Our congregation is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the ELCA), the largest Lutheran denomination in the US. Often I'm asked, "What does that mean? What authority does the ELCA have over St. John's?"
It's helpful to know a bit about church polity, ie, the way we're governed. Lutherans are both congregational (which means that we are legally independent non-profits with ultimate authority regarding issues of policy and procedures), and episcopal (which means that we find unity in our bishop, our church institutions, and our church-wide expression).
One of the things I love about being a Lutheran is our theological unity. Lutherans have been the world's great stewards of a theology of grace and our belief in a "priesthood of all believers." At the same time, our denomination makes room for a broad spectrum of those who would be socially conservative, liberal, and everything in between. We are at our best when we cling to our theological roots, while engaging in rich, respectful conversation around issues that matter, like race, sexuality, and immigration. We can approach these issues from different perspectives, as long as we first seek Jesus' high command to love God and love one another (Mark 12:30-31).
With all that in mind, let me share a few comments about last week's ELCA church-wide Assembly in Milwaukee. To be honest, church-wide gatherings receive very little attention (despite what we like to think), and that's certainly the case this time-around ... except when the ELCA passed a resolution claiming itself as a "sanctuary church" in regard to immigrants and refugees. Nothing terribly unusual. Christians have been a sanctuary church for 2000 years, clinging to a very distinct expectation to care for the stranger. No argument there.
Until Fox News got involved. During a 5 1/2 minute discussion -- which included no representative from the ELCA -- the four panelists ripped into the church's decision, saying that the church was asking its congregations to act illegally. Give me a break.
I hope you know me well enough that I value a variety of opinions -- political, theological and otherwise. But at the very least, let's get the facts straight. It was painfully obvious that the panelists had not read the statement and knew absolutely nothing about ELCA polity (see paragraph 1 above).
You and I might disagree about immigration issues. Hallelujah. Let's talk about it. But let's at least do enough homework to get our facts straight. With that in mind, the following links are helpful in better understanding the church's not-very-new statement about being a "sanctuary church."
Interested in learning more? One of our members, Ted Goins, is the CEO of Lutheran Services Carolinas, which helps to resettle refugees in the Carolinas and advocate for just treatment of immigrants. We are hosting an open conversation with Ted on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 7 pm in the Faith Center. It's a perfect opportunity to gather around the table and learn from one another.
Which is something else I love about being a Lutheran: gathering around a table of grace.
