River Crossings in Plain Text

October 2005 Issue

Below you will find all the stories from River Crossings in plain text format, so you can easily copy and paste them into your publications. If you require any graphics for these stories, please call 507-280-9457 with your request.

• Page 1 - Cover

• Page 2 - ELCA Responds to Hurricane Katrina

• Pages 3-5 - Churchwide Assembly Recap

• Page 6 - Bishop's Column

• Page 7 - Shirley Gangstad's Column

• Page 8 - Larry Iverson's Column, Prayer Column

• Page 9 - Strategic Plan Column

• Page 10 - Call Update, Calendar of Events

• Page 11 - Bishop's Golf Open Flyer

• Page 12 - Back Cover

Page 1 - Cover

ELCA Responds to Hurricane Katrina Disaster - Page 2
[Photo caption]
Houston,Texas, 9/4/2005 – Alezhanjla and Gary Mutin, Hurricane Katrina evacuees, listen to Sunday services given by the Rev. Bill Lawson, Sheik Mustafa Mahmoud, Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenz (left to right),and Rabbi David Rosen (at podium) in the Red Cross shelter in the Houston Astrodome. FEMA photo/Andrea Booher

Churchwide Assembly Acts on Sexuality Proposals, New Hymnal, Restructuring
Pages 3-5

Also inside...
Bishop's Reflections on 2005 Churchwide Assembly
- page 6
Bethlehem Communion Ware To Be Passed Around Synod
- page 9
Bishop's Golf Open Announced
- page 11
The Bridge – "Taking Time for Silence and Listening for God" - insert

Selected Stewardship Resources

Making Christ Known – This publication features ways ELCA members and congregations share their gifts with God. Visit www.elca.org/dcm/stewardship/makingchristknown.html or call Augsburg Fortress at (800) 328-4648 to order a copy.

Stewardship in the 21st Century – This site connects you to a wealth of resources for developing your call to stewardship. Visit www.luthersem.edu/stewardship/ or call (763) 571-7861.

Stewardship of Life Institute – This organization works with stewardship in the ELCA through its seminaries and offers helpful stewardship resources for individuals. Visit www.stewardshipoflife.org or call (717) 334-6286.

Page 2 - ELCA Responds to Hurricane Katrina
ELCA Responds to Hurricane Katrina Disaster
Hurricane Katrina Causes Massive Devastation
Crashing through the Gulf Coast on Sunday and Monday morning, Aug. 28-29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina continued its devastating path of massive destruction. First passing over Southern Florida, the hurricane caused significant flooding and other damage in the low-lying area of the Florida Keys. Gathering power, Hurricane Katrina next brought deadly wind, rain and flooding to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, and other areas along the Gulf Coast. Many homes and churches were damaged in southern Louisiana and in the four states of the Southeastern Synod (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee).

Lutheran Disaster Response Provides Assistance
ELCA Domestic Disaster Response provided immediate assistance to people displaced from their homes, communities and work. It also coordinated volunteer efforts for search and rescue operations, and provided grants and emotional and spiritual care for survivors of the hurricane.

Once access was granted to enter devastated areas of Alabama and Mississippi, Lutheran Disaster Response began participating in clean-up and recovery efforts and identifying Lutheran congregations to serve as food and water distribution sites, as well as health clinics. This response was coordinated with other interfaith and community efforts.

Lutherans also committed to serving food and water in the Astrodome, where many of the displaced people were relocated. As of press time, Lutheran Disaster Response was in the process of determining other potential meal programs in San Antonio and Dallas, where more people displaced by the hurricane have been sent for shelter. These efforts were coordinated with the local Red Cross and United Way to ensure that those in these shelters are provided an appropriate meal, water and health care.

How You Can Help
1. Pray. Pray for victims, aid workers, new refugees, and those who are still lost. We know that God is already among them…but we also pray that in times of deepest need, our God comes even closer to those in need.
2. Donate money to Lutheran Disaster Response. Donations designated for hurricane relief will be used entirely - 100 percent - in the immediate and long-term response of the hurricane. People can contribute to ELCA Disaster Response through their congregation and synod, directly by mail (Send check payable to "ELCA Domestic Disaster Response" with "Hurricane Katrina" in the memo field, to: ELCA Disaster Response/ P.O. Box 71764 / Chicago, IL 60694-1764), and, with a credit card, by phone (800-638-3522) or online (www.elca.org/giving). Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has announced it will match gifts to LDR, provided gifts are accompanied by a form from Thrivent. Please visit Thrivent's web site at www.thrivent.com or call 800-847-4836 for more information.
3. Become a sponsor for ELCA congregations and pastors directly affected by this disaster. The Rev. Paul Blom, bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, has made this request. His concern is to focus on leaders, so that they in turn can continue to minister to their communities. You can send funds directly to their office (12707 North Freeway, Ste. 580, Houston, TX 77060), designating them for either "Synod Disaster Fund" or "Bishop's Discretionary Fund." These will provide resources for Bishop Blom to give directly to these ELCA pastors and congregations in need.
4. Volunteers are still needed for the cleanup of the site and the care of those affected. Call the LDR Volunteer Hotline at (800) 638-3522 x2298.

