tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47280035488346913062023-11-15T08:05:41.861-08:00Too Deep for WordsJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-6398806084169552322010-10-05T10:48:00.000-07:002010-10-05T10:48:09.616-07:00What if Jesus Meant All That Stuff? by Shane ClaiborneHere is an amazing article written by Shane Claiborne. i just had to post it up on my blog. Please Enjoy. And thank you Shane for writing this wonderful piece.<br />
Pastor Joel Martyn<br />
<br />
"To all my non believing, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.<br />
<br />
Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.<br />
<br />
The other night I headed into downtown Philly for a stroll with some friends from out of town. We walked down to Penn's Landing along the river, where there are street performers, artists, musicians. We passed a great magician who did some pretty sweet tricks like pour change out of his iPhone, and then there was a preacher. He wasn't quite as captivating as the magician. He stood on a box, yelling into a microphone, and beside him was a coffin with a fake dead body inside. He talked about how we are all going to die and go to hell if we don't know Jesus.<br />
<br />
Some folks snickered. Some told him to shut the hell up. A couple of teenagers tried to steal the dead body in the coffin. All I could do was think to myself, I want to jump up on a box beside him and yell at the top of my lungs, "God is not a monster." Maybe next time I will.<br />
<br />
The more I have read the Bible and studied the life of Jesus, the more I have become convinced that Christianity spreads best not through force but through fascination. But over the past few decades our Christianity, at least here in the United States, has become less and less fascinating. We have given the atheists less and less to disbelieve. And the sort of Christianity many of us have seen on TV and heard on the radio looks less and less like Jesus.<br />
<br />
At one point Gandhi was asked if he was a Christian, and he said, essentially, "I sure love Jesus, but the Christians seem so unlike their Christ." A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) anti-gay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here is a bit of an image crisis, and much of that reputation is well deserved. That's the ugly stuff. And that's why I begin by saying that I'm sorry.<br />
<br />
Now for the good news.<br />
<br />
I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion, or politics, for that matter. (If there is anything I have learned from liberals and conservatives, it's that you can have great answers and still be mean... and that just as important as being right is being nice.)<br />
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The Bible that I read says that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it... it was because "God so loved the world." That is the God I know, and I long for others to know. I did not choose to devote my life to Jesus because I was scared to death of hell or because I wanted crowns in heaven... but because he is good. For those of you who are on a sincere spiritual journey, I hope that you do not reject Christ because of Christians. We have always been a messed-up bunch, and somehow God has survived the embarrassing things we do in His name. At the core of our "Gospel" is the message that Jesus came "not [for] the healthy... but the sick." And if you choose Jesus, may it not be simply because of a fear of hell or hope for mansions in heaven.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I still believe in the afterlife, but too often all the church has done is promise the world that there is life after death and use it as a ticket to ignore the hells around us. I am convinced that the Christian Gospel has as much to do with this life as the next, and that the message of that Gospel is not just about going up when we die but about bringing God's Kingdom down. It was Jesus who taught us to pray that God's will be done "on earth as it is in heaven." On earth.<br />
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One of Jesus' most scandalous stories is the story of the Good Samaritan. As sentimental as we may have made it, the original story was about a man who gets beat up and left on the side of the road. A priest passes by. A Levite, the quintessential religious guy, also passes by on the other side (perhaps late for a meeting at church). And then comes the Samaritan... you can almost imagine a snicker in the Jewish crowd. Jews did not talk to Samaritans, or even walk through Samaria. But the Samaritan stops and takes care of the guy in the ditch and is lifted up as the hero of the story. I'm sure some of the listeners were ticked. According to the religious elite, Samaritans did not keep the right rules, and they did not have sound doctrine... but Jesus shows that true faith has to work itself out in a way that is Good News to the most bruised and broken person lying in the ditch.<br />
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It is so simple, but the pious forget this lesson constantly. God may indeed be evident in a priest, but God is just as likely to be at work through a Samaritan or a prostitute. In fact the Scripture is brimful of God using folks like a lying prostitute named Rahab, an adulterous king named David... at one point God even speaks to a guy named Balaam through his donkey. Some say God spoke to Balaam through his ass and has been speaking through asses ever since. So if God should choose to use us, then we should be grateful but not think too highly of ourselves. And if upon meeting someone we think God could never use, we should think again.<br />
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After all, Jesus says to the religious elite who looked down on everybody else: "The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom ahead of you." And we wonder what got him killed?<br />
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I have a friend in the UK who talks about "dirty theology" — that we have a God who is always using dirt to bring life and healing and redemption, a God who shows up in the most unlikely and scandalous ways. After all, the whole story begins with God reaching down from heaven, picking up some dirt, and breathing life into it. At one point, Jesus takes some mud, spits in it, and wipes it on a blind man's eyes to heal him. (The priests and producers of anointing oil were not happy that day.)<br />
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In fact, the entire story of Jesus is about a God who did not just want to stay "out there" but who moves into the neighborhood, a neighborhood where folks said, "Nothing good could come." It is this Jesus who was accused of being a glutton and drunkard and rabble-rouser for hanging out with all of society's rejects, and who died on the imperial cross of Rome reserved for bandits and failed messiahs. This is why the triumph over the cross was a triumph over everything ugly we do to ourselves and to others. It is the final promise that love wins.<br />
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It is this Jesus who was born in a stank manger in the middle of a genocide. That is the God that we are just as likely to find in the streets as in the sanctuary, who can redeem revolutionaries and tax collectors, the oppressed and the oppressors... a God who is saving some of us from the ghettos of poverty, and some of us from the ghettos of wealth.<br />
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In closing, to those who have closed the door on religion — I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, "I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you." If those of us who believe in God do not believe God's grace is big enough to save the whole world... well, we should at least pray that it is."<br />
