20 years of
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod since 1996
By Frederick J. Schumacher
By John A. Lang
By Frank C. Senn
By Benjamin Dueholm
By Gordon J. Straw
By Maxwell E. Johnson
By Frank C. Senn
By Frank C. Senn
We invite submission of papers and talks from members of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the ELCA, talks given to members of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, or articles from other pastors and theologians, not limited to ELCA. Send submissions in Word docx. to fcsenn70@gmail.com.
by Andrew Leahy
Every Thursday morning I get out my Book of Common Prayer and prepare to preside at mass at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Chicago Heights. This would not be unusual except that I am Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Chicago Heights. I can do this because of “Called to Common Mission,” the […]
by Julie Ryan
Passionate Particularity: Naming Jesus Barbara K. Lundblad, Associate Professor of Preaching at Union Theological Seminary, New York Reported by Julie Ryan When discussing the growth and care of tomatoes or other plants with neighbors who happened by the little garden adjoining her Manhattan church, Pastor Lundblad would be intrigued with their nearly inevitable signoff: “Well, […]
The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call, Marva J. Dawn and Eugene H. Peterson, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000. (Published jointly with Regent College Publishing) Reviewed by Brian Halverson In a homily given at a conference for church leaders recently, a pastor remarked on how he hears the same response given by clergy when they […]
My wife has for some years now been serving as interim pastor in various congregations around the synod. I’ve heard from others that she’s quite good at it, and I believe that. She has gone to considerable lengths at her (our) own expense to complete several training experiences advancing her pastoral understanding and skills for […]
Reports by our synod delegates to our church council are usually pro forma. Last year, however, there was considerable discussion of the 2000 Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly at our council meeting. Part of the reason was that we had dutifully tried to respond to the bishop’s exhortation to send 10-15 lay leaders. We didn’t send […]
by Julie Ryan
Knew that I would make it if I tried…” Recognize the song from Jesus Christ Superstar? I (Julie Ryan) was asked to offer my reflections about the event set aside for spiritual enrichment at Synod Assembly 2000. Who could possibly oppose encouraging one another to deepen commitment, or open up to new ways of thinking […]
by John A. Holm
The Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly 2000 included a daylong leadership event in which pastors, lay delegates to the Assembly and other leaders of our congregational and institutional ministries were invited. As one of the members of the planning group for this daylong event, I would like to share our objectives and the reasons we ultimately […]
Being the Church is difficult under the best of circumstances. Being the Church in times of internal conflict is even more difficult. Perhaps the most difficult issues we face as the Church are those that have the potential of causing pain and estrangement. Certainly the question of union blessings for gay and lesbian couples is […]
The Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly passed a resolution asking the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (1) to develop a rite of blessing of gay and lesbian persons living in committed same-sex relationships, (2) to produce materials to support pastors as they provide pastoral care and counseling for same-sex couples, and (3) to provide educational materials […]
Let me begin by telling you a little about myself. I have been a Christian from a very young age, and have sought to follow God with my whole heart, to minister as He wants me to, where He wants me to. He sent me to Truth Lutheran, a small Chinese congregation in Naperville, where […]
Our 2000 Synod Assembly passed two resolutions petitioning the ELCA Churchwide Assembly to produce a rite of blessing for same sex couples, materials for pastors in counseling same sex couples and an end to the celibacy rule for gay and lesbian rostered persons. Why? Because we, as a church, are responding to justice issues proposed […]
Five years ago, in the parking lot at Carthage College following the Synod Assembly, Pastor Tom Knutson pursued me and laid out a vision of a theological journal for the Metro Chicago Synod. It was time, he said, for this church to engage seriously the issues that were confronting us as a church, not simply […]
by Wayne Cowell
Passage of “Called to Common Mission” by the 1999 Churchwide Assembly has brought a storm of protest organized as the so-called “WordAlone Network.” A preview of the protest could be seen in heated discussions of the “Mahtomedi Resolution” at synod assemblies last year. Let’s Talk published the proceedings of a pre-assembly forum at our MCS […]
At first, rain threatened to spoil Reformation Day 1999, but by 9:00 a.m. the sun had dispelled the clouds and an unusually warm day enveloped the historic city of Augsburg, Germany, which would witness yet one more momentous event before sunset. Bells pealed from churches throughout the city announcing an event of great joy. Those […]
On October 31, 1999, in Augsburg, Germany, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. A Joint Celebration by sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at Immanuel Lutheran Church […]