With all the events that have transpired since August's Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA, I feel like I'm still catching up -- not to mention catching on....

Those on the traditional side of things -- those within what Robert Benne has called the Great Tradition -- continue to move toward a beak with the ELCA. The latest news is from a member of the ELCA Church Council, who confirms what others have speculated about: that the leadership of the ELCA has been pushing a pro-revisionist agenda with respect to the ordination of gay and lesbian people within our denomination. Since the ELCA's decision-making is by democratic vote, this has placed the decision of Churchwide Assembly within the boundaries of politics rather than of scripture or of tradition (and perhaps of reason, too, for that matter). The issue has been framed as one of discrimination and social justice, rather than as one of human brokenness -- from which we all suffer.

It is terribly ironic that a church body that has historically grounded itself in scripture has now made a decision which is outside the boundaries of scripture. Ironic, but not funny. Scripture has been discounted by the revisionist side by their insistence that each reference to homosexuality has its own unique historical context, and that these references therefore have nothing to say about the issue in our time. I now believe that schism is virtually inevitable.

The Episcopal Church USA has already walked further down this road than has the ELCA, at a terrible cost to that denomination in terms of membership, finances, and ministry. The breakup of the ELCA seems likely to be quicker, given the relative decentralization of Lutherans.

Again, please pray for us.