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Your brother,<br />
<br />
ShaneJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-89925718978486770682010-09-21T19:51:00.000-07:002010-09-21T19:51:43.199-07:00My 40 by 40In no certain order..<br />
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1. Cathedral tour of Italy<br />
2. Find Sasquatch footprint<br />
3. Shoot a Bull Elk 6x6 or 7x7<br />
4. Shoot Cow Elk<br />
5. Shoot A Moose 60"+<br />
6. Shoot Caribou<br />
7. Shoot a pronghorn Antelope<br />
8. Shoot a Big Horn sheep<br />
9. Get my turkey Grand slam<br />
10. Preach in front of a very very large crowd<br />
11. Get an awesome Rubicon trail ready Jeep<br />
12. Take family to Alaska and Ireland<br />
13. Make my wife very happy<br />
14. See U2<br />
15. Roast a pig on a spit<br />
16. Be debt free<br />
17. Own home/land<br />
18. Go on a sabbatical<br />
19. Visit Sardinia with my family<br />
20. Eat a Guinea Pig<br />
21. Hang out with Anthony Bourdain<br />
22. Surf<br />
23. Fly Fish Yellowstone<br />
24. Teach my wife how to fly-fish<br />
25. Fish Alaska<br />
26. Have a Man Cave<br />
27. Get to 190lbs<br />
28. Unearth my 6 pack<br />
29. run some sort of marathon<br />
30. Scuba Dive<br />
31. Shoot a big Mule Deer with Amanda<br />
32. Get a Tattoo with Amanda<br />
33. Write a book<br />
34. Visit the Vatican<br />
35. Get new clothes<br />
36. New hot tub<br />
37. Brew Beer<br />
38. Climb a fourteen-er in Co. and raft a class 5+<br />
39. Build a dugout canoe with fire<br />
40. Finish SleevesJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-16264709836946175112010-05-18T10:48:00.000-07:002010-05-18T10:48:37.250-07:00Communicate in a Biblical Way!You know what I don't understand about people who call themselves biblical Christians? I don't like the way they judge others and I don't like the way people do not follow Matthew 18 which says:<br />
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<i>Matthew 18:15-20<br />
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15 ‘If another member of the church* sins against you,* go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.* 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’</i><br />
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Sometimes, many times, pastors come across so called biblical Christians who don't abide by this basic instruction of Christ. If you are upset with something somebody did to you or if it's something you "think" another person did to you and you don't go to that person, how can it be resolved? This un-biblical process of not communicating face to face just causes dissent, disorder, hurt feelings, factions, division, everything that is antithetical to what being a Christian is all about, and contrary to what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 18.<br />
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Christ's instructions couldn't be clearer. When a brother or sister in Christ sins against you, go to them and talk to them about it. If they won't listen, bring a witness with you. If they still won't listen tell it to the church. If they won't listen to the church then let them no longer be a part of your community. It's clear. It's succinct. It's important. They are the instructions of the One whom we serve.<br />
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If you are in this kind of situation, please please please follow Christ's instructions and communicate. Usually the "sin" against you or the other is just a simple mis-communication. Rise above your own pride and fear and truly know what it means to be a "biblical Christian" who is centered on Christ Jesus and His message of Grace, Mercy and Love. And remember the words of our Lord, <i><b>"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."</b> <b></b></i>Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-55566939309857122032010-05-10T11:09:00.000-07:002010-05-10T11:09:07.410-07:00Quiet Monday MorningI shouldn't be doing this right now, since it's my day off and all. But the kids are happy and settled watching a movie, my wife is working on her wonderful photography business <a href="http://www.mandymartynimages.com">mandymartynimages.com</a> and posting new projects to her business blog <a href="http://www.mandymartynimages.blogspot.com">mandymartynimages.blogspot.com</a>. Sooooo, here I am laptop, funny enough, on my lap, trying to think of something interesting to write about. Maybe something will come to me later. God bless. <br />
For those of you who receive the Face Time with God Daily Devotions, you should be receiving them starting once again on Monday may 17th. If you would like to receive the devotion please sign up in the sign up box located on the right hand side of your computer screen.<br />
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Blessings.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-20749270704056817522010-05-05T18:55:00.000-07:002010-05-05T21:02:14.741-07:00Ministry in the Online CongregationBelow are a list of links to help you get started connecting. Please feel free to ask questions in the "comments" box. <br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com">blogger.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/start"></a><br />
<a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/about.html">gmail.com</a><br />
<a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/about.html"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com">facebook.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com">twitter.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com"></a><br />
<a href="http://apple.com">apple.com</a><br />
<a href="http://apple.com"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com">yelp.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com"></a><br />
<a href="http://verticalresponse.com">verticalresponse.com</a><br />
<a href="http://verticalresponse.com"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.podbean.com">podbean.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.statcounter.com">statcounter.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.statcounter.com"></a><br />
<br />
These are my personal links:<br />
<a href="http://www.facetimewithgod.blogspot.com"><br />
facetimewithgod.blogspot.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hopelutheransierra.org">hopelutheransierra.org</a><br />
<a href="http://mandymartynimages.com">mandymartynimages.com</a><br />
follow me on Twitter @jtmartyn<br />
email me jtmartyn@aol.comJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-89417771006691354852010-05-04T10:25:00.000-07:002010-05-04T10:58:16.012-07:00JudgedWow! You know what I do not like about sinfulness of humanity? Judgment. I was recently judged for not being a biblical pastor because apparently I was not carrying a bible with me for a class that I taught on scratch the surface theology of the Lutheran church. Funny thing is, and, I suppose ironic, I carry the bible in it's entirety, neatly packed into my iPhone where I can access, search, define, look at the original language, email, text passages, study, bookmark, highlight and read reverently any time I want at any moment of any day. <br />
You know what? I'm not ashamed to talk about my feelings on this blog. I use this blog not as a way to market myself, but as a tool in which I can release any pent up emotions or grief that have built up within me and as a way to talk about my thoughts about God and our relationship with God. I thank God for blessing us with technology that helps me to carry a bible in my phone. I thank God for blessing humanity with the willingness to learn and to grieve. I thank God for giving me the ability to blog and get out all the "stuff" or as Paul says in scripture, "skumbalo", out, that builds up within clergy. <br />
