Since the end of August, I've been listening to the voices of members of my congregation in regard to the Churchwide Assembly's decision to open ordination to gay and lesbian people. Despite the intense reactions elsewhere, both pro and con the decision, less than half a dozen members of my congregation have so far expressed any opinion at all. Most members seem indifferent to the issue at all. There are a number of gay members of my congregation, and I suspect the lack of (public) reaction is partly due to a wish to avoid hurting anyone's feelings.

In public, I have so far suggested that we "wait and see what happens." I am more deeply troubled by the decision. I have a high theology of the Church, and have not been able to reconcile the change in denominational policy with what I understand to be the culture of what some have called the Great Tradition. With the ELCA's proposed revisions in Visions and Expectations, I see little allowance for a traditionalist stance with respect to either faith or order, at least in the national and synodical expressions of the Church. Already Lutheran clergy and laity are reorganizing, and the ELCA's top-down polity and call for unity will not be sufficient to hold this Church together.

I have a friend who likes to collect "curses," of the "May the bird of paradise fly up your nose" variety. His two favorites are, "May you live in interesting times," and "May your life be full of lawyers." The first is now certainly true in the life of the ELCA. God help us, the second may be just over the horizon.