Remember in Prayer
Health Concerns
The Rev. Eugene Boschee
The Rev. Audree Catalano
The Rev. Christine Finsand
Jenelle Mandsager, wife of the Rev. Michael Mandsager
Shannon Reuss, wife of the Rev. Peter Reuss
The Rev. Don Roberts
The Rev. Charles Solberg
The Rev. Todd Walsh

Sympathies
The Rev. David Danner, whose granddaughter died Aug. 30.
The family of the Rev. Lowell Smestad, who died Sept. 1.

Military Serving in Disaster Relief:
The Rev. Steven Timm

Pages 3-5 - Churchwide Assembly Recap
Churchwide Assembly Acts on Sexuality Proposals, New Hymnal, Restructuring
The Ninth Biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was held Aug. 8-14, 2005, at the Orlando (Fla.) World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center. About 2,300 people participated, including 1,015 voting members. The theme for the assembly was "Marked With the Cross of Christ Forever."

Renewing Worship to Include New Worship Book
By 740-252, the assembly directed the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop through worship staff to complete the liturgical review of proposed content for a new book of worship in accordance with this church's established policy, and to work with synods, churchwide units, and institutions and agencies of this church on further development of worship resources. The new worship book, expected to be available as early as October 2006, will be at the center of a family of worship resources for the ELCA. The resources are part of the Renewing Worship project. The assembly declined amendments to delay the project and to retain Lutheran Book of Worship as the ELCA's primary worship resource.

Interim Eucharistic Sharing with the United Methodist Church Authorized Voting members initiated "Interim Eucharistic Sharing" with The United Methodist Church 877-60. The agreement fosters mutual prayer, support and study. It encourages joint services of Holy Communion following guidelines established by both churches. Interim Eucharistic Sharing is a step that may lead to a relationship of full communion. The agreement was approved by the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church in April 2005.

Ethnic Ministry Strategies Adopted
The assembly adopted new ministry strategies related directly to the five strategic directions of the ELCA. The assembly approved the African Descent Ministry Strategy, "Many Voices, Tell the Story, Create the Vision: Build our Future" by a vote of 940-5. Voting members approved an Arab and Middle Eastern Ministry Strategy, "Bridges Across History, Lands, and Cultures" by a vote of 858-6. The strategies were developed through the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries in consultation with representatives of each community.

Churchwide Restructuring, Governance Proposals Adopted
By a vote of 810-169, voting members adopted proposals in "Faithful Yet Changing: Design for Mission Through the Churchwide Organization of the ELCA." Three types of units are described in the approved design for mission: program units, offices and service units. Reorganization will begin immediately and be completed by the start of the next fiscal year, Feb. 1, 2006.

Voting members declined amendments to create a unit with a specific focus on justice for women; instead, each unit will be responsible for maintaining full participation of women in its work.

The assembly also declined an amendment that would continue its role to elect the editor of The Lutheran, the magazine of the ELCA. Under the approved redesign the editor will be elected by the Church Council in consultation with the presiding bishop, as will executive directors of program and particular service units. The assembly adopted proposals for governance that would create program committees to work with program units.

Voting members endorsed systems for discussion of major issues on the churchwide assembly agenda and Church Council nominations through synod assemblies on a rotating basis. The Church Council will remain at 33 members, plus the four churchwide officers, and include a number of new advisors from the program committees, seminaries, colleges and universities and social ministry institutions. A voting member proposal that would have established a Church Council made up of representatives from each of this church's 65 synods, plus the four churchwide officers, failed 464-505.

Assembly Acts on Sexuality Proposals
The assembly considered three recommendations forwarded to it from the ELCA Church Council. The recommendations resulted from a multi-year study process on sexuality led by a task force. The process was mandated by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

The assembly adopted Recommendation One by 851-127. The action urges this church to "concentrate on finding ways to live together faithfully in the midst of disagreements, recognizing the God-given mission and communion we share as members of the body of Christ."

Recommendation Two was adopted 670-323 as amended. The action asks that this church "continue to respect the guidance of the 1993 statement of the Conference of Bishops," which found no basis for establishing an official ceremony for the blessing of a homosexual relationship. The assembly reiterated this church's welcome to gay and lesbian people and its trust in pastors and congregations as they "discern ways to provide faithful pastoral care for all to whom they minister."

