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Reconciling in Christ Resolution

Questions for Study and Consideration

  1. What does it mean to welcome someone into the life of the church?
  2. What does it mean to extend explicit welcomes to particular groups as opposed to a general welcome to all?
  3. What does the bible say about homosexuality?
  4. What does the bible not say about homosexuality?
  5. How do you interpret scripture and how is scripture authoritative for you?
  6. In Morning Prayer (page 131 LBW) and Evening Prayer (page 142 LBW), the Gospel Canticle is introduced by the following versicle and response from the writings of Saint Paul: "In many and various ways God spoke to his people of old by the prophets. But now in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son."
    From your reading of the gospels, how do you think that Jesus would speak to us concerning this question?
  7. Canadian society as a whole has been addressing the issue of gay and lesbian rights for at least 30 years. What has placed this issue before our synod in 2002 and the ELCIC in1999?
  8. One of our synod pastors describes the question of welcome for gay and lesbian persons as being the "single most divisive issue before the church today?" In your opinion, what are the costs of addressing this question? What are the costs of ignoring it?
  9. This is not the first time that members of the church have disagreed about the interpretation of scripture. See Acts 15:1-21. How can the church work through such disagreements? How can we stay in community with those who have different opinions from our own?
  10. What has been your experience of gay and lesbian people in general? What has been you experience of gay and lesbian people in the life of the church?
  11. Do you believe that the church is welcoming to gays and lesbians?
  12. Our synod's constitution states "This synod confesses the scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the inspired Word of God, through which God still speaks, and as the only source of the church's doctrine and the authoritative standard for the faith and life of the church." How do you understand this statement?
  13. What encourages you or makes you happy about the possibility of intentionally welcoming gays and lesbians into the life of our church?
  14. What concerns or frightens you about the possibility of intentionally welcoming gays and lesbians into the life of our church?