Then there's the announced worship at this summer's ELCA Churchwide Assembly:
None of these persons are identified any further, but we took a couple of minutes and were able to learn that they are all ELCA pastors — except for one. If you think for a moment, we bet you can identify the one who's not an ELCA pastor just by going through the list.Assembly Worship Schedule
Mon. 8/17, 4:00 P.M.
Holy Communion
Presiding Minister & Preacher:
Mark Hanson
Joel 2:28-32
Psalm 104:24-31, 35b
Romans 8:18-27
John 20:19-23
Tue. 8/18, 11:30 A.M.
Holy Communion
Presiding Minister:
Natacha Kemp
Preacher:
Megan Torgerson
Micah 6:1-8
Psalm 15
Luke 4:16-21
Wed. 8/19, 11:30 A.M.
Holy Communion
Presiding Minister:
Hansel Lo
Preacher:
Rafael Malpica Padilla
1 Cor. 12:27--13:13
Luke 9:1-6
Thu. 8/20, 11:30 A.M.
Holy Communion
Presiding Minister:
Callista Isabelle
Preacher:
Gregory Palmer
Philippians 2:1-13
John 13:1-17
Fri. 8/21, 11:30 A.M.
Holy Communion
Presiding Minister:
Rani Abdulmasih
Preacher:
Christine Timm
Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18
Psalm 119:33-40
John 15:9-17
Sat. 8/22, 11:30 A.M.
Service of the Word
(at Central Lutheran Church)
Presiding Minister:
Sylvia De La Garza
Preacher:
Linda Norman
Acts 2:42-47
Luke 20:45--21:4
Sun. 8/23, 8:30 A.M.
Holy Communion
Presiding Minister:
Mark Hanson
Preacher:
Allan Bjornberg
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Psalm 34:15-22
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69
We think there is another clear message, too, in the announced worship leadership for the ELCA Churchwide Assembly: "This is not your father's ELCA." You know: male pastors with German and Scandinavian names. With the possible exception of the 2 ELCA Bishops, voting members need not fear Sven, Ole, and Lena showing up in sermon illustrations. Yet given that the then-forming ELCA's goal of having 10% of its membership being people of color or of primary language other than English in 10 years has utterly failed, just going through the names makes us wonder: Just whose ELCA is this supposed to be?
20 years ago the storied automobile marque Oldsmobile announced, "This is not your father's Oldsmobile." (Go ahead, read the linked article from 5 years ago.) 5 years ago, Oldsmobile became not.
Come away with me Lucille...
Shrimp out.
3 comments:
which one isn't an ELCA pastor? and how am I suppose to be able to tell?
Gregory Palmer isn't - you can tell because he's the only non-Scandanavian, non-female, non-minority name (though I concede he may be a minority)
He's president of the UMC council of bishops.
What's plain to me is that these are the same "minorities" that are trotted out every CWA, chosen from the ELCA's small cadre of liberal minorities. Only one I didn't see that I've seen for 20 years previous was "Addie J. Butler." I guess "Rafael Malpica Padilla" now is the longest-serving minority elite. Same as every year at our synod assembly: Always the same old (and getting older) synod groupies on the chancel for major services of public worship. Sort of a club.
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