Recommendation Three, which required a two-thirds vote for adoption because it would have affected ELCA bylaws, was defeated 490-503. This means there is no change in this church's expectations of rostered leaders.

Holy Land Campaign Implemented
Voting members urged Lutherans to participate in a campaign, "Peace Not Walls: Stand for Justice in the Holy Land," designed to build awareness. It also encourages engagement in accompaniment and advocacy activities for "peace with justice" between Israel and Palestine. By 668-269, the assembly adopted the campaign, a primary component of the "ELCA Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine," approved by the ELCA Church Council in April 2005.

Budgets Adopted for 2006 and 2007
The assembly adopted a budget for 2006 with a current fund fiscal year income proposal of $81.2 million and a World Hunger income proposal of $16.75 million. For 2007, the assembly approved a current fund fiscal year income proposal of $81.5 million and a World Hunger income proposal of $17 million.

Assembly Hears from President of Union for Reform Judaism
By 922-2, the assembly adopted a memorial expressing best wishes to the Jewish community in America on the 350th anniversary of Jewish presence in the United States. It expressed appreciation for the distinguished contributions made by Jews and commended the ELCA Department for Ecumenical Affairs for its work to promote Lutheran-Jewish dialogue.

In response Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said he was "particularly appreciative of the role played by the [ELCA] in forging meaningful relations between Christians and American Jews." With regard to Middle East concerns Yoffie emphasized that "the Reform Jewish movement is committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... For peace to be achieved, territorial compromise will be required of Israel, and unconditional acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state will be required of the Palestinians." Yoffie may have been the first Jewish leader to address an ELCA Churchwide Assembly. In addition to Yoffie, the assembly heard remarks from a variety of speakers representing Lutheran organizations and ecumenical partners.

Memorials Address Social Concerns
The assembly responded to several memorials from synods that addressed a variety of concerns:

World hunger programs: Voting members adopted a proposal for renewed commitment to end world hunger. The action made hunger eradication "a core dimension" of the ELCA and called for each of the 65 synods to make ending hunger central to its ministry and mission.

Bioethical research: The assembly called on the ELCA Church in Society program unit to develop a social statement that "addresses significant theological, ethical, public and pastoral challenges arising from developments in genetics" for possible consideration by the 2011 Churchwide Assembly.

Refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants: Voting members approved action to "welcome and encourage task forces to empower this church in its engagement with refugee and immigrant issues" and mandated strengthening the church's work with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. It also called on the U.S. Congress "to end immediately the detention and imprisonment of non-criminal asylum seekers, undocumented laborers" and others who are incarcerated and to "implement just, consistent and humane practices regarding the treatment of asylum seekers."

Voting members referred several memorials, including those regarding faithful conversations about Scripture, mission-support covenants, licensed lay ministers, and HIV and AIDS education to various churchwide units or the Church Council for further study. The response to the Scripture memorial directed that a report be brought to the council in April 2006.

Resolutions Address Churchwide Matters
The assembly referred several proposals to churchwide units: development of a process to study a biblical approach to starting new mission congregations; creation of a panel to assist assembly voting members on assembly procedure; assessing the merits of electing bishops by ecclesiastical ballot; nominating young adult and youth representatives for Church Council positions; and inviting people with disabilities to greater participation in the church.

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Promote Your Congregation's Holiday Suppers, Sales, and Concerts on the Synod Web Site!
The synod web site has a special page just for congregational events. With Christmas coming up, your congregation may be planning suppers, bazaars, concerts, or special worship services to which you'd like to invite the public.

To promote your events on the synod web site, remember to include the following details:
• Date of the event, including day of the week
• Time of the event
• Location of the event (include full address and/or directions whenever possible)
• Cost of the event (if the event is free, or if a free-will donation will be collected, please say so)
• Brief description of the event in complete sentences
• Name and phone number of a person to contact for more information about the event

Please fax this information to (507) 280-8824. Remember to send the information as soon as possible – at least two weeks prior to the event.

Page 6 - Bishop's Column
Bishop Usgaard Reflects on the 2005 Churchwide Assembly
Two reflections following the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly:

1) It was during the discussion on issues of homosexuality that a group of "Good Soil" members, those seeking change in the policies, came forward and stood in front, facing the voting members of the assembly. Presiding Bishop Hanson asked them to leave...they did not move. He asked them a second time...and again they did not move. At that point the presiding bishop challenged the voting members to continue with our deliberations, ignoring those demonstrators standing in front of us. And we did. For over an hour we continued our debate and votes, ignoring those standing before us.

At the conclusion of the session, we stood for a final hymn and prayer. The "Good Soil" group continued to stand in front of us. And then I noticed her...

