Here We Stand
“My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound. Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me.” - Martin Luther
There’s nothing else that really needs to be written.
A few thoughts I’ve had over the past few days.
The tide is turning. 2023 is still going to be painful. The numbers are going to be far closer but still lean right. Moderation is going to be a significant theme. Abide is going to be loud and cranky and threaten to leave if they don’t get their pound of flesh. More noise.
GRE and Neland Ave. will be bruised. How badly? I can’t say. Again - moderation is the tone I’m hearing but Synods are weird. They will, however, stand.
Will they stand alone? The temptation for all of us is to walk away. There are more pleasant places to be. Or would we stand with them and all of our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters and our friends who support them.
This isn’t about cultural revolution. This is about covenant promise and Biblical command.
“Debunked” is a funny word that means absolutely nothing.
Power only exists when it is yielded. Abide has no real power over you.
The tide is turning. It’s going to take a while. Stick around. It’ll be worth it in the end even if it stings for a while.