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Welcome! First Notes by Pastor Ken
Hello! Friends in the congregation had recently attended two weddings, and while one felt OK to them, the pastor in the other wedding headed off into the forest… “The man of the household is to make the final decisions?” The actual Bible passage speaks of man being the head of the household as Christ was the head of the church! Well, Christ gave his life in great sacrifice for his bride the church. Too often the whole passage is not read or addressed, and people are left with very odd snapshots from an otherwise profoundly inviting and interesting resource: the Bible!
What a joy to have the question come up during a time of worship and allow others to participate in the discussion. Marie Fortune was suggested as a resource for men and women who want to finally stop getting caught by small quotes of much longer and larger Bible quotes.
In just a few days, our national church The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – or ELCA – will gather around several vital subjects. I so love the many ministries that cover many parts of the world’s needs. However, human sexuality will return again as a topic in which the gathered must vote. While our national body gathers, 25,000 people will die each day due to the lack of food or clean water. Years ago Bread For The World made it clear to me that there is enough food – it is not God’s issue – it is our politics, greed, etc.
I’m praying that God help us find a way to grow through this tough subject that mostly focuses on homosexuality. My first encounter with real people that were gay was almost 40 years ago. And as my friend Pastor Keith to ably stated – the younger generations can’t understand why we are even talking about this subject!
Basically, the church has a huge call – and the needs that surround every congregation are incredible. I hope we can all enjoy a very rich time of prayer as our own national body gathers – and find a way to be clear – God brought every one of us into his heart with unconditional love. No one – even people like me and you – can ever be excluded!
Thanks for reading! God’s Peace (Shalom) pastor ken