Did I mention that I do not like being judged based on ignorance? I humbly ask you to check your facts before blogging. And if you are going to slander someone on your blog, then at least allow for comments.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-40502838137430673722010-05-04T08:56:00.000-07:002010-05-04T08:56:26.810-07:00My Own Chaotic MindSo, I'm sitting at my desk right now in my office surrounded by the chaos of my brain made manifest in the massive mounds of papers and notebooks, books and pens, boxes and game consoles that surround and are about to overwhelm me. I'm not quite sure what to do at the moment. I have someone coming in for a time of coffee and conversation. My coffee maker is presently situated and percolating atop the churches massive popcorn machine, which is stored so nicely in my office. Not quite sure what to do. Funny thing about this mess is that I know where each and every thing is located. If I clean it I may go crazy. If I do not clean it my staff might drive me crazy. Or better yet my parishioners may pester me until it is clean. I think that I will just leave it as it is for now. There's work to be done.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-2482251076014582032010-05-02T13:53:00.000-07:002010-05-02T13:53:06.994-07:00lacklusterI understand that my last post said to be continued. The continued part is basically this. I threw my sermon in the air and began to trust that God's Holy Spirit would give me the words that needed to be preached. That I understood that my theology is built upon a strong biblical tradition that is found with in the Lutheran church, and I could preach the word of God without over preparing anymore. I found a freedom by trusting God's Spirit to be at work in my life. This freedom has become a necessity in ministry.........This was not the to be continued that I had expected to write. It's lackluster and truly deserves a much more descriptive and witty telling...but I'm feeling a bit melancholy.<br />
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Today I'm sad. Worship went really well. I preached on love and discipleship and I felt it went well also. But I'm sad. A couple whom I was really getting to know and respect decided to leave the church and seek elsewhere. This is always difficult for me and saddens me because I put so much of myself into teaching and building relationship with others that when there is a break it hurts. But I trust that God is at work and leading them down the path that is right for them. My prayers go with them, and though the time was short I thank God for having met them. God's speed friends.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-26389648877964135882010-03-16T11:47:00.000-07:002010-03-16T11:47:53.455-07:00Over the past two years my preaching style has completely changed. I was trained in Seminary to preach in a certain manner. A certain form was to be followed. A sermon was to be written down in either scripted form or outline, and so that is what I practiced for the first four years after my ordination into the Lutheran church. I wrote the sermons. I read the sermons with style. Adding emotion and emphasis on certain points when they were needed. Pausing here, rushing there, to give the sermon some kind of life that seemed to be lacking. For four years I read sermons to a group of people who tried to listen to them. But something always felt wrong. But I was comfortable doing so.<br />
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One day, it was a sunday morning, I had my sermon all set to go. It was a good sermon, according to the standards to which I had been trained. 12 pages long, size 12 font, scripted....ready and waiting to be preached. But it was a strange morning.<br />
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All morning I was worrying about preaching that sermon. I was unsettled in mind and spirit. It was almost as if I knew something was wrong but just could not pinpoint where the source of discomfort was located. Was it in my mind? Was I psyching myself out? Was it in my body? I was feeling a bit anxious that morning, maybe I was getting sick? It was all so strange and so abnormal for me. I decided to put it out of my mind and to go back into my office, to sit down and pray for some sort of peace and calm before the congregation arrived. The calm never arrived.<br />
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The service opened as usual. I welcomed everyone, told them where the prayer cards were located. Then we sang the customary two opening songs. I listened to the readings being read. Invited the congregation to stand for the Alleluia to be sung. paused at the altar on my way to the pulpit (which is really just the lectern) to read the Gospel reading for that particular Sunday...<br />
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As I started to read the gospel lesson I began to get this really definite feeling that the sermon I ha written was not right. There was something very wrong with the sermon that I had spent so much time on. I didn't know what it was. I began to feel ill knowing that it was wrong. And I began to experience a definite emotional pull to throw it away. Panic set in and I didn't know what to do.<br />
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So with no more options before me, at least none that I could think of, I finished the gospel reading, reached down to pick up my sermon that was just waiting for me within the pulpit and threw it into the air above my head where it landed on those who were sitting in the front row of the sanctuary...............(more to come)Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-71584409760683799612010-01-22T09:15:00.000-08:002010-01-22T09:15:17.221-08:00HaitiThe horrible tragedy that struck Haiti has left me heartbroken, saddened and reminded that we who have much, are called by God to give to those who have nothing. It’s hard to watch a nation struggle time after time especially with this last devastating earthquake, from our couches. But it’s another thing entirely when you’re connected to people who passed away buried beneath tons of rubble. <br />
A colleague of mine, Ben Larson, was a seminary student in his last year at Wartburg Theological Seminary with his wife Renee who was also studying. Ben, Renee and Ben’s cousin Jonathan were on a mission trip during their January term in Haiti when the earthquake struck. Renee and Jonathan made it out of the building which all three were in, but Ben was trapped under concrete and couldn’t make it out. After repeated tries at rescuing Ben, Renee and Jonathan had to get out themselves. They survived. When they came back to the site a few minutes later they could hear Ben, He was singing praises to God. Renee was able to tell him that she loved him, but then the singing stopped. His last singing words were, “God's peace to us we pray.”<br />
Ben wasn’t just any seminarian. He was the Son of two of my mentors whom I consider to be my God-parents and who are the God parents of my sister. Judd and April Larson (former Bishop of the Lacrosse Synod, ELCA) have suffered loss. I ask that you pray for their families.<br />
This link to the tragedy in Haiti just makes me think about the hundreds of thousands of people there who have suffered mightily. The orphans, the broken in mind body and spirit. They all need our help, and so I ask you, I beg of you to send at least a dollar or more to help with the relief effort. I already have…and so I expect you to as well. My God-brother loved the people of Haiti, Jesus loves the people of Haiti and so should we.<br />
The following article comes from the office of the presiding bishop and speaks of ways that we can donate. Please continue on reading.<br />
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Peace,<br />
Pastor Joel Martyn<br />
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Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,<br />
