My view vision that will move the ELCA into
the future. The Rev. Peter A. Rustico Middletown, N.Y.
Back to Jesus
I read “The shrinking church” (Janu- ary, page 22) with interest. The ELCA has watered down the word of God for years, trying to fit its agenda. This began with the sexuality issues. Whether we want to admit it or not, there are many leaving the ELCA for this and other rea- sons related to Scripture. We need to get
back to the basic teachings of Jesus. Kathy Anderson Sioux Falls, S.D.
Keep it up I read each issue of The Lutheran and learn a lot from both positive and nega- tive articles and columns. The world is changing in so many ways. Keep up
the good work. Earl Finkler Medford, Wis.
Change upon change It’s a choice for Christians: biblical revelation or existentialism; care- ful discernment or vivid imagination; unchanging truth or evolution of ideas; faith or proof; revelation or group think; religion or philosophy. In The Lutheran, most seem to accept the sec- ond choice. Some still say: “Change and decay in all around I see, O thou
who changest not, abide with me.” The Rev. Lester F. Polenz Mansfield, Ohio
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.
Bowman is a pastor of the United Church of Christ, a full com- munion partner of the ELCA, who has been serving as an interim pastor in the Sierra Pacific Synod. He holds a doctorate in theological eth- ics and worships at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Saratoga, Calif.
By David B. Bowman
Is Francis I our pope? Regardless, we pray for his success
A
t the close of our regular Thursday evening’s chan- cel choir rehearsal the director named those in the congregation who were ill or grieving for whom we
should pray. Then she asked, “Is there any good news?” In response, a voice from the soprano section announced, “Well, we have a new pope.” Another soprano responded, “They have a pope. We
don’t. We’re Lutheran.” Someone in the bass section spoke up saying, “At the highest theological levels, on the key subject of justifica- tion by faith, the Roman Catholic Church and the Luther- ans have no essential differences.”
Another bass whispered that this makes little difference
since many folks at the parish level pay scant attention to such agreements. So do Lutherans have a new pope or not? When someone counts Christians around the world, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants and oth- ers compose one body. Further, the pope resides among the Western church with its emphasis on the meaning of the cross. As for Lutherans, few non-Roman Catholics in the Western church, with the possible exception of Anglicans, follow the liturgical pattern of the mass more faithfully. On the other hand, recent papal leadership tended to discount the “separated brethren,” its term for Protestants. Pope John Paul II solicited reconciliation with the Eastern Orthodox more than with the inheritors of the Reforma- tion. Pope Benedict XVI said Protestant communities may not properly be called churches, though he did call them “ecclesiastical communities.” Then came the next Sunday morning’s worship and the time for the “prayers of the people.” Following the prayers offered by the liturgist, the pastor interceded for those in need of help and healing. Then …. Then …. Did we hear correctly? The Lutheran pastor prayed for the newly elected pope, Francis I. There were no audible gasps in the congregation. How-
ever, one suspects that the prayer caused ears to perk up. Were we in a Lutheran sanctuary? Yes. Did we hear the prayer correctly? Yes. Did we wish Francis I well? Yes. Do we pray he will administer well, address scandal directly, speak wisely for peace and justice, and bring the papacy down to the common people? Yes. These are our prayers. Is Francis I ours? The answer remains unclear. But we
keep hearing the prayer of our Lord, “that they may be one, as we are one” (John 17:11).
May 2013 49
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