I copied this off of Pietist's blog. Click on the title above to go there, he has lots of CWA stuff.
---Katie
Reports and hearings, worship services, special meetings and the usual assembly hallway encounters seemed to occupy most of the day. In the afternoon and evening however, there was some excitement generated at the hearings. Several hearings on various topics were scheduled for voting members (Budget, Ethnic Ministry Strategies, Interim Eucharistic sharing with Methodists, leadership in the ELCA, Renewing Worship, Restructuring and Governance, ELCA Studies on Sexuality, and Urban Ministry). Guess which one drew all the media reporters!
Yes, the media are here, and coming in force tomorrow and Thursday. Many people from both sides have already been interviewed on radio, television and in print. As the pressure and expectation mounts so too does the anxiety. Please pray for the voting members that they will be able to deal with the media spotlight and the tactics of intimidation employed by some people. We hope, and have insisted, that no such tactus be used by supporters of Solid Rock Lutherans.
But we do wish to educate people and therefore sponsored a special presentation this evening by Dr. Warren Throckmorton, Associate Professor of Psychology at Grove City College, PA and by Michael Goeke, the Executive Vice President of Exodus International. Dr. Throckmorton exploded the myths surrounding the opinion that homosexuals are born that way, and presented clinical evidence demonstrating that when a homosexual lives according to his or her faith tradition their emotional stability improves even though their homoeroticism continues. Thus, there is no ground to the contention that it is harmful for gays and lesbians to deny their feelings and live according to their faith.
Mike Goeke told his powerful and personal story of life in the gay community and the grace and healing he found in his Christian wife and in his Church. Had his Church not preached the biblical view of sexuality, he would have been left to languish in the gay lifestyle. His presentation had great impact on the standing-room-only crowd in the room.
Solid Rock Lutherans had an organizational meeting following the two presentations and we believe that in spite of the political maneuverings of the night before, the orthodox view will still prevail at the assembly. We are prepared. May the Spirit of Christ descend upon the assembly and guide it on the straight path.
Rev. Roy A. Harrisville III
Executive Director
4 comments:
Just want to thank you for keeping us up to date on happenings in Orlando. Your blog, Pietist, and ALPB(who I have been reading for a long time) are the only balanced news sources to count on. Watching Live feed helps, but everything else on the ELCA website is filtered to reflect the agenda of the powers that be. I'm sure there are many who are reading you and the above sights for what is really going on.
Ditto pale_blue_angel!
The transmission on the webcast hasn't been very good. The various websites mentioned have been ever so helpful.
We pray.
A follow-up...
There's also the Fellowship of Confessional Lutherans website. Their report on day 3 concludes with the following: "It was a troubling day for confessional Lutherans at the Churchwide Assembly."
Did one shoe drop and the other is about to?
A PRAYER IN TIME OF ATTACK OF ENEMIES
Saint Gregory Palamas
O Lord, our God, pre-existing before all ages
and remaining forever:
who are as great in compassion'as you are in uncontainable power:
who because of your ineffable mercy
bowed the heavens,
came down to earth
and became man for the salvation of sinners;
who put on and immortalized our nature
and ascended with it
to the place from which you descended;
hear from heaven
and become merciful to all those
who cry out to you with a broken heart,
You, O Master of all,
lend your ear and hear us,
your unworthy servants,
who, because of the condemnation of our conscience,
keep our mouth shut,
but dare to pray.
We know that our life is not worthy
of your ineffable emptying for our sake,
nor of your great works and words and sufferings,
of your condescension into hades,
and of your most glorious return.
But we also know
your undefeatable love for mankind
and your inexhaustable goodness.
Hence,
we throw ourselves into the ocean
of your compassions
and although through our faults
we are alienated from your commandments,
we acknowledge your dominion and entreat you
turn not your face from us
nor cast us from your countenance
neither hand us over to those
who are so furiously attacking us.
Look upon us with your compassionate eye.
Behold mercifully our lowliness
and show us
how to rise above
both the visible and invisible enemies
and the upcoming and anticipated sufferings.
Place in us a power from on high;
encompass with your almighty right hand;
keep us under the protection of your wings;
fortify us with love for one another
and grant us unshakable peace.
But before all and above all,
instill in us your fear and your love
that your holy name
may be glorified in us.
For, by you alone we have been captured;
upon you alone we look,
on you alone we have placed our hopes,
and to you we send up the glory,
together with your Father,
who is without beginning,
and the life-creating Spirit,
now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen
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