The images of the despair and destruction in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti continue to overwhelm us, but they also call forth our response of prayer and generosity. <br />
Paul’s letter to the Romans gives us words of comfort and hope. Paul writes:<br />
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. <br />
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Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:22-27).<br />
Thank you for continuing to hold in prayer the people in Haiti and all those who are working to bring relief. Thank you for your generous financial gifts.<br />
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is already working through long-standing partnerships with The Lutheran World Federation and Lutheran World Relief to provide emergency food, water, shelter and medical supplies.<br />
This church is uniquely positioned to provide immediate and ongoing help. The ELCA has committed an initial $250,000 from ELCA International Disaster Response, and we’ve authorized an additional $500,000 as congregations respond both to the immediate needs and long-term rebuilding efforts.<br />
For those of you who would like to support these relief efforts, I encourage you to visit this Web page (www.elca.org/haitiearthquake) or call 800-638-3522.<br />
Our phones are open the entire Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. One hundred percent of all gifts made to ELCA Disaster Response, designated for Haiti Earthquake Relief, will be used for immediate relief and ongoing recovery.<br />
This is what it means to be the church together in mission for the sake of the world.<br />
I invite you to pray:<br />
Merciful God, hear our cry for mercy in the wake of the earthquake. Reveal your presence in the midst of our suffering. Help us to trust in your promises of hope and life so that desperation and grief will not overtake us. Come quickly to our aid that we may know peace and joy again. Strengthen us in this time of trial with the assurance of hope we know in the death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.<br />
In God's grace, <br />
<br />
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson<br />
Presiding Bishop<br />
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America<br />
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P.S. Thrivent has pledged to match $1 for every $2 their members contribute, up to a total contribution of $1 million from Thrivent. To make your matching gift (up to $250 per person), go to this Web page (www.thrivent.com/helpinghaiti).Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-3336395135564978072010-01-12T10:31:00.000-08:002010-01-12T10:31:40.197-08:00PainLife is interesting. I have experienced life to the fullest. I have been to the brink of death more often than I would like. I have been there with my wife twice. I have been present within that limbo between life and death with loved ones, friends, and strangers alike. That place where everything seems to slow down. There's a battle between life and death. Of fear and peace. It's a place where clergy get the honor to be present when one of their people is making the journey to be with Christ. It's a strange spiritual road we all will someday embark upon.<br />
<br />
I have fought demons, the enemies of all that is good and have come out victorious, if not a bit beat up spiritually. I have been attacked and beat up by people in the christian church who have agendas of their own. Agendas that didn't jive with me. My family has been attacked for reasons that are beyond me. And more...and still I have been able to bounce back with vigor and strength in God's Word, knowing that the place where I grind my feet into the dirt to take root is the place and the stance that God wants me to take no matter the flack that I receive and the distress and anger other people feel because of what God wants and firmly stands for. Trusting that God will come through for me and for his people...and yet, this one silly little pain in my neck has completely disabled me.<br />
<br />
I have felt pain before. The pain of loss. The pain of grief. The pain of others'. even some physical pain. But nothing like the pain I felt yesterday (01-11-10). It was as if two giants from the Lord of the Rings trilogy had my neck and head in their hands, and their goal was to destroy. Many of you will understand this pain of which I write. It's the pain of a herniated disk high up on the neck. I know it's common. I know that many people suffer with or have suffered this injury and I hope that it will heal or be healed. But let me tell you, the pain and suffering that Jesus went through was nothing compared to the pain that I experienced yesterday, and the thought of that is humbling to me.<br />
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This humbling injury of mine has me thinking about the humbling and humiliating experience that Jesus went through on the day of His crucifixion. My pain holds no comparison with the pain of Christ. The torture, the humiliation, the inexorable, unimaginable pain that he went through for me is humbling. Is frightening. It's terrible. And it's as real as the wimpy, tiny little pin prick of pain in my human neck....Lord, forgive me my sin......Amen.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-21424406899477998182009-12-15T10:36:00.001-08:002009-12-15T10:36:41.602-08:00The Bonds Between GirlfriendsWell, the dark days of Advent have come and now have retreated back into the shadow side of my psyche and I am able to move on in anticipation. We are all in this excessive, almost hypnotic state of anticipation for the coming and the return of our Lord. And that’s good for Advent. It’s where we should be. It’s where our minds ought to be, as followers of Jesus Christ. But I am in an even more laborious state of anticipation, and some of you might be as well.<br />
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My nephew is in the process of being born. Right now at this moment (Nov. 15th 9:49am) he is being born, and my family and I are 500 miles away. This is a particularly tense time, not only for my brother and his wife, but for my wife as well. Her very best friend in the whole world is the one who is bearing our nephew, and she can’t breach the distance to be there at her side. To talk her through the labor pains. To make her laugh like Julia Roberts. To give everyone mints. To rub her back. To share that smile of confidence and the look of knowing. To give her that peace of mind assurance of spirit. To know without asking, that all she really wants is a slice of pizza. And this is all driving her crazy, and with good reason. You see, the bonds between girlfriends are great. <br />
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And myself? I just can't wait to welcome and hold my new nephew!Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-34677554907337821582009-12-10T13:19:00.000-08:002009-12-10T13:19:51.778-08:00The Dark Days of AdventThese next couple of days are probably the worst out of the entire year for me. I know it's advent and Christmas is only a couple of weeks away. I know that the holiday season is supposed to be full of love and joy, and for the most part it is. But these next couple of days are going to forever be ingrained upon my soul. For these are the dark days of Advent for me. My own personal hell relived every December 10, 11th and 12th. Now, the only redeeming quality for the 12th is that it happens to be the birthday of one of my most cherished of friends, and so I pull myself together on that day and thank God for gift of this person. But, the 10th and 11th shall forever go down in infamy... <br />
