Like a cat on a hot tin roof

The reading for the last Sunday in August included these verses from the 7th chapter of Mark: “And he said, ‘What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.’”

It is not surprising that a Lutheran clergy said to me that she felt like a cat on a hot tin roof. What an appropriate allusion to the play written by Tennessee Williams. It is also a comment on the recent decision of the ELCA to allow gay clergy in committed relationships to be called as a minister of a congregation of the ELCA!

Paraphrasing John Henry Newman, the Lutheran doctrine of Sola Scriptura led inevitably to the liberalism which denied the authority of 1 Cor. 6:9. With the rejection of Sola Scriptura, the days of the ELCA are probably numbered.

Theology has changed to meet new circumstances, something that St. Luke recognized, even it those who made the change do not recognize it.

We will be sitting in the same pew this Sunday wondering if we are still Lutherans.

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Gospel of Luke