If there is any way this can be useful, I think Clare would be fine with sharing it:
Dear friends of the Creator community,
I have heard of your journey to explore as a congregation the possibility of becoming a Reconciled in Christ community. As a daughter of the church who lives in another place, and who gets to spend so little time as a part of your church family, I have been hesitant to add my voice to the conversation. However, in discussing both the progress and frustrations of this journey as related to me by my mother, I feel compelled to add my petition for your consideration; and I hope that it is not presumptuous of me to do so.
As I said, I've only had the privilege to worship with you a handful of times, but your quality of character and faith strikes me as that of a true and thoughtful community. I was warmed and delighted to hear that you are discussing being an RIC church. I feel that I can speak well and appropriately for both myself and my generation when I say that this is the direction we seek in the church. When recently asked, the youth of the ELCA has overwhelmingly supported RIC communities, as well as the right of gay male and lesbian ministers to have partners. It pains me when I see my sisters in faith and brothers in love -- your sisters in faith, your brothers in love -- who have been rejected and condemned by the greater society and often by their own faith communities because of their sexual orientation or identification. This is unjust and un-Christ-like.
In Matthew 25, Jesus says to the righteous that they have done rightly, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." When they ask in confusion when it was that they did these things, he replies, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." What is perhaps the most powerful thing about this story is in the people who do not understand Christ in others. They too asked, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?" His response is the same -- "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
Christ comes to us in people in whom we do not expect. To be reconciled in Christ means that we are receptive to the possibility of Christ in others. It means that we take seriously Christ's commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, to recognize that we are all created by the same God, loved by the same God, and embraced in the same family. We turn our back on Christ's message and vision as we find it in the scriptures when we, like the Pharisees, allow our arrogance and pride to win as we act as judge and jury, rejecting those whom we have made the "other," the "them," from God's Church.
Oregon, as a Synod, has announced its intention to be an RIC synod. The youth of our denomination have said that they are ready and intentional about being an RIC faith. The vast majority within Creator itself has said that we are ready to be an RIC community. Please heed these voices upon voices, pleas upon pleas for peace, justice, and reconciliation between broken sisters and brothers. Open the doors, your arms, and your hearts and let us bring everyone back home.
Love,
Clare Brauer-Rieke
Sister in Christ, Member of Creator Lutheran Church
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Proposed resolution
Resolution To Adopt RIC Statement of Welcome
Creator Lutheran Church
January 2009
Background: In late 2007/early 2008, a grass-roots group of Creator members formed a Council-sanctioned team to help the congregation move through a year of discernment on becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation. The team members have included Gary Schulstad, Toni Hartung, Gretchen Brauer-Rieke, Mary Steinberg, Janice Edberg, Kelly Carlisle and Diane Mattox. Some team members took part in a multi-day national RIC training session in March, helping to provide a sense of structure for helping the congregation to examine the issue.
The RIC team has placed information articles in the newsletter each month as well as holding monthly sessions with the congregation – both as special sessions and as post-worship conversations – in order to help work through thoughts and feelings that inevitably result from this kind of change. With congregational input, the team crafted an explicit Statement of Welcome that is unique to Creator Lutheran Church – a large majority of the congregation surveyed in September said they approve of this statement. As stated at the 2008 Annual Meeting in January, the timeline has been to hold a congregational vote on our proposed Statement of Welcome at the 2009 Annual Meeting.
Proposed Statement of Welcome:
Creator Lutheran Church welcomes you to come – as you are, where you are, and who you are – and join us in worship, fellowship, and ministry.
The Gospel reveals God's astounding grace as an unconditional gift of love for all people, so ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status are not barriers to our invitation. Instead, as an inclusive community grounded in God's love and following Jesus' example, we celebrate the diversity of God's creation.
Implications: If this statement is approved by an 80% majority, Creator Lutheran will become officially recognized as a Reconciling in Christ congregation, joining the Oregon Synod, eight other Oregon ECLA congregations and 22 Washington congregations who also have approved explicit statements of welcome. Our statement will be placed on our website, in church bulletins, and in other media that may be read by the public. The RIC team is committed to remaining in place (in some form) to assist the congregation in carrying out the intent of open hospitality that our statement speaks of.
If the statement is not approved by 80% of the congregation, we will fall back to our charter statement which says that we “provide fellowship and loving support for each other, encouraging tolerance, inclusiveness, and unity…” - providing hospitality to those who enter our doors, but without the explicit nature of a public RIC statement.
