can you believe it?

I am tired and overwhelmed after the day of excitement. I never would have predicted that the ELCA would pass resolutions that give permission to perform blessings of same-sex couples, ordination of GLBT people and rostering of GLBT people all in the same day. It seemed that once the assembly passed a resolution to respect the "bound conscience" of those who might disagree with these resolutions, the rest moved along with some minor amendments. There was considerable debate about the ordination and rostering questions but both passed easily. In fact, the last resolution of rostering had a wide margin.
There is a lot of concern about whether individuals and/or congregations will leave the ELCA and Presiding Bishop Mark Hansen gave a passionate plea for everyone to stay and work all this out together. Those of us in ELM talked about how we could tell those opposed to the resolutions that we understand how they feel, as we have been disappointed by the outcome of these votes for many years. But we also know there is a difference between choosing to leave and never really being allowed in. Yes, we did have the choice to leave, but it was a very different choice. I hope that there are ways to work through some of our disagreements because sometimes working through conflict can make a relationship stronger. We have too many important issues in our church and our world to spend to much time bickering. There is healing that needs to occur on both sides and those of us who "won" today will have to be careful as we move forward that we do not become the new oppressors. We have a new day in the ELCA and I hope the Spirit will continue to blow through it as a mighty wind, bringing all kinds of new ways to live out the Gospel .