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My wife and I lost our newborn daughter 6 years ago on December 11th. We have grieved. we have moved on with our lives. But when these days arrive, I can't help but revisit the raw emotions that took over my soul 6 years ago. I find myself thinking about what life would be like had we not lost Arwyn Julia...I find myself wondering what it would be like to have a 6 year old daughter. What strange ideas might she have? What might she have accomplished in her life to that point? What would she look like? And in this process I thank God for creating us with such wonderful imaginations, because I can picture in my minds eye all of who she is. All of who she has become. What she looks like. Smells like. Sounds like......<br />
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I sigh with wonder. I sigh with a great sadness. But as her father, I owe it to her to not forget. To actively move through the process of grief and joy, anger and sadness. She'll forever be my little girl. Arwyn...Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-48660754212305339472009-10-14T13:18:00.001-07:002009-10-14T13:20:24.653-07:00AdventEvery day I think to myself, “Wow what an amazing place that we get to live in.” I look at the trees and there magnificent abundance. I look at the sky and can’t yet quite believe my eyes at how blue it really is. I guess I am still used to the orange sky of Los Angeles. This place of the big water is truly a magnificent place to be. I don’t know how one could look out over the lake or up at the mountain peaks and not know that there is an immensely creative God. A God who takes pleasure in the things that He creates. It is a comforting thought.<br /><br />I also think about the struggles that we are all going through, and the immense amount of pain within all of our lives. I ponder on it and I realize how much that pain takes over our lives. And it saddens me. Then I think about the upcoming season of Advent and what it ultimately leads to in lent. The One, coming among us who will experience for Himself the pain of our lives. The One Himself taking on all the pain and suffering and cruelty of this world, with each whipping, with every fist struck upon his brow, with every thorn cutting into his flesh, with the point of a spear thrust into his side, with the sneers and spiteful words thrown like daggers into His soul. Oh yes, He physically took on the sins of the world. Your fists and my spear. A truly sobering thought. Oh yes, He could have stopped it with but a thought, but He didn’t. It was too important a task for Him because He loves us so deeply. And it is this love of Christ’s that we need to turn to when we feel like we are the ones on the cross of life.<br /><br />Throughout this Advent season I want to encourage you to anticipate the coming of Christ, and the love that He extends, when you feel as if life might overwhelm you, might smother you with its worries and fears and panics...Because all of those things that life brings, He experienced as well and He knows how to carry you through. Turn to Christ, and experience the profound love and joy that is found only in Him.<br /><br />Blessings this Advent season,<br /><br />Pastor JoelJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-68937965978734327022009-08-22T20:06:00.000-07:002009-08-22T20:07:20.571-07:00Message From Bishop Mark Homerud, bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the ELCAAugust 22, 2009<br /> <br />Dear Friends in Christ,<br /> <br />Perhaps by now you have heard that the E.L.C.A., meeting in Assembly in Minneapolis, has voted to allow people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered clergy in this church. You may be aware that this is a change for which I have advocated and worked, both as a parish pastor and as bishop. <br /> <br />In the moments that followed yesterday's vote, I began to feel the weight of the implications of living into this new reality for all of us in the Sierra Pacific Synod. For some it will mean challenge, for others, it will be a celebration. Many others probably don't yet know what to think about these votes. <br /> <br />Just at that moment, Bishop Hanson spoke to us with words that echoed deeply in my heart. His first sentence, below, summed up perfectly what I was feeling in that moment; when I realized I would need time with this decision to understand its implications for our life together as synod. I need time to pray, to talk with you, to hear what you think this decision means for you and your ministry. That time will come. For now, I invite you to consider the elegant and faithful words Bishop Hanson shared with us:<br /> <br />"I want more time to think about words from one you have called to serve as pastor of this church. I have been standing here thinking about my 23 years as a parish pastor and how differently I would go into a context if I was gathering with a family or a group of people that had just experienced loss, or perhaps were wondering if they still belonged, or in fact felt deeply that ones to whom they belong had been severed from them. That would be a very different pastoral conversation. And I would probably turn to words such as Romans 8:<br /> <br /> "Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who was at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus."<br /> <br />But then I thought, "What if I were going into a family or a group, a community that had always wondered if they belonged and suddenly had now received a clear affirmation that they belonged?" All of the wondering about the dividing walls, the feelings of separation seem to have dropped away. That would be a very different conversation. I would probably read to them out of Ephesians [chapter 2]:<br /> <br />"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God."<br /> <br />But then I thought, what if those two groups were together, but also in their midst were those who had not experienced loss or the feeling of the dividing wall of separation coming down, but were wondering and worried if all that had occurred might sever the unity that is ours in Christ and might wonder if their actions might have contributed to reconciliation or separation? If all those people were together in a room, I would read from Colossians [chapter 3]:<br /> <br />"As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."<br /> <br />That passage gives invitation and expectation that those deeply disappointed today will have in this church the expectation and the freedom to continue to admonish and to teach. And so, too, those that have experienced reconciliation today, you are called to humility. You are called to clothe yourselves with love. But we're all called to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, remembering again and again that we are called in the one body. I will invite you tomorrow afternoon into important, thoughtful, prayerful conversations about what all of this means for our life together. But what is absolutely important for me is that that's a conversation we have together.<br /> <br />I ended my oral report with these words: "We meet one another finally, not in our agreements or our disagreements, but at the foot of the cross - where God is faithful, where Christ is present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are one in Christ."<br /> <br />Let us pray. O God, gracious and holy, mysterious and merciful, we meet this day at the foot of the cross and there we kneel in gratitude and awe that you have loved us so much that you would give the life of your Son so that we might have life in his name. Send your spirit this night, the spirit of the Risen Christ that has been breathed into us. May it calm us. May your Spirit unite us. May it continue to gather us. In Jesus' name. Amen."