Creator Lutheran Church
January 2009
Background: In late 2007/early 2008, a grass-roots group of Creator members formed a Council-sanctioned team to help the congregation move through a year of discernment on becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation. The team members have included Gary Schulstad, Toni Hartung, Gretchen Brauer-Rieke, Mary Steinberg, Janice Edberg, Kelly Carlisle and Diane Mattox. Some team members took part in a multi-day national RIC training session in March, helping to provide a sense of structure for helping the congregation to examine the issue.
The RIC team has placed information articles in the newsletter each month as well as holding monthly sessions with the congregation – both as special sessions and as post-worship conversations – in order to help work through thoughts and feelings that inevitably result from this kind of change. With congregational input, the team crafted an explicit Statement of Welcome that is unique to Creator Lutheran Church – a large majority of the congregation surveyed in September said they approve of this statement. As stated at the 2008 Annual Meeting in January, the timeline has been to hold a congregational vote on our proposed Statement of Welcome at the 2009 Annual Meeting.
Proposed Statement of Welcome:
Creator Lutheran Church welcomes you to come – as you are, where you are, and who you are – and join us in worship, fellowship, and ministry.
The Gospel reveals God's astounding grace as an unconditional gift of love for all people, so ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status are not barriers to our invitation. Instead, as an inclusive community grounded in God's love and following Jesus' example, we celebrate the diversity of God's creation.
Implications: If this statement is approved by an 80% majority, Creator Lutheran will become officially recognized as a Reconciling in Christ congregation, joining the Oregon Synod, eight other Oregon ECLA congregations and 22 Washington congregations who also have approved explicit statements of welcome. Our statement will be placed on our website, in church bulletins, and in other media that may be read by the public. The RIC team is committed to remaining in place (in some form) to assist the congregation in carrying out the intent of open hospitality that our statement speaks of.
If the statement is not approved by 80% of the congregation, we will fall back to our charter statement which says that we “provide fellowship and loving support for each other, encouraging tolerance, inclusiveness, and unity…” - providing hospitality to those who enter our doors, but without the explicit nature of a public RIC statement.
RIC Team Meeting Agenda for December 11th: 7 PM at Creator
Hi Team,
Here is the agenda for tonight. Let me know if there is an item you think we should add.
Agenda
* Debrief on December 7th Adult Education - New action items and ideas
* Susan's Talk to RIC Team
* Plans and preparation for Congregational vote. Specific language to the resolution to bring before the congregation December council presentation (currently requesting council recommendation for passsage)
* Posting Affirmation of Welcome for vote on RIC Bulletin Board for congregation's review
* RIC Team Talk from same page - Questions are coming up, particularly after last Sunday's activity, and we may want to decide on a standard team response to those questions.
* Determine January newsletter article - Deadline Monday, December 15th
* RIC Sunday - Promoting event at Mt. Carmel 515 SW Maplecrest Dr.
* Post congregational vote plans - Next steps on the journey:
LCNA normally turns around designation in two weeks but can do it faster if needed.
Paul and Karen LCNA Region 1 Regional Coordinators want to present certificate.
Publicity Plans
Here is the agenda for tonight. Let me know if there is an item you think we should add.
Agenda
* Debrief on December 7th Adult Education - New action items and ideas
* Susan's Talk to RIC Team
* Plans and preparation for Congregational vote. Specific language to the resolution to bring before the congregation December council presentation (currently requesting council recommendation for passsage)
* Posting Affirmation of Welcome for vote on RIC Bulletin Board for congregation's review
* RIC Team Talk from same page - Questions are coming up, particularly after last Sunday's activity, and we may want to decide on a standard team response to those questions.
* Determine January newsletter article - Deadline Monday, December 15th
* RIC Sunday - Promoting event at Mt. Carmel 515 SW Maplecrest Dr.
* Post congregational vote plans - Next steps on the journey:
LCNA normally turns around designation in two weeks but can do it faster if needed.
Paul and Karen LCNA Region 1 Regional Coordinators want to present certificate.
Publicity Plans
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Rescheduling the December 4th RIC Team Meeting
Hello RIC team,
Sorry for the short notice but a number of us were not going to make it to tonight's meeting. I think it is best to reschedule.
Would next Thursday (December 11th) work for everyone? Let me know good times for you to meet in case next Thursday does not work.
Also Susan Nolte wants to attend and speak to us at this meeting.
Peace,
Gary
Sorry for the short notice but a number of us were not going to make it to tonight's meeting. I think it is best to reschedule.
Would next Thursday (December 11th) work for everyone? Let me know good times for you to meet in case next Thursday does not work.
Also Susan Nolte wants to attend and speak to us at this meeting.
Peace,
Gary
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