She was from North Carolina...a black woman. Her contingent sat right in front of us during the business sessions. From her statements at the microphone, it was quite clear that she opposed any changes regarding the church and homosexuality. But when we began to sing that final hymn, she moved away from her seat, walked up to the demonstrators, and handed them a hymnbook so that they might join in the closing.

It struck me that 20 years ago, she may have been one of those demonstrating for change in the church. She had a sense of what they were feeling. But even more, her selfless act caused me to realize that those standing in front were not the enemy. They were sisters and brothers of the faith standing for what they believed...and whatever our differences, we could still worship together.

Differences still remain in our church on a variety of topics. But I sensed in that moment that we had grown to a place in all of this where God's children could disagree and debate...but still recognize our oneness before the Lord. If that is indeed true, we have become a much stronger church.

2) After the voting on questions of homosexuality, someone commented to me that now that "vote" was over, perhaps things would calm down and get back to normal in the church. I wonder...

This past Christmas, my 80 year old mother fell and broke her leg. After the surgery, she spent the next 5 months in a care facility. She is home now, and therapy has returned her leg to normal. But now other ailments have returned, aches and pains that had bothered her before the accident. Because of the focus on her leg, she had forgotten about them.

What would it mean if the church were to calm down and get back to normal? Have we forgotten that before all of our recent discussions, evangelism was still suspect, worship attendance was lagging, Biblical illiteracy was growing, and stewardship was embarrassing? Has any of that changed?

We dare not calm down if that means believing there are no serious issues still before us. The issues that remain are just as important as those on which we recently voted. Issues of sex may often grab the spotlight, but those are not the issues that spell life or death for the church. The kingdom of God is about Word and Sacrament, witness and service to our neighbor. If we have forgotten that, then, in fact, we have become even less a church.

Shalom,
Harold Usgaard
Bishop

Page 7 - Shirley Gangstad's Column
Be Open to Change in Christ's Church
By Shirley Gangstad
Synod Vice President
Greetings!

One of the joys of attending the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is getting a sense of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is different in looks and feel from the ELCA in Minnesota. The easiest way to explain this is to share one simple statistic: In the Metropolitan New York Synod of the ELCA, Sunday worship services are conducted in twenty-eight languages. WOW!

In the October Lutheran Woman Today magazine, Twila Schock writes from Wittenberg, Germany, "I am reminded of our shared conviction that it is Jesus Christ crucified who binds us together as brothers and sisters in Christ, and that we, like our forebear Martin Luther, are called to continually renew and reform this faith in our own daily lives." To her thoughts I would add that we must continually renew and reform this faith weekly in our congregations.

We have so much resistance to change. We have congregations that are being ripped apart by issues of change. Cries of "We've never done it that way before" and "I want my old church back" ring through some of our sanctuaries.

Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson writes in Faithful Yet Changing, "If we don't become a changing church, we will be simply a museum piece in the religious history of the American people."

Bishop Hanson goes on, "As a missionary church in a missionary context, we have to be willing to be changed by the new people who come into our churches...we will need to let go of what we have been in order to become a more diverse community that reflects the hues and cultural richness that now exist in our land."

I have a friend who likes to say, "There is more than one way to skin a cat." There's more than one way to do most things – including having a Lutheran worship service. If we are truly Lutheran, we are by our very nature in favor of renewal and reform. Bishop Hanson says, "The change that is needed is the change that grows out of our call to be a witnessing, worshiping, engaging, equipping, inviting church in the world. It is not change for the sake of change, but change for the sake of the gospel."

I'm not talking about my church, or even about our church. This is Christ's church for all people, all languages, all cultures – most of them very different from mine. As difficult as it may be, we need to open our arms and our hearts and welcome renewal and reform, welcome change as a way to enhance our worship services and our lives – and in the process we will enhance and encourage our survival as the ELCA.

Blessings in Christ,
Shirley

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Register Online for Synod Theological Conference!
You can now register online for the Nov. 6-8 Theological Conference! For details, visit www.semnsynod.org/events.html [this site no longer available]. You can pay by check or by credit card.

If paying by check:
1. Please send the check within 3 business days of registering.
2. Please include a note with the check so we know whose registration the check is for.

Remember, the early bird registration deadline is Oct. 6. Registrations postmarked on or before the early bird deadline are $85 for the whole conference, or $22 for Sunday night only; registrations postmarked after Oct. 6 are $100 for the whole conference, or $25 for Sunday night only.

NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO ON-SITE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE THIS YEAR. All registrations must be received by Oct. 26, whether you are attending the whole conference or just Sunday evening.

For more information on the Theological Conference, or to download a registration brochure, visit www.semnsynod.org/events.html [this site no longer available].