Ebenezer Lutheran Church: "Her Church"
Interesting to compare the Holy Father's comments about the invalidity of calling God "Mother" with this promotional video for Ebenezer Lutheran Church ("Her Church") in San Francisco.
Also it is interesting that the Holy Father expressly said that "we can only tentatively seek to understand" why the Scriptures avoid using feminine pronouns, titles and forms of address for God, even while employing feminine imagery; nevertheless "even if we cannot provide any absolutely compelling arguments, the prayer language of the bible remains normative for us".
Here again we find the distinction that Sara Butler makes (in her book about why the Church only ordains men) between "explanations" and "fundamental reasons".
Of course, how we address God has consequences for our whole liturgical and spiritual life. One of the consequences of going wobbly or flakey on this point is that you end up with women priests. Ebenezer Lutheran Church has gone so wobbly that it is a wonder it is still standing...
posted by Schütz @ 10:05 am
5 Comments
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5 Comments:
Ebenezer is kind of "old news" when it comes to weirdo liberal Lutheran congregations. Their stuff is very much like the weird feminist stuff going on at the Marianist Retreat Center here in the local community here.
Oh, well.
Yep, not pointing any fingers at any particular denomination, Pastor Paul. This wacky stuff goes on all over the place. The thing is to point out that this is not Christianity in any shape or form.
As far as I know there isn't an official parish of the Catholic Church anywhere that gets away with women priests celebrating "Sophia" masses, and our Rosary isn't addressed to a "goddess"--although I will admit that some really weird stuff does go on in the various religious orders.
The question we should all be asking is: why are those in authority not doing something to close this sort of stuff down? Do they approve of it? Do they not have the authority to close it down?
Weren't you the guy who told me there is no Church Police when I aksed the same question?
(Gulp. Guilty, shifty look). Um. Yes. Point taken, Terry.
Yes, Ebenezer is "old news" but unfortunately in the public perception it *is* the Lutheran Church. Not many Americans are educated as to what differentiates Ebenezer from say, the WELS or the LCMS and the leadership at ELCA headquarters is struggling to "diversify" in order to correct what they still perceive to be the overly Northern European base of the ELCA. Ebenezer is actually very compatible with their shifting view of what it means to be Lutheran.
The Marianist Retreat Center is just what it is -- it is not a part of the ecclesiology of the Catholic Church (unlike Ebenezer which is a recognized congregation of the ELCA) and like many of the liberal religious orders will fade away when its time is done.
The Ursulines in my area for several years tried to encourage public support of their "wholistic" spirituality center which included reiki, meditation, the gamut of liberal trendiness. Last year they finally gave it up. Few people were coming. In my diocesan newspaper I have noticed a definite return to traditional Catholic spiritual practices at various retreat and parish functions.
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