January 22, 2007
Trial of Pastor Bradley Schmeling – day four
Today's weather in Atlanta is 40s-50s [Fahrenheit], overcast and rainy.
The trial began again in earnest this morning.
Prior to the re-commencement of the trial, we met in the Mornings_de Room for prayers and readings. The Georgia Room, in which the chapel had been set up for the period from Thursday through Sunday, had been previously committed to an incoming group whose conference began this morning. Prayers were offered for the participants, the committee itself, and all those cohorts of people who have in the past been victims of this problematic policy. Today will continue the testimony of witnesses for the defense.
So, who's in the hotel, meeting now in this new week? Well, we have the USDA Poultry Division meeting in the Sherwood Room. The Atlanta Tax Forum meeting in the Crown Room. The January Staff and Consultants Institute Meeting is being held in the Atlanta and Toulouse Rooms. The Law Seminars Managing Growth in Georgia is in the Roswell Room (breakout session in Area 51, no doubt). And (lots of) the Ryder Transportation Rental and Asset Manager's Meeting in the Crown Room (presumably playing nicely and sharing with the Tax people – I don't schedule these things; I just report them.), the Kennesaw Room, Marietta, Peachtree, Habersham, Georgia (I would have expected more loyalty from that room, in much the same way that the Temperance Lady said she'd have thought more of Jesus if He hadn't changed water into wine.) Rooms, and Ballroom North.
As you can see, the ELCA is still not meeting anywhere here.
Oh, have I told you that this is a secret trial? Whew, good, I was afraid I had left that out, that somehow I had failed to point out that all of the Lutherans from St John's, all the Lutherans in this city, in the state, actually all the Lutherans on the planet save these 20-some, are on this side of the closed door, spared knowing what is said and by whom in this capital ecclesiastical trial of St John's pastor, spared not for concerns raised by Pastor Bradley – he wanted an open trial.
Today, during the trial session, the following defense witnesses gave testimony:
- Jeannette Burgess, AIM, Director of Music, St John's Lutheran
- Pastor Sue Gamelin, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, High Point, North Carolina, previously Assistant to Bishop Warren in both the Southeastern Synod and the Florida-Bahamas Synod
- Laura Crawley, President of St John's Lutheran
Let's talk about the Prayer Vigil again. www.stjohnsatlanta.org, right side of the page click on Trial Update and then Prayer Vigil.
While the trial was in session today, there were a total of 197 people praying for Bradley, his family, St John's, the outcome, the Hearing Committee, the Bishop of this Southeastern Synod, the ELCA – all day, every hour during the trial, lifting prayers. Where? St John's; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Seattle, Washington; Loganville, Georgia; Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; Franklin, North Carolina; Greensboro, North Carolina; New York City; St Petersburg, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Highland, North Carolina; Seoul, Korea; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Show Low, Arizona; Redondo Beach, California; Sydney, Australia; Ypsilanti, Michigan; Kansas City, Kansas; Omaha, Nebraska; Hempstead; Austin, Minnesota; Chicago, Illinois; Alpharetta, Georgia; Oakland, California; Elyria, Ohio; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Fargo, North Dakota; Zephyr, California; Natchitoches, Louisiana… well, I think you get the point.
But… just in case that point needs reinforcement: overall from Friday to Tuesday there are one thousand, two hundred and three people praying in the vigil. Many of those single-name, single-dot entries represent whole congregations. Take the above list of locations and dot it onto the map. Then randomly move the dots en-mass left and right, up and down, stopping a couple of hundred miles in each direction… that's what the rest of the list looks like.
How far out does it go? Brighton, UK; Norfolk, UK; Koln, Germany; Oxford, UK; Nanaimo, Canada; Geneva, Switzerland; Waterloo, Canada; Ottawa, Canada; Winnipeg, Canada; London, UK; Sumoto, Japan; Paris, France; Merida, Mexico; Vancouver, Canada; Flores, Guatemala; Costa Rico… Now, I hope the ELCA is seeing the point.
The point is not about numbers or geography; the point is the inexorable influence of the Spirit, moving people to discern a new understanding – as the Spirit has done numerous times in the past – helping humankind to understand across time who was also included in Christ's, God's, outreach, who was welcome to follow the path through the door Christ flung off its hinges: Gentiles, the poor, the unwanted, those cast out, slaves, women, the oppressed – and that they, we, have always… always… been included.
Go in Peace…
Go on, serve the Lord…
As the little boy said, "God loves us all"
Phil Soucy
Director Communications LC/NA
communications@lcna.org