<br /> <br />Please note the text and video of Bishop Hanson's remarks, as well as all information about the actions of the Churchwide Assembly are available at the ELCA website: www.elca.org/assembly . Pastors Nelson, Blomberg and I will be praying and talking with you as we continue to walk and work together to fulfill the mission God has given us - to be a people who have been marked with the cross of Christ, called to do God's work with our hands. <br /> <br />God's Peace,<br />Bp. MarkJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-64886689525834087362009-08-22T11:51:00.000-07:002009-08-22T11:52:01.603-07:00Letter From Presiding Bishop Mark Hansen of the ELCADear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:<br /><br />Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.<br />-- Colossians 3:14-15<br /><br />I write to you from the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis with official information about the actions of this assembly related to human sexuality. I am grateful for the manner in which this church has engaged in this conversation. The way this assembly has discussed these questions is a continuation of the way this church has deliberated: with deep and heartfelt respect for each other, engaging with Scripture, listening to the faith stories and experiences of one another, and through worship and prayer seeking the discernment of the Spirit.<br /><br />In my response to the voting members on Friday, August 21, I made this request: we need one another. We need time. We need the voices of those who lament and those who rejoice over these actions, for together we have been called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and engage in God’s mission for the life of the world.<br /><br />The assembly adopted 676-338 -- precisely two-thirds of those voting -- “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” the ELCA’s 10th social statement, with minor editorial amendments. It also adopted a series of implementing resolutions with amendments. This theological and teaching document builds on the key Lutheran principles of justification by grace and Christian freedom to serve the neighbor. It emphasizes that central to our vocation, in relation to human sexuality, is the building and protection of trust in relationships. It therefore affirms that we are called to be trustworthy in our human sexuality and to build social institutions and practices where trust and trustworthy relationships can thrive. The social statement addresses marriage, same-gender relationships, families, protecting children, friendships, commitment, social responsibility and moral discernment. Regarding same-gender committed relationships, the social statement says that this church is not in agreement and recognizes the different perspectives which are present among us.<br /><br />Our assembly also adopted resolutions proposed by the Church Council based on those contained in a “Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies.” The actions direct that changes be made to churchwide policy documents to make it possible for those in committed same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders in the ELCA. There were amendments to two of the proposals. The assembly adopted the resolutions in the following order, beginning with a strong statement about how we will live together in the face of our disagreements:<br /><br /> Resolution 3: “RESOLVED, that in the implementation of any resolutions on ministry policies, the ELCA commit itself to bear one another's burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all." (Adopted 771-230 as amended)<br /><br /> Resolution 1: “RESOLVED, that the ELCA commit itself to finding ways to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships.” (Adopted 619-402)<br /><br /> Resolution 2: “RESOLVED, that the ELCA commit itself to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church.” (Adopted 559-451)<br /><br /> Resolution 4: This resolution called upon members to respect the bound consciences of those with whom they disagree; declared intent to allow structured flexibility in decision-making about candidacy and the call process; eliminated the prohibition of rostered service by members in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships; recognized and committed to respect the conviction of members who believe that the ELCA should not call or roster people in committed same-gender relationships; called for development of accountability guidelines; directed that amendments to ministry policy documents be drafted and approved; and stated that this church continue to trust congregations, bishops, synods and others responsible for determining who should be called into public ministry. (Adopted 667-307 as amended)<br /><br />I invite you into important, thoughtful, prayerful conversation about what all of this means for our life in mission together. What is absolutely important for me is that we have this conversation together.<br /><br />We meet one another finally -- not in our agreements or our disagreements -- but at the foot of the cross, where God is faithful, where Christ is present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are one in Christ.<br /><br />In Christ,<br />The Rev. Mark S. Hanson<br />ELCA Presiding BishopJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-30643432937371273472009-08-21T20:25:00.001-07:002009-08-21T20:25:36.290-07:00Church Wide Assembly NewsELCA NEWS SERVICE<br />August 21, 2009<br /><br />ELCA Presiding Bishop Comments on Decisions Regarding Ministry Policies<br />09-CWA-35-MRC<br /><br /> MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- With debates closed and decisions made, the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States has voted to allow Lutherans in same-gender relationships to serve as pastors of congregations and serve in other professional leadership roles. This will result in a change in current ministry policies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which require that professional leaders abstain from "homosexual sexual relationships."<br /> At an Aug. 21 news conference the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, spoke about voting members who are rejoicing over decisions made to change ministry policies and those who did not support the decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.<br /> The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,045 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "God's work. Our hands."<br /> Hanson expressed gratitude for the manner in which the church has engaged the topic of human sexuality for the past eight years.<br /> He said the assembly continued the conversation about human sexuality "with deep and heartfelt respect for the view of the other, engagement with Scripture and the tradition, listening to the faith stories and experiences of one another, and in prayer for seeking the discernment of the spirit."<br /> Mindful of those voting members who spoke and voted in opposition of changing policies, Hanson said he hopes that they will remain committed to the conversation.<br /> "I am always concerned when I hear any indication of either congregations or clergy or both wondering about whether they can continue to be part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in light of these decisions," he said. "Included in my concern is even a deeper concern for those who are at that point tonight. Are you willing to stay engaged with us in the conversation about how you can, with integrity, stay in this church body so that we might respect your bound conscience?"<br /> The Rev. Stanley N. Olson, executive director, ELCA Vocation and Education, shared some next steps on how the denomination will proceed in modifying ministry policies.<br /> "We will now need to begin to draft the language that will put into those policies the decisions the assembly has made. That language must be drafted in full respect to the kinds of disagreement that have been articulated, the joys and sorrows that are reflected in these conversations," he said.<br /> Olson said the church has several policy documents "to assure that we have the kind of leaders that we need, speak to the processes by which we prepare and approve people for leadership, and the process by which folks are called into particular places of ministry."