ELCA Bishop Peter Rogness reports to the ELCA Conference of Bishops that our post, “Lutherans: Hands Off!” — is much-ado-about-nothing.
To the contrary, it’s much-ado-about-the-main-thing: The touch which alone gives bishops the special grace to ordain other clergy and make Christ present in the Eucharist.
Rogness doesn’t get it. His report shows he’s uninformed about Episcopal doctrine and practice. (See his report at the bottom of this post in two forms, one color-coded, the other not.)
1. The only thing that counts: The touch.
Rogness reports: “Larry Wohlrabe reminded me as well that 2 minutes before we processed in, the outgoing bishop, Jim Jelinek, who was to lead a series of questions put to the bishop-elect at the outset of the Rite of Consecration, told the three of us that he was going to pass the microphone around to a group of Episcopal and Lutheran bishops to ask the questions, one at a time. Which we did – all three of us – even though that meant some of the Episcopal bishops didn’t ask any. Which illustrates that (a) we were in fact part of what went on…”
No big deal. Children also took part in the ceremony. The only thing that counts, however, is the touch.
The Episcopalians protected their pipeline. It wasn’t hard. The ELCAers, like children, needed to feel involved. So Episcopal officials gave them something to do to feel important – while keeping them out of what really counts – the touch.
2. What’s really at stake for Episcopalians. See the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota. What is front and center? The 12 co-consecrators moving to make the touch.
What Episcopalians really care about is what the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox think of them. They all keep eyes on each other. It’s all about the touch.
Episcopalians and Catholics agree on the necessity of a sacramental, hierarchical priesthood. They agree that ordination “is not an extension of the common Christian priesthood but belongs to another realm of the gifts of the Spirit.” Read here and here, and remember the Episcopalians are not yet in full communion with the ELCA (CCM ¶ 14).
Rogness’ report shows he’s uninformed about the main-thing for Episcopalians: The touch and the pipeline.
Read more here.
3. Rogness is confused.
Rogness reports: “A call had come to my office a couple weeks earlier asking if I would be a “co-consecrator” to which I agreed…”
But: If he had been asked to be a co-consecrator, the official program would indicate that. In fact, the official program puts the ELCAers among the non co-consecrators.
Rogness may have been asked to be an official witness, and that’s what signing the clipboard was all about.
Rogness jumps, within one sentence, from the call two weeks before the ceremony to moments before the ceremony itself: “I asked the verger what that [co-consecration] meant, and he said that early in the service a clipboard would be brought to me to sign, which it was and I did.”
Not know what “co-consecration” means? After leading the charge for CCM in the 1990’s, leading the charge for the ELCA to change its constitution to require Episcopal consecration of ELCA bishops – Rogness is so uninformed that he asks the Verger what “co-consecration” means?
Inquiring minds want to know: Do Bishops Wohlrabe and Usgaard claim to have been asked to be co-consecrators? Are they, too, so uninformed about “co-consecration”?
4. The Verger didn’t make a mistake.
Rogness blames the Verger: “The verger who gave us our marching orders forgot to tell us;” “truth was the Lutherans didn’t get clued in…” and “instructions about who was doing what when were not thoroughly thought out ahead of time…”
Rogness praises the Verger: “We were warmly received, seated on the stage, briefed by a verger as to where we should gather, how to process, how walk across the stage to our seats, how to move to take communion, when and how to recess.”
Rogness’ confused claim: The Verger gave careful instructions, except for the high point, the most important moment, of the ceremony!
No. The Verger did not make a mistake.
Rogness wrongly blames the Verger, the “low man” on the Episcopal totem pole.
5. The truth is evident in official documents.
The Episcopal plan for the day did not include Rogness as a co-consecrator:
A. The official bulletin specifically separates ELCA and Episcopal bishop attendees from the Episcopal Bishop co-consecrators.
B. Vesting is decisive. All co-consecrating bishops were vested in copes, the liturgical cape which Episcopal bishops wear at ordinations and which visually distinguishes them from other clergy as the co-consecrators.
Rogness, Wohlrabe, and Usgaard were not vested as co-consecrators, nor does Rogness even mention the special instructions about required vesting for co-consecrators.
C. The video contradicts Rogness at key points. Rogness, Wohlrabe, and Usgaard processed with the Episcopal bishops who were not co-consecrators, as stated in the official program. See the video.
Rogness misrepresents what happened: “[W]hen it came [time] for the laying on of hands all dozen or so Episcopal bishops left their seats and gathered around the new bishop.”
To the contrary, only the twelve co-consecrators, all vested in copes, went forward. Other Episcopal bishops on the stage, who were not co-consecrators, did not participate in the laying-on-of-hands.
Conclusion: The three ELCA bishops were “involved.” They processed, they asked questions, signed the clipboard – everything except what really counts: the touch.
ELCA Bishops Rogness, Wohlrabe, and Usgaard are really post-Lutheran bishops. They didn’t educate themselves about Episcopal doctrine and practice when they promoted CCM, and they’re just as uninformed today. It was easy for the Episcopalians to marginalize them. The ELCA bishops were “involved.” That’s all they cared about.
