Gimme that Old Time Religion

[Bishop Dave Brauer-Rieke]

Jim Reeves is remembered for a song entitled "Gimme That Old Time Religion." The words include:

"Gimme that old time religion
It's good enough for me

It was good for the Hebrew children
It's good enough for me

It was good for dad and mother
And it's good enough for me"

Yet, what happens to that old time religion when the world changes around us? I'm thinking about when Galileo saw in his telescope that the earth moved around the sun and not everything revolved around us. The Church pushed back and denied the science. Why? Because science had been intertwined with a theological assertion - that humanity was the center of the universe. It's sort of embarrassing to think about now.

What about Darwin, his theory of Evolution and the "Monkey Trials" of the 1920s? Pretty much the same thing. The notion of evolution offended the Church's sense of how the Bible described creation. Most Christians have moved on.

So what happens to that old time religion when newfangled ideas come to the fore? History would seem to suggest that it creaks and groans while it tries to re-integrate one kind of truth with another.

I've been asked to speak at a few churches about how the ELCA got to where it is with our sexuality discussions and/or how our church justifies its more open stance on gays and lesbians in ministry. I'm trying to articulate my understanding of that.

So I start here. "It turns out some people are gay or lesbian." Okay - new information. We haven't looked at the world that way before. We used to think that the earth was the center of the universe. We used to think God created the world in seven days. We used to think everybody was heterosexual and that same sex behavior was a deviant choice. No more. It turns out some people are gay. Who'd a thunk?!

In the old days theologians believed "general revelation" (such as science) and "specific revelation" (such as in the Bible) always had to be in harmony. That's why theologians didn't have to look through Galileo's telescope. They'd read the Bible. They already knew what they would see. We don't think that way today, though. We look at the Bible and the sciences as different kinds of truth.

It seems that "old time religion" is just a tad more complicated than it used to be. Or, if you prefer, it's as simple as it used to be it just doesn't deal with what it didn't know. Either way I think my church's more open stance on gays and lesbians in ministry has to start here. The world isn't as we thought it was. So, we have to rethink the way the world is. Doesn't Jesus give us the freedom to do just that?

Next week let the rethinking begin.

[Debra Schulz]

Born and raised Lutheran. Mo. Synod. Father was a Lutheran minister. In the 80's we all switched to ELCA. Life is all about change...that's for sure. The only constant thing is our Lord. His love for all, His word.
I know there has been a lot of commotion with "our new way of thinking." I really don't understand why this has to be. God's way of thinking is still the same as it's always been. Jesus came to bless and save everyone in the world.
It seems to me, if anyone blocks the way for someone who wants to share God's word with others...that is shameful. (If only more people would work so hard to be able to hold positions of authority in the Lutheran church!)
I had never given other people's sexuality much thought. I didn't choose my sexuality, so it makes sense to me, that other people aren't choosing theirs. We are born as we are born. All different. All loved by our Creator...the same Creator.
When my husband and I first started going to our church, there was a lot of talk (week after week) about our becoming a RIC congregation. It was a bit disturbing. If that were to become our main focus, I wouldn't want to stay there. I want our focus to stay on our relationship to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now that it's all official...we are back to the business of worship. We are pleased that we can say "All are welcome." and it is most certainly true. (I love throwing that in whenever possible...after all...I am Lutheran through and through!)
I am sure that there will be people who leave ELCA because they disagree. They have that choice. It is, in my opinion, much better to let someone leave of their own accord, than to say to someone, "Sorry...I know you want to serve the Lord...but you can't do that here."
My prayer now for all of us involved in ELCA congregations is that we start moving forward. Welcoming everyone who has been on the sidelines waiting to serve.
Open our hearts Lord, our minds and our doors. Please don't let us ever be roadblocks to those who would serve You. Amen.