November 2006
e-Update for ELCA Rostered Leaders
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Advent greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who was, who is, and who is to come. In this expectant time, the Task Force for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality asks for your help in engaging the church in the process of writing a social statement on human sexuality.
As you may be aware, part of the process of writing a social statement includes inviting the church to engage in study and discussion for the purpose of deepening our moral discourse, as well as giving input to the task force.
On December 4, the Task Force for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality will release "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor: Lutherans Talk about Human Sexuality", a congregational study designed around moral deliberation on human sexuality. "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor" invites participants to consider human sexuality through the lens of Scripture and Lutheran teaching. The task force has grounded the study in the New Testament book of Galatians and Martin Luther's essay, On the Freedom of a Christian.
The responses to the study, due to the task force by November 1, 2007, will help shape the social statement on human sexuality will come before the Churchwide Assembly in 2009.
Representatives of the task force have met with the ELCA Church Council and Conference of Bishops to study Galatians and equip them to lead the church in "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor". The task force looks forward to response to this study as it works toward producing the first draft of the social statement in March 2008 and the proposed social statement in May 2009.
Please continue to consult this study website for more information regarding the work of the task force. Attached to this email you will also find information about frequently asked questions.
Each ELCA congregation will receive a copy of the study in early December. Beginning December 4, the study will be available for download. Printed copies may be pre-ordered from Augsburg Fortress.
On behalf of the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality, thank you in advance for your thoughtful leadership and engagement in this study.
In Christ,
Rev. Rebecca Larson, Executive Director
Church in Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America