Ah, Not Quite "Utter Silence"

Shrimp again, with a quick followup to our post on Prof. Taylor's Epiphany Day presentation to the ELCA Conference of Bishops. Bishop Martin Wells of the Eastern Washington Idaho Synod wrote of the latest Bishops' Academy in the February issue of the Synod's Cross Connection:

I’ve just returned from the annual Bishop’s Academy, a time of continuing education and relationship building. This year we heard from three teachers of our church, Dr. Ralph Klein of Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago; Dr. Walter Taylor of Trinity Seminary, Columbus, OH; and Dr. Marty Stortz, Professor of religion at Augsburg College. These teachers led us in three days of reflection on scripture and the ways in which the ELCA has sought to encourage study of scripture in the life and ministry of our church. As you might guess there was much discussion of the way in which the church studied scripture in anticipation of social statements on human sexuality and, most recently, how scripture is guiding us as we write a statement on Genetics.

One of the most interesting conversations had to do with a comparison of the way scripture influenced the church at the time of the decision for the ordination of women and the way scripture was studied in these last several years. There was a difference of opinion on whether the scriptural case for women’s ordination had been made by the time of that decision or whether the most significant work had been done following the decision. This was thought to be important because Dr. Taylor, in particular, sought to encourage us to continue the scriptural work around human sexuality as we live into the decisions of 2009. I believe we will need to continue that work so long as we are expressing respect for persons who have reached different conclusions about the faithfulness of those decisions. All of us were grateful for the continuing work of the Book of Faith initiative which seeks to ground us all in a deeper commitment to scripture as the first language of faith.

I tell you all this because I want you to know that, even as you study scripture for your own life of faith, that same work is being done by the Conference of Bishops. We do this because scripture continues to be the deep well of wisdom from which we all draw strength and insight even as the Holy Spirit works through scripture to create and sustain our faith.

Since it was stuck in the middle of the middle paragraph, let's repeat what we think is the heart of Bishop Wells' epistle:

There was a difference of opinion on whether the scriptural case for women’s ordination had been made by the time of that decision or whether the most significant work had been done following the decision. This was thought to be important because Dr. Taylor, in particular, sought to encourage us to continue the scriptural work around human sexuality as we live into the decisions of 2009. I believe we will need to continue that work so long as we are expressing respect for persons who have reached different conclusions about the faithfulness of those decisions.

Hmm. "Continue the scriptural work" suggests this has been happening since the 2009 CWA. Frankly, we think the victors in getting the 2009 CWA to act as it did are more interested in "expressing respect" that in actually respecting by engaging in the scriptural work Prof. Taylor (and nearly all who have dissented from the CWA's actions) says hasn't happened.

Any other Bishop's responses out there? Tip o' the claw to Pastor Harris at ALPB Forum Online.

Shrimp out...