What happened to salad days of FLC?

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Well, this is interesting: I had never before heard of this thing called "North American Lutheran Church." A part of me feels amused by the name. It's as if the organization is trying to upstage the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Note that we're talking all of North America and not just "America." Actually it reminds me of an old comedy spoof. The spoof was of beauty pageants. So we saw a faux beauty pageant that bestowed its crown on "Miss Northern and Southern Hemisphere." Amusing. 

Well, does the new Lutheran Church entity have much traction? Should we wish it luck? To what extent should we care? Oh my, I have never been one to get into theology, certainly not into the weeds. We can get lost there. The most devout-seeming "Christians" can end up with severe shortcomings in their own personal lives. No revelation there - you know that. 

For most of my adult life I didn't attend our First Lutheran Church (FLC) because I was actually busy working at the Morris newspaper office just a block away. Much of my efforts was in the vain struggle to try to be accepted as local sportswriter. So I tried. My harshest critics would say they could not care less that I was trying. Such hopelessly emotional people. 

If I showed up at First Lutheran Church it was almost certainly because something was happening there that deserved some "press" attention. For example, when Pastor Todd Mattson had his "New Wine" thing going for so long. 

Mattson was super for serving the interests of the parents of the adolescents. But we should remember that it is the congregation's older members who tend to have the money to give to the church. Do not ever give the older members short shrift. With each passing day now, I edge closer to being lumped in with the old crowd. 

I can try to be "hip" of course and this is to be expected of a boomer generation member. That will work for only so long. We'll become old and eventually die, as we were sadly reminded with the recent death of Steve Van Kempen, a boomer generation member. I will wager that every person at his funeral had this unspoken thought: "When I die, will even a small fraction of this turnout come to my funeral?" 

The fellowship hall downstairs was full to nearly capacity. I was able to find a chair. We were very fortunate that the church had a big screen for the basement. It was essential for helping us feel we were part of the event. 

The Van Kempen funeral was a "test" for FLC in these trying times for the once prospering mainstream church of Morris. It is surely not mainstream any more. We lost our most recent full-time pastor to "retirement." I thought it very strange that he was allowed to do this with such short notice. 

Did I like him? Yes. Was he intelligent and articulate? Yes. Was he empathetic? Yes. But at the same time, I think FLC was sinking further in its fortunes, perhaps dramatically, and this was because the pastor came across as a liberal politically. 

This in a time when the ELCA gained the notorious reputation for being liberal. The synod (if that's the correct term) got on board with gay rights. My, what a total schism the gay rights thing has caused in the Christian faith. Why have we allowed this? The Methodists are being fractured practically beyond recognition. Surely it will never be the same. 

Our Federated Church in Morris is "one-half Methodist." I have always thought that strange. I have never over the years been able to explain the difference between Methodists and Lutherans. Again I'm not "into the weeds" and would see no constructive purpose in being that way. Us human beings have enough trouble staying on course with our lives. Splitting hairs with theology gets depressing. 

I have the impression now that the ELCA may be literally imploding. Why have we allowed this? 

I wondered with a friend: Was our First Lutheran in position several years ago to just switch its affiliation? I would not know about the logistics of that, sorry. People in the church council might know. My old late friend Glen Helberg once said to me "Brian, if you ever serve on a church council, keep in mind that it's all about money." Bless his memory, Glen Helberg. 

Several years ago, maybe the alarm bells really hadn't started ringing yet for FLC or any number of other ELCA churches in rural areas where we see so much "conservatism." 

Am I exaggerating the problem? The answer should be plain as day right in front of you: The Good Shepherd Church of rural Morris, a whole new church in a building that was literally brought here from south of Alberta. That's how drastic things were getting. Yes, a rebellion against the so-called "woke-ism" as put forth by the ELCA. 

I have paged through some ELCA publications and gotten the impression that officials in the synod hierarchy or bureaucracy are "gay activists" to the point where this aim seems primary for them. I totally reject that. I saw a video where an ELCA spokesman addressing a youth conference was dressed grubby and had tattoos all over her body. We get the sense of "what is going on." 

I asked a friend "what would Pastor Grindland think?"

You might be eager to know my stance on "gay rights." The term gay I guess has become upstaged by "LGBTQ" and God knows what other gobbledygook. It's beyond me and I don't seek any further elucidation. All I can state is that I am a fundamentally fair-minded person. I want all people to be treated properly and with empathy. 

I don't want gays to feel as though they have to be "in the closet" like it's the 1950s. Some were driven to take their own lives - that's terrible, unconscionable. But the new gay activism or LGBTQ (or God knows what else) gets in our faces too much! Is it necessary for gay people to have their own flag? Their own unit in the Homecoming parade? No! 

Sexual orientation should remain a largely private thing. It can be hard for all of us to deal with. Look how many lives sex ruins for one reason or another. God created us this way. We don't stop to think about the consequences enough. Look at Bill Cosby. Such a talented person. A sexual demon got ahold of him. Is he totally to blame for this? Are you willing to answer for all of your own sex-related behavior in your life? You might have a lot of this swept under the carpet. 

Look at the terrible molestation of kids across America caused by the Catholic Church's policy requiring "celibacy." How can any civilized people countenance this? Are we expecting our clergy to have no sexual impulses at all? 

Well, this post of mine today is mainly about the status of First Lutheran in Morris, once a pillar of propriety, now an outpost with the notorious ELCA. We had lay leadership last Sunday. I guess the service went OK but it's wearing thin. We are headed nowhere but down at present. Where will it end? I would suggest we have lost critical mass.

I asked friend Dale Peterson if there was ever a time when we could have switched to the LCMC. That's the organization of Good Shepherd. 

Good Shepherd at the time of its inception was called "the gay-bashing church," especially by the community's young people. I think the stigma has faded away, as I think the church has mellowed some, become more understanding, even if gays would not be allowed to become ministers. You know what? I really don't have a problem with that restriction. Gays can live without that avenue in life, being a church minister. They can show their talents in every other way possible. Actually they could be ministers if they could just do the professional job of being a minister, promoting the Gospel and not going wayward with this whole LGBTQ thing. 

Let the LGBTQ battles play out in secular society. Gays appear to be doing pretty well there anyway. 

Church should never focus on sexual orientation. It's just not the place. But whatever, our First Lutheran of Morris is dying. It should not have come to this. The North American Lutheran Church might have been a good avenue to explore. But it's too late I feel. 

I wonder if our building will be torn down. So many memories there. I asked Dale if there might have been receptiveness to the LCMC. He said "the liberals and the college professors wouldn't allow it." 

Wow! Such a true statement. But the political complexion of Morris has changed. We don't see the old "intelligentsia" flexing its muscles now. A lot of professors have been "bought out" or whatever. They are left clinging to their jobs if they are so fortunate. 

Of course we might see UMM bite the dust just like FLC. Just happens to be two institutions that have been important to me. 

"The liberals and the college professors." I remember Bert Ahern. Seemed rather the type. RIP to the Aherns who were my neighbors. Janet Ahern's mother was a nurse for Lou Gehrig after Gehrig fell into ill health. 

I don't worry about the so-called "intelligentsia" of Morris any more. My, they once had great reach and could intimidate people. Yes, power.

Today I feel more threatened by MAGA which has gotten so far into the Christian faith. Would I prefer the old pretentious "intelligentsia?" Actually no. I hated that element in town.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com