomed to
communion when they are visiting in the congregations of this church” we open that door wider still. This list isn’t exhaustive but points the way to revisiting assumptions and looking anew at long-standing practices that may interfere with our hospitality as a church. We are called by our constitutions to “bear witness to God’s cre- ative, redeeming and sanctifying activity in the world.” If that doesn’t speak to the need for open doors, what does? So knock on your synod secretary’s door and begin your congregational journey of exploration and renewal.
December 2012 49
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