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I heard this morning, and saw a picture of - an allegedly "ballet drag performer" recruited from New York City to perform a liturgical dance at the North Carolina Synod Assembly worship. The picture I saw showed him performing in "tidy whites & t-shirt". True? I'm curious. It's one of those things that boggles the mind, if in fact it occurred. It apparently appeared on "Lutheran Satire" and was removed by the ELCA according to the reports from Lutheran Satire.

Tim writes: As I've been working ahead, I noticed this was the second petition offered for the prayers for Christ-mass Eve from Sundays and Seasons (I've not used their prayers for years now). I couldn't help but chuckle and share this one, especially in light of the fact that we will be celebrating the Incarnation - God becoming flesh - which is finally beyond the capability of human language to either fully comprehend or express, we are then invited to pray:

Let us pray for the dark places of the world — for the Arctic Circle, the deep seas, the underground caverns, and all the wild creatures that call these places home. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Really???

Received an interesting email today from a representative of Congregational and Synodical Mission for the ELCA, indicating a letter had been sent to our Congregational Chairperson (actual a former Chairperson, but the ELCA would not be in a position to know that a new Chair is currently in place), essentially asking for reimbursement of  partnership support provided between the years of 1988-1995 to the tune of some $58,000+ dollars.

This paragraph was of particularly interest: "It is the long-term practice of this church, including its predecessor bodies, for a clear fiduciary responsibility to return this financial support if the congregation ceases to be affiliated with the ELCA, so that the work of our church can continue as it was originally planned."

I am aware that some parishes currently on mission support have been told they must repay, but this is the first instance of which I am aware that a parish, whose mission support is well in the past, and whose accumulated benevolence to synod and ELCA over the years is many times the amount indicated, having been asked to return funds. Has anyone else in these environs received such a letter?

Tim Christ writes: Some of you may know Pastor Ed Peterman, who for many, many years prior to his retirement, was the Senior Pastor at Christ The King, Houston, Texas, and more recently served as interim at First Evangelical Lutheran, Houston. Ed's wife, Jane, after a long and courageous battle with cancer, was called from the Church militant to the Church Triumphant this morning, July 19th. Rest eternal grant her, O Lord, and may Light perpetual shine upon her.