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Pastor Rob Morris of Newtown's Christ the King Lutheran Church provided the closing benediction at an interfaith event following the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 16.
Published at 6:33 a.m. ET: A Connecticut Lutheran pastor has apologized for participating in an interfaith prayer vigil for the 26 children and adults killed at a Newtown elementary school in December because his church bars its clergy from worshipping with other faiths.
The December prayer vigil was attended by President Barack Obama, leaders from Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths, and relatives of the 20 first graders who were gunned down in their classrooms two days earlier after a gunman entered their school.
The Dec. 14 shooting shook the nation and led to calls for improved school security, gun control and better mental health care.
Watch the entire interfaith vigil for Connecticut shooting victims, including President Obama's speech. Pastor Rob Morris gives the closing benediction, beginning 73 minutes, 10 seconds into the video.
The pastor, Rob Morris of Newtown's Christ the King Lutheran Church, provided the closing benediction at the interfaith event on Dec. 16.
Earlier this month, the president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Pastor Matthew Harrison, wrote a letter to church members saying he had requested an apology from Morris for his participation in "joint worship with other religions."
"There is sometimes a real tension between wanting to bear witness to Christ and at the same time avoiding situations which may give the impression that our differences with respect to who God is, who Jesus is, how he deals with us, and how we get to heaven, really don't matter in the end," Harrison wrote.
"There will be times in this crazy world when, for what we believe are all the right reasons, we may step over the scriptural line," he wrote.
Harrison said he had accepted Morris' apology.
This is not the first time a Lutheran leader has been chastised for participating in a community service in the wake of a local tragedy.
'False teaching'
David Benke, a Lutheran pastor in New York, was suspended for praying at an interfaith vigil in 2001, 12 days after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Benke, who had refused to apologize for the incident, was reinstated in 2003.
In his own letter to his church, Morris wrote that it was not his intent to endorse "false teaching" and apologized to those who believed he had.
"I did not believe my participation to be an act of joint worship, but one of mercy and care to a community shocked and grieving an unspeakably horrific event," he wrote. "I apologize where I have caused offense by pushing Christian freedom too far, and I request you charitably receive my apology."
Related:
Full coverage of the Sandy Hook shooting from NBC News
Fierce debate after Newtown school shootings: Where was God?
People of Newtown pray and grieve together
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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seriously???
A memorial service is NOT a worship service! Christ never demanded to know what faith a person followed before giving care and minstry to them. This is nothing more than another case of religious leaders who have a self importance complex, feeling that they are almost God to make such restrictions.
A relationship with God and Christ is important in my life. Following any organized religion is absolutely NOT. I have not found a single religious faith that has not been poisoned beyond repair by Man himself. At best, they are a place to meet other people. At worst, they are all heartless businesses. Neither extreme has anything to do with a relationship with my creator.
I am 100% in agreement with you there, Lou! I lost my faith in manmade religions in June 1976 after listening to Rev. Ian Paisley 'justify' 7 execution style murders in the Chlorane Bar by the UVF in Belfast, just after the RC bishop of Armagh 'justified' the bombing of the Times Bar (killing 2 men) by the IRA earlier the same day. When priests can't even remember than Jesus did not approve of murder what hope do their congregations have?
Lutheran pastors are concerned about a public perception that by being present in a multi-religious service they are proclaiming agreement with those other religions. Surely Christ who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life no one may come to the Father but through me" is adhered to by those pastors. Yet I often wonder if pastors lose sight of the Gospel opportunity in the midst of living out this standard. My question is how can pastors be faithful to God's Word and yet be seen as the loving and faithful representatives of Christ that we are called to be. This is the challenge.
True that is the challenge. I think though, that it was left open ended on purpose, perhaps to allow for different interpretations. Possibly even to keep the lines of discussion open.
The idea that Jesus said it was his way or the highway is false.
Since the bible was written by man with an enormous amount of revisions and deletions and reflects the minds of men rather than the hearts of men, the Bible is clearly not the whole truth and nothing but the truth...
We are rapidly approaching an age of higher collective consciousness and the end of the age of religions originating from the Middle East...
Even Jesus would so take part in a vigil after such a tragedy like this. He wouldn't apologize because someone didn't like it. He would even sit down with anyone. Be it sinners or people with other religions.
The Lutheran Church was founded by Martin Luthor, not Martin Luthor King. Martin Luthor himself was a sick bigot who hated Jews and wanted to kill them all, just like the Nazis. He was also anti-Catholic. He too, is a very evil man.
