SEXUALITY TASK FORCE:  UPDATE

                                                                Lou Hesse

 

The task force consists of folks from all over the ELCA.  We are a diverse group in many ways.  Sexual orientation, geographic distribution, ethnicity, vocation, gender, age, and viewpoint diversity are all represented in the members of the task force.  I believe the discussions we’ve had have basically been fair and respectful.  On the rare occasion when someone has crossed a boundary, there has been gentle rebuke and sincere fence mending among our members for the sake of Christian charity.  I doubt if there has been any voice which can be found in the ELCA in reasonable numbers which has not been heard at one or more of our meetings.  When we have had guest speakers in, they also have been respectful and to varying degrees, helpful in clarifying our discussions.  Given the passions aroused by the nature of the subject we have been called to deal with, I think the process as placed before us is as good as can be expected.

 

Concerning the Journey Together Faithfully Part 2, which is now circulating in the church, the document does an inclusive job in laying out the diversity of opinion in the ELCA without really making substantial judgments, I believe.  There will be those on either side of the issue who will disagree with that statement, indicating its probably accuracy.  We are all aware of the statements of the predecessor church bodies and the 1993 controversy.  To a large extent, by bringing all voices to the table before rejecting any voices, the leadership is trying to avoid the problems that resulted from the 1993 study.

 

My greatest unease with the study is precisely in its fairness.  By presenting so many views as equal in value, it will be very difficult to stand on one statement as truth.  The very respectful diversity of the study document automatically biases an outcome in the direction of acceptance of multiple concepts of truth which, in my view, is simply not reasonable in a church which considers itself confessional by declaring there is an ultimate absolute truth.  I am troubled by how many people may be led astray by our inclusive description of so many views, many of which are simply not compatible.  At some point in time, we are all going to have to answer the question “Is homosexual behavior sinful?”  Dancing around that question, ignoring it, or saying it doesn’t matter simply are not consistent with a confessional understanding of the Christian faith.

 

I would request the following of everyone who reads this.  Please do the study, singly or in groups; make some decisions about the issues laid before us; pray a lot; and make your personal voice and views known.  The longer this question goes unresolved, the longer we are distracted from the true call of the church – to make Christ known to all nations.

 

If anyone has specific questions they wish to direct to me, or information they believe may be helpful to me or the task force in general, feel free to contact me.

God’s peace be with you,

Lou Hesse

 

Lou Hesse, a farmer, is on the ELCA Sexuality Task Force and lives in Moses Lake, WA

Contact Info:

 

Lou Hesse

250 Road 5 NE

Moses Lake, WA 98837

 

Email:

Hesse@televar.com

 

To give feedback about the ELCA’s sexuality study:

 

Go to:

http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/contact.html

 

Mailing Address

ELCA Studies on Sexuality

Rev. James M. Childs, Jr.

ELCA

8765 W. Higgins Rd

Chicago, IL  60631

 

Phone

1-800-638-3522 ext.2815