* * *
Bishop Rogness’ report to the ELCA Conference of Bishops:
“On Saturday, February 13, Bishops Harold (Huck) Usgaard, Larry Wohlrabe and I were involved in the consecration of the new Episcopal bishop for the Minnesota Diocese… a grand celebration of nearly three hours at the Minneapolis Auditorium. We were warmly received, seated on the stage, briefed by a verger as to where we should gather, how to process, how walk across the stage to our seats, how to move to take communion, when and how to recess. A call had come to my office a couple weeks earlier asking if I would be a “co-consecrator” to which I agreed, so I asked the verger what that meant, and he said that early in the service a clipboard would be brought to me to sign, which it was and I did. In the rite of consecration itself the Presiding Bishop and the outgoing bishop asked the questions and read prayers… then when it came for the laying on of hands all dozen or so Episcopal bishops left their seats and gathered around the new bishop. I turned to Larry and whispered “Do you think we’re supposed to be up there too?” By the time I got clear that we probably were supposed to be up there they were off and running and we didn’t. Long story short: messup in communication. The verger who gave us our marching orders forgot to tell us, and no one else did, and I/we didn’t think fast enough. The reason I write this: I’ve now had it pointed out to me that “CrossAlone” website, which I had never heard of, has an article by Meg Madsen written to say “Aha – told you so – Episcopalians still don’t recognize us and won’t let Lutheran bishops touch their heads” (that’s a paraphrase, but you get the point!). Yesterday one of my pastors asked me about it, and said he wished I’d clarify that. Larry-Huck-and-I were hoping no one had noticed (!), but it’s been noticed. Sorry. Fact is, no truth to the “Lutherans couldn’t participate” line. Truth was the Lutherans didn’t get clued in and didn’t figure it out by themselves fast enough! Larry Wohlrabe reminded me as well that 2 minutes before we processed in, the outgoing bishop, Jim Jelinek, who was to lead a series of questions put to the bishop-elect at the outset of the Rite of Consecration, told the three of us that he was going to pass the microphone around to a group of Episcopal and Lutheran bishops to ask the questions, one at a time. Which we did – all three of us – even though that meant some of the Episcopal bishops didn’t ask any. Which illustrates that (a) we were in fact part of what went on, and (b) instructions about who was doing what when were not thoroughly thought out ahead of time. I wrote the new bishop, Brian Prior, two days later, and spoke with him this week. There’s no fallout/question from it that he’s aware of.”
* * *
Bishop Rogness’ report to the ELCA Conference of Bishops, without color-coding.
“On Saturday, February 13, Bishops Harold (Huck) Usgaard, Larry Wohlrabe and I were involved in the consecration of the new Episcopal bishop for the Minnesota Diocese… a grand celebration of nearly three hours at the Minneapolis Auditorium. We were warmly received, seated on the stage, briefed by a verger as to where we should gather, how to process, how walk across the stage to our seats, how to move to take communion, when and how to recess. A call had come to my office a couple weeks earlier asking if I would be a “co-consecrator” to which I agreed, so I asked the verger what that meant, and he said that early in the service a clipboard would be brought to me to sign, which it was and I did. In the rite of consecration itself the Presiding Bishop and the outgoing bishop asked the questions and read prayers… then when it came for the laying on of hands all dozen or so Episcopal bishops left their seats and gathered around the new bishop. I turned to Larry and whispered “Do you think we’re supposed to be up there too?” By the time I got clear that we probably were supposed to be up there they were off and running and we didn’t. Long story short: messup in communication. The verger who gave us our marching orders forgot to tell us, and no one else did, and I/we didn’t think fast enough. The reason I write this: I’ve now had it pointed out to me that “CrossAlone” website, which I had never heard of, has an article by Meg Madsen written to say “Aha – told you so – Episcopalians still don’t recognize us and won’t let Lutheran bishops touch their heads” (that’s a paraphrase, but you get the point!). Yesterday one of my pastors asked me about it, and said he wished I’d clarify that. Larry-Huck-and-I were hoping no one had noticed (!), but it’s been noticed. Sorry. Fact is, no truth to the “Lutherans couldn’t participate” line. Truth was the Lutherans didn’t get clued in and didn’t figure it out by themselves fast enough! Larry Wohlrabe reminded me as well that 2 minutes before we processed in, the outgoing bishop, Jim Jelinek, who was to lead a series of questions put to the bishop-elect at the outset of the Rite of Consecration, told the three of us that he was going to pass the microphone around to a group of Episcopal and Lutheran bishops to ask the questions, one at a time. Which we did – all three of us – even though that meant some of the Episcopal bishops didn’t ask any. Which illustrates that (a) we were in fact part of what went on, and (b) instructions about who was doing what when were not thoroughly thought out ahead of time. I wrote the new bishop, Brian Prior, two days later, and spoke with him this week. There’s no fallout/question from it that he’s aware of. “