<br /> "This is not simply rules and procedures for implementing something new. We have these policies because we are committed to having the kind of leaders who will serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who will respect this church and other churches, and who will have the world in view. We see the qualities, skills and the commitments that will make that possible," Olson said.<br /> The Rev. Kaari M. Reierson, associate director for studies, ELCA Church in Society, said the experience of the assembly mirrors that of the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality, particularly "the sorrow of disagreement, the concern for each other and the church, and the sharing of deeply held concerns that are by now familiar to us all."<br /> The task force developed the report and recommendations on ministry policies considered by the assembly.<br />- - -<br /> Information about the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.elca.org/assembly on the Web.<br /><br />For information contact:<br />John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org<br />http://www.elca.org/newsJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-44274221047643639442009-08-21T20:22:00.000-07:002009-08-21T20:23:11.681-07:00Church Wide Assembly NewsELCA NEWS SERVICE<br />August 21, 2009<br /><br />ELCA Assembly Opens Ministry to Partnered Gay and Lesbian Lutherans<br />09-CWA-34-CA<br /><br /> MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) - The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted today to open the ministry of the church to gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers living in committed relationships.<br /> The action came by a vote of 559-451 at the highest legislative body of the 4.6 million member denomination. Earlier the assembly also approved a resolution committing the church to find ways for congregations that choose to do so to "recognize, support and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same gender relationships," though the resolution did not use the word "marriage."<br /> The actions here change the church's policy, which previously allowed gays and lesbians into the ordained ministry only if they remained celibate.<br /> Throughout the assembly, which opened Aug. 17, the more than 1,000 voting members have debated issues of human sexuality. On Wednesday they adopted a social statement on the subject as a teaching tool and policy guide for the denomination.<br /> The churchwide assembly of the ELCA is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,045 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "God's work. Our hands."<br /> Before discussing the thornier issues of same-gender unions in the ordained ministry, the assembly approved, by a vote of 771-230, a resolution committing the church to respect the differences of opinions on the matter and honor the "bound consciences" of those who disagree.<br /> During the hours of discussion, led by ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, the delegates paused several times each hour for prayer, sometimes as a whole assembly, sometimes in small groups around the tables where the voting members of the assembly sat, debated and cast their votes.<br /> Discussion here proved that matters of sexuality will be contentious throughout the church. A resolution that would have reasserted the church's current policy drew 344 votes, but failed because it was rejected by 670 of the voting members.<br /> Pastor Richard Mahan of the ELCA West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod was among several speakers contending that the proposed changes are contrary to biblical teaching. "I cannot see how the church that I have known for 40 years can condone what God has condemned," Mahan said, "Nowhere does it say in scripture that homosexuality and same sex marriage is acceptable of God."<br /> But others said a greater acceptance of people who are gay and lesbian in the church was consistent with the Bible. Bishop Gary Wollersheim of the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod said, "It's a matter of justice, a matter of hospitality, it's what Jesus would have us do." Wollersheim said he had been strongly influenced by meetings with youth at youth leadership events in his synod, a regional unit of the ELCA.<br /> Some speakers contend that the actions taken here will alienate ELCA members and cause a drop in membership. But Allison Guttu of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod said, "I have seen congregations flourish while engaging these issues; I have seen congregations grow recognizing the gifts of gay and lesbian pastors."<br /> During discussion of resolutions on implementation of the proposals, Bishop Kurt Kusserow of the ELCA Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod asked that the church make clear provision in its policies to recognize the conviction of members who believe that this church cannot call or roster people in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monagamous, same-gender relationship. A resolution that the denomination consider a proposal for how it will exercise flexibility within its existing structure and practices to allow Lutherans in same gender relationship to be approved for professional service in the church. That resolution passed by a vote of 667-307.<br />-----<br /> Information about the 2009 Churchwide Assembly is at http://www.elca.org/assembly on the ELCA Web site.<br /><br />For more information contact:<br />John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org<br />http://www.elca.org/news<br />ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blogJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-9714317818153699892009-08-21T20:17:00.000-07:002009-08-21T20:19:26.146-07:00Church Wide Assembly NewsDay of decision by Daniel Lehman The Lutheran Magazine<br /><br />Whether the hours of quotations from Scripture or impassioned speeches of personal experiences changed any minds will never be known. But in the end Friday, the ELCA's highest governing authority opened the door to gays and lesbians in committed relationships to hold pastoral and other ministerial leadership roles in the church.<br /><br />Following a key 559-451 vote by the Churchwide Assembly, silence engulfed the Minneapolis Convention Center. Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson led the group in prayer. Later, he called for unity and peace in the church, saying "it would be tragic if we walked away from one another."<br /><br />"We need all of you" to contribute to conversations of where the denomination goes following the historic vote, Hanson said. The assembly approved four resolutions on ministry policies that would eventually produce rules for gays and lesbians "in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relations" to serve as pastors, associates in ministry and the like.<br /><br />Rebuke came swiftly from Lutheran CORE, a coalition that holds a traditional or conservative view of Scripture. Leaders renounced CORE's recognition by the ELCAof it as an independent Lutheran organization in relationship with the denomination.<br /><br />It also plans to host a gathering next month for disgruntled members and congregations to see what happens next. While upbraiding the assembly for its action and calling for certain economic sanctions, "it is important that congregations and individuals not make hasty decisions about their future in the ELCA," said Pastor Paull Spring, chair of CORE.<br /><br />Debate during the day remained civil but did have moments of emotional appeals for each side to see the errors of their ways. One resolution was amended so that the ELCAmakes "provision in its policies to recognize the conviction of members who believe that this church should not call or roster" gays or lesbians. That would allow congregations opposed to such ordinations from being forced to accept a gay or lesbian pastor.