Thursday, September 13, 2012

In the News: Rochester Post Bulletin


Don't vote against my family

Posted: Sep 13, 2012, 10:07 am

As an ELCA Lutheran pastor who presides at weddings, I know that God shows up even when family members protest, the dress doesn’t quite fit or popular opinion is against the couple.

While my covenanted relationship is not recognized by the state as a “marriage,” I believe with all my heart that God’s love for me and my family is equal in every way to God’s love for those who will vote in November to make sure my family has fewer rights.

While I respect all faiths and the faith-led actions of others who disagree with me, in the sleepless nights following my son’s birth last week I was reminded that this inequality in the law hurts my family. Since my registered domestic partner gave birth to our son, I must wait another six months before I can apply for a second-parent adoption and gain the legal parental recognition I would get automatically if our relationship was called a “marriage.”

Every parent has “what-if” thoughts that haunt them as often as a newborn baby squeaks; I pray yours never come up for vote.

Pastor Megan Rohrer
Rochester 


See original post here. 

New Living Lutheran Post: The Joy and Terror of the Cross


Sept. 14 is the day we foolishly celebrate a device of terror. Yes, it’s Holy Cross Day.

Before we celebrate, I’ll confess that I didn’t know this day existed before I was asked to write about it. If Jesus would have told me along with Peter about needing to suffer on the cross to save all of humanity, I would have told him that it’s a great metaphor, but there are plenty of better ways to spend his time (i.e., healing the sick, feeding the poor, ending war, teaching us how to be less discriminatory and really love all our neighbors, etc.).

Read the rest at Living Lutheran.