Lutherans Follow Through

According to this story in Chicago's Sun Times,

Dozens of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered Lutheran clergy and seminarians on Tuesday openly proclaimed their sexuality to church members meeting at Navy Pier for a national assembly.

A devotional booklet titled, “A Place Within My Walls," is being handed out to the more than 1,000 voting members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a 4.8 million-member denomination headquartered in Chicago.

Goodsoil, a coalition of groups hoping to lift the celibacy rule, distributed the booklets. The booklet includes devotional stories from the Acts of the Apostles that “speak to the experiences and decisions of the early church when confronted by diversity and conflict.”

The booklet also featured stories and photos of 11 gay and lesbian clergy and two-would-be pastors. At the end of the booklet, there is a list of pastors, seminarians and others serving in ministry, awaiting call or removed from the clergy roster for their sexual orientation over the past two years who were willing to go public.

As many folks have observed, these brave souls are putting their collars on the line by "coming out" to their church.

I've already said my piece, comparing these brave Lutherans with our cowardly Episcopal bishops. Father Jake is on this story. Go there to read and comment.