Sacristan for a Day: If you watched closely at the Metro Chicago Synod Assembly service of ordination on Saturday, June 9, you would have seen Pr. Erik Christensen of St. Luke, Logan Square serving as Sacristan.
"Why is this an item?" you may well ask. Because Pr. Christensen is rostered with the Extraordinary Candidacy Project (ECP) and not with the ELCA. We'd guess that not many ECP pastors are asked to serve as clergy in synod events throughout the ELCA.
Elsewhere in the Metro Chicago Synod Assembly program, Pr. Christensen and The Rev. Bjarne Salteit were introduced to the assembly as "non-rostered leaders new to the Synod". "Non-rostered" here means "not rostered with the ELCA". Pr. Salteit is rostered in Norway and serves a Norwegian speaking ELCA congregation also in the Logan Square neighborhood.

Appendectomy: Pr. Daniel Solberg, Dean of the San Francisco Conference, reports that on the evening of June 3, Pr. Robert Goldstein of St. Francis (SF) walked himself to University of California San Francisco Medical School to admit himself for an appendectomy scheduled for about noon time on June 4. In Pr. Solberg's words, "the expense of an ambulance seemed over the top, so he just walked in 'agonizing and wretched pain' to the hospital. (Actually, he did not really say that, but to juice up the story I added the adjectives.)"

Mood Swings Over Grand Canyon: This year's Grand Canyon Synod Assembly was easily the most confusing assembly since the Central Great Lakes Synod rejected all the resolutions and memorials it considered back in April.
According to the agenda, the Grand Canyon Synod Assembly was to consider 5 resolutions in all, one on immigration policy, one resolution affirming the synod's compliance with ELCA policies on blessing same-sex relationships and on ordination of "non-celibate homosexual persons", and the three "goodsoil" resolutions ("policy change", "refrain from discipline", and "exercise restraint").
On Thursday, after the immigration resolution had been discussed and passed, a speaker rose to object to consideration of the 4 measures dealing with sexuality issues. After some disagreement over the correct parliamentary procedure, the assembly voted to sustain the objection to consideration, effectively removing all four measures from the agenda.
On Friday, after more parliamentary discussions, Bishop Talmage presided over a vote to reconsider the objection to consideration. The objection was not sustained and the four measures were returned to the agenda.

On Saturday, with time running short, the measures were finally taken up for discussion and vote, and the assembly affirmed both the resolution affirming the existing ELCA policies and the memorial calling for policy change.
In the closing worship, Bishop Talmage acknowledged that he did not know what to make of the vote.

I Hear There's Pie: Back in April, The Norske Nook (in Rice Lake, Hayward & Osseo, Wisconsin) took a Blue Ribbon in the National Pie Championship sponsored by the American Pie Council. The blue ribbon was for Raspberry White Chocolate Pie in the Super Gourmet Berry category. In the last five years, the Norske Nook has taken 13 blue ribbons in this competition. Also on the menu: Lefse Wraps!

Will He or Won't He?, Part 1: At the reception following the May 20th installation of Pr. Lyle Beckman as San Francisco Night Minister, Dawn Roginski personally invited Sierra Pacific Synod Bishop David Mullen to her ordination at St. Francis (SF) on June 16. Bishop Mullen could not say for sure that he would attend.

Will He or Won't He?, Part 2: The "reverently irreverent" Dr. Bennett Falk is slated to be master of ceremonies for the Lutheran Lesbian Gay Ministries Gala Celebration following Pr. Roginski's ordination. We hear that Dr. Falk received a "gentle" suggestion from un-named LLGM board members that his costume for the event should not include a "sombrero". When asked to comment, Dr. Falk said, "I'll certainly do everything in my power to make the Gala a safe place for any bishops who wish to attend."

Lutheran Viagra?: We were as surprised as anyone to run across the "Rise Up (Lutheranafil Citrate Tablets)" T-shirt at the Old Lutheran web site. No doubt it's a treatment for ED (Evangelical Dysfunction) or perhaps walnut wilt. Common side effects include sneezing, headache, flushing, dyspepsia, palpitations, and photophobia. Visual changes, including blurring of vision and a curious bluish tinge, have also been reported.

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