[Faith-talk] welcome back!

[Ericka]

Thanks for Sharing that story Jenni. ELCA has an interesting view on your two concerns with sexuality. As far as I feel about women pastors, I think about how Mary and Martha figured out the gardener was Christ and accepted it.  They were The first to go and tell. Did the guys believe them? Heck no! I don't think it's a coincidence that the first witnesses and preachers of the resurrection were women. Took those guys a while to accept it.
It took a long time for any congregation to accept women as pastors including the Lutherans. I think it was just in the last 20 years.  I do know that churches have the choice to accept a gay Pastor or not. The Madison area is reconciling in Christ which to most people means we are open minded and welcoming to the galas be in community. But what people don't see when they read the documents the church has written is that it also includes being Open minded and welcoming to people with disabilities of all kinds. We are working in the Madison area to make this part more obvious to churches. I think this is the first up the Wisconsin NFB communities of faith is going to take.

Since no human is perfect will never find a perfect church. There's lots I don't like about every church I have visited. I just keep telling myself that if we were all perfect we wouldn't be sinners. If we weren't sinners, we wouldn't need God. Since humanity is what it is, there is always a need for God no matter where we find him!

We're all guilty of doing something for love. I got married in a Catholic Church. Campus ministry was too important to me to just walk away when only the Lutherans and Catholics were actively meeting and doing things. God called me there for a reason apparently besides a safe place to do homework and get a free meal. :-) Sadly at my campus there is no ecumenical campus ministry center anymore. I don't know how the local churches are meeting the students spiritual needs. The only ministry center on campus is a Catholic Newman Center where the old ecumenical farmhouse stood. Makes me sad. I learned so much about life there!

Ericka Short