<br /><br />Hanson said "it's going to take time to sort out how we live together." He said the ELCA has grappled with its unity and diversity throughout its 22-year history. "The maturity [of the denomination] will be tested but the Spirit will be faithful," he said.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-43842813630860172702009-05-06T21:59:00.000-07:002009-05-06T22:01:19.203-07:00Face Time with GodThursday 5/7/09<br />Acts 8:26-40<br />It has often happened in my life that I have failed. Failed in my job. Failed in my schooling. Failed in my family. Failed in sports. Failed in faith. Failed in….the list goes on and on and on and on. What bothers me about this is not the fact that I have in many aspects of life failed, but that the control that I want and desire, over my life, gets taken away. I am left helpless and at a loss because suddenly just when things seem to be in control everything crumbles and failure is imminent. <br /> I have come to learn that just like Philip who witnessed to the Ethiopian, we too need to be open to the Spirit of God. When we are open to God’s Spirit, no longer do we have the need to be in control. Rather we are able to trust that God is going to take care of us in ways that are unknown. Scary? Totally. Worth it? Totally, and here’s why. When we try to do it ourselves, whatever “it” is, we are going to fail. We are going to mess things up because that’s how our sinful human nature works. When we give control over to God, God takes care of us. God takes care of the issues. God takes care of the relationships….in God’s perfect way. All we have to do is to trust God…And that’s what faith is. Trust.<br /><br />Holy gracious God, thank you for guiding us and for showing us your way. Amen.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-67089440421170519102009-04-17T09:41:00.000-07:002009-04-20T12:51:44.594-07:00Thoughts on Sin Were I a normal theologian who was explaining the topic of sin to a normal everyday person, I would use words such as; total depravity, corruption, transgression, posterity, original righteousness, carnal concupiscence, inclination to evil, depraved state, consequences,state of integrity,evil propensity, wrath of God,first parents, and list goes on and on. But, you know what? I am not a normal theologian. In fact I don't even hold myself to be a theologian. Yes, I have been trained as a theologian, having received my BA in Theology and Ancient Biblical languages, and my Masters of Divinity in Theology at a four year grad school, but claim not to be a theologian due to the fact that I find that human beings, when thinking about mysteries and the world around them, tend to make difficult the simple. Tend to take the basic and make them "advanced".
<br /> So, I consider myself to be one who prefers the simple rather than the difficult. And I have found through all of my research and studies of sin, and through all of the questions that I have fielded as a pastor in the Lutheran Church ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America), that the topic of sin is much easier to explain to people than theologians are apt to do. Now please understand that this blog is a place where I can write down my ideas, my thoughts on the subject and in turn receive feedback and ideas from others. That I will try to remain biblical in my interpretation of sin and humanities relationship with God, and back up any ideas biblically. So, ladies and gentlemen, I am willing to accept constructive feedback and criticisms and questions that any of you might have on the subject or relating subjects of sin.
<br /> So my first question on the subject is this, what in so many words is the definition of sin? I looked the word sin up in Merriam-Webster dictionary and this is the definition that was listed: <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">1</span>. a: an offense against religious or moral law b: an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible <it's a sin to waste food> c: an often serious shortcoming : <span style="font-weight:bold;">2</span> a: transgression of the law of God b: a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God</span>...What I see in this definition of sin is 95% human created confusion and 5% truth. The confusion? a: an offense against religious or moral law b: an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible <it's a sin to waste food> c: an often serious shortcoming....The truth? a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God. You see, it's all about relationship...more to come.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-77549481535270798262009-04-10T10:06:00.000-07:002009-04-10T10:09:17.631-07:00A Theology of SinSo, I have decided after much conversation with my wife and others to start blogging in hopes to eventually write a book on the topic of sin. Please check back from time to time and give me your thoughts and comments on my musings.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-29366460204046045732009-03-20T10:01:00.000-07:002009-03-21T22:00:29.789-07:00Through Christ Alone...<span style="font-weight:bold;">John 3:17 <br /><br />"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.</span><br /><br />Indeed! The Easter message of Grace. Alleluia! God's saving work, done on an implement of torture and death. The cross. That Christ should take on the sin of the world. Humanities, dark secrets. Humanities vicious self-centered acts. All thrust upon the Christ, the Pascal Lamb, the scapegoat. Oh cruel people, oh loving God. To put Christ to death for the sin of the people...for the people. I find it quite amazing...<br /><br />Pastor Joel MartynJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-83318073209804299692009-03-20T09:55:00.000-07:002009-03-20T22:10:40.869-07:00Give Thanks...<span style="font-weight:bold;">Psalm 107:1-3 <br /><br />"O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."</span><br /><br />What wonderful words from the Psalmist. It reminds me that God wants to be in relationship with me. That God wants to be close to me. So much so, that God promises to gather us in from wherever we have strayed. From wherever we have wandered off too. In our hearts, our minds, our lifestyle...However we might have separated ourselves from God. So give thanks you people. Give thanks that the Creator values you. Give thanks that the Creator's steadfast love includes you. Give thanks that no matter where you go, God will be right besides you.Joel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4728003548834691306.post-44368918476696050982009-03-19T22:22:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:54:24.723-07:00Grace: The Pure Gift That Only God Could Give<span style="font-weight:bold;">Ephesians 2:8-10<br />"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--not the result of works, so that no one may boast.For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." </span><br /><br />There was a time in my life where grace was a very foreign concept. It was as if the idea of grace took whatever last bit of control that I had over my life away from me. But over time I began to realize the true gift that was involved here. A gift that was and is, completely undeserved. And the more I became aware of what it took to bestow that gift upon us, the more I realized that my need for control, over my life, over other's lives, over whatever I could, was adamantly contrary to who God is in Christ Jesus. And as I began to receive that gift of grace in Christ, I began to experience a true freedom. A freedom from the need to control...I could finally trust.....Faith.<br /><br />Pastor Joel Martyn<br />Hope Lutheran Church of the SierraJoel Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05743493324644153100noreply@blogger.com1