Minneapolis Tornado and the ELCA's Embrace of Homosexuality

I am not a meteorologist, but a tornado struck the Minneapolis area this week while the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) was voting to allow homosexual clergy to actively minister to it's congregations.

Coincidence? Maybe.

But it makes you pause and wonder if there wasn't a message and a forewarning in that storm. Ironically, the ELCA may be inviting a divisive internal storm upon itself, much as the Episcopalian Church of America did a decade or so ago when it went down the slippery slope of homosexual clergy.

The dagger at the throat of the ELCA is not really whether homosexuals should be clergy or not but that of scriptural authority. While some ELCA apologists will claim that homosexuality is better understood now (and should be allowed)than it was when the Bible was written, the lurking danger is the reduction of scriptural authority. Here comes the slippery slope.

What other historic Christian theologies will now be reinterpreted in light of "modern revelations"-the inerrancy and authority of scripture; the deity of Christ; the sufficiency of the atonement?

Frankly, there are more pressing issues right now for Christendom than the ordination of homosexual clergy. The Church is commanded by Jesus Christ to be a light to world: the preaching of the Gospel, the making of disciples, the promotion of justice and equality, the care of the poor and sick, etc., etc.

Noted evangelical Christian author and pastor John Piper opined that:
"The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left and right wing sinners."

Amen.

Teach the Bible in Public Schools? We Use To...

Most Americans don't remember that the Bible used to be the prima-learning text for all American school children.

Historically, biblical teachings have formed the core bedrock of our nation's heritage. A study by the American Political Science Review on the political documents of the founding era, which was from 1760-1805, discovered that 94 percent of the period's documents were based on the Bible, with 34 percent of the contents being direct citations from the Bible. The Scripture was the bedrock and blueprint of our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, academic arenas and heritage until the last quarter of a century.

Today's USA TODAY offers a reasonable discussion on resurrecting the Bible as a source of literature and history for the public classroom.

I like the idea. Here are a couple of compelling reasons to bring back the Bible:

1-The Bible's timeless message pushes back the hopelessness of secularism. From a simple historical perspective, understanding the Bible's influence in the foundations of America is very important.
2-Having a versatile knowledge of the biblical themes and words aids students, particularly in understanding other great literary works such as Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth and Sidney.
3-Finally, research repeatedly shows that regular church attendance positively affects students and their academic performances.

Your thoughts?

Colorado's Economic Reality

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has not pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

Powerful words from 1 John 3:17.

In today's economic climate, many of desperate needs. Jobs have been lost, mortgages unpaid, and financial chaos is consuming many Coloradans.

Today's Denver Post contains a good article chronicling the plight of many Coloradans battle to find work and pay life's bills.

Perhaps today, there is someone or a family you know who could use a loan, a job, a bag of groceries or just some compassion.