He hated other religions because he felt like his religion told him too. I just happen to loath Christianity because it builds bigotry for other religions, races and sexual orientation.
Oh yeah, and that pastor who did not apologize for interfaith back in 2001. I'm glad he didn't apologize. 9/11 is one of the worst moments in world history and taking part of a vigil is just a sign that he shows respect and yet his church got into a hissy fit about it.
I agree with Ghandi. I happen to love your Christ, but these Christians are not very Christ like as they say they are. No wonder I left this religion after seeing all the negative associations it has with bigotry.
Yea, Gandhi would be high up in my book.
Pity if Christ says, "Sorry but I am not a Lutheran. Find another Heaven that is."
As the late, lamented Molly Ivins wrote (about Baptists, not Lutherans, but in this case the substitution is apt), "The only thing wrong with them is that they don't hold them under long enough."
"When my father would hear someone mention 'God' he would say to me--run home son and 'lock up the barn'---"
Quote---"Will Rogers!!"
Harrison, go to hell literally and figuratively.
The world does not need you for anything.
He shouldn't apologize. I'm tired of public apologies for stupid stuff. The church can shove it.
The list of churches/denominations that I would never belong to seems to get longer every day.
Seems like to me that this is the beginning of religion going on the decline.
Here is the mission statement for Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities and the world.
It sure sounds good, anyone feeling the love?
I am sure that Pastor Matthew Harrison must report to Rev. Alois Bell...lol
What would JESUS do, not what would pompous arses in the Lutheran faith do!
I can think of NOTHING that would better keep anyone with a brain and heart and a soul further away from the Lutheran "faith" than THIS bs.
When I was young we lost our synagogue and a local church (I forget the denomination, but they must not have been Lutheran!) let our congregation use their chapel for services until out new temple was built. Even after we moved into our new synagogue we continued to exchange weekly Sabbath worship services with the church as a way of thanks.
Matthew Harrison is OBVIOUSLY a fool and a very un-Christian leader. How do you bring people to Christ when you are such a hatehul example of Christianity?
Finally, someone takes a stand. There is NO other God than the Father of Jesus Christ. Go ahead, say what you will...but one thing I will guarantee each and every one of us: EVERY knee shall bow before HIM. I will never apologize for my faith in Christ. Without Christ, I am NOTHING.
But how do you know it's a different G-d? Jesus was Jewish, correct? If one considers traditional Judaism, then Jesus' Father may or may not be Jewish. Therefore G-d may or may not be of any one religion or G-d may be all religions.
Considering this, it should have been acceptable for Pastor Morris to say a prayer from his faith.
Jesus is and was Jewish. His Father is the same God. BUT ONLY through Christ will anyone enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the new covenant. I don't believe in the "mush" god. There is and will always only be ONE!!!
Can't you just FEEEEEEL the Christian "love"?
In that most Christian sects think that they and only they have the right answers and know what their god "really" means, it is no suprise that this church considers anyone not them to be not TrueChristians. Religion is built on thinking you are right and the other guy isn't.
Obviously this church of hate and intolerance didn't care one bit about 20 dead school children. Probably all their followers are NRA members,"packing" for Jesus.
In the Bible, when Jesus mentions false teachers and false prophets. He's not talking about other religions, he's just warning us of the Christian "Right" and their bigotry.
Notice the quotes on "right"? These guys make good right wingers like me look bad. I'm right wing, I'm conservative but I have good reasons to be for my country and I vote in what I believe is best for it rather than a person who wants to enforce intolerant policies such as DOMA. Not all of us right wingers are bad, believe me, we aren't all crazy red necks.
This church has the same amount of compassion as the Taliban,only difference is a Bible and a burka!
Aren't we as Christians supposed to be trying to unite and not divide?
Funny how many GODs we have and all of them are the one and only real GOD.The longer i live the less i believe there could be such a thing as GOD. There are only three reasons for any religion, MONEY POWER, CONTROL. Free yourself from that and you can find TRUTH.
This was a prayer offered to an ailing community - some of whom were probably Lutheran. Why couldn't there be a prayer for those who are of that faith? This doesn't make any sense at all. This falls under segregation and doesn't have the feeling of religion at all.
Ever notice these Biblethumpers "Jesus" is hateful,intolerant,ignorant and cares only for his fellow Biblethumpers.
Weird, I though Lutherans was the easy going version of Christianity.
Swedish people are Lutherans by old kingdom rules and take their Christianity very secular.