Attached is the newspaper article for next week.  Please note that the title is different.  This article is also going to be the "official" statement of our area Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Churches and will be published in our church newsletters and websites. 
 

            You may have noticed that there are many differences within Christianity.  It is no different within the group of churches known as Lutheran.  These differences have been brought to the forefront once again as the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) voted in convention on August 21, 2009 to allow homosexuals who are in committed relationships to be pastors and church workers.  It should be noted that before this vote homosexuals could be pastors and church workers as long as they remained abstinent. 

            There are at least thirteen Lutheran Church bodies within the United States.  The two largest are the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) with close to 4.8 million members and the LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) with close to 2.4 million.  We note this because often in many news stories and publications only the term "Lutheran" is used.  This can often cause confusion even among fellow Lutherans much less the larger community. 

            Our church body, the LCMS, is not in favor nor does it support the action taken by the ELCA.  LCMS churches in Lincoln, Montgomery, Warren, and West St. Charles County include the following: St. John's Lutheran Church, Warrenton; St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Jonesburg; Grace Lutheran Church, Wellsville; Trinity Lutheran Church, Wellsville; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Wentzville; Trinity Lutheran Church, Troy; Christ Lutheran Church, Augusta; and St Paul's Lutheran Church, New Melle. 

The disagreement between our two church bodies begins with our difference in believing, teaching and confessing the supreme authority and infallibility of Scripture.  The LCMS believes, teaches, and confesses that the Bible IS the inspired and infallible word of God in its totality, while the ELCA claims that the Bible only CONTAINS the Word of God and that not every part of it is actually God's Word. 

            Since we believe that all of Scripture is God's Word, we take Him at His Word regarding homosexuality.  In several places throughout the Old and New Testaments our Lord, both through prophets and evangelists, speaks against homosexuality calling it sinful.  A few verses include the following (Lev. 18:22, 24, 20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-20; I Tim. 1:9-10; and Rom. 1:26-27)

            The problem comes when a person or group calls something right or good that the Bible calls sinful.  We in the LCMS cannot do such a thing.  We are bound by God's Word not our human reason or intellect no matter how much it goes against the trends and beliefs of society.  The ELCA is not necessarily bound by God's Word, because they treat human reason and Scripture as equal. 

            Just as we would not accept adultery, pornography, crude sexual jokes, or other sexual sins as right or good; neither can we accept homosexuality because God Himself calls it sinful in His Word. 

This does not mean that we "hate" homosexuals or that we wish them harm or condemnation.  On the contrary, since we know from God's Word that sin is extremely hurtful and can cause a person to lose his or her faith, which is the only thing that saves, we want to help to restore that person to a right relationship with God through confession, repentance, and forgiveness.  We do this in all humility and submission knowing that we too are sinful and are under the same condemnation unless delivered from it by Christ Himself.  Christians especially are aware of their sinfulness and their utter helplessness and so should be in constant confession and repentance all the time knowing that God has forgiven them on account of Jesus.

            Just as Jesus desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, so we, as Christians, desire the same for all people.  We do not wish harm, destruction, or damnation on anyone.  We wish that all would come to know God's will so that they may repent and believe the good news. 

            We in the LCMS know that our stance on this issue will not make us popular in the world, in the United States, or in our communities.  We know that it will be considered intolerant, unloving, and hateful by those who don't understand our position on God's Word, but if we are to take God at His Word then we must abide by it in all things. 

            It is our prayer that all sinners, that is all people, will confess their sin to God, turn from it, and believe in the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of God on account of His Son Jesus Christ.  Lord God, may it be so.  Amen. 

           

           

 

 

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