My last few blogs have been about the same-gender debate that has consumed the energy and resources of our church for far too long. I wanted to write about something different this time but there it was again, that word difference, different and no matter what way it is used it always moves to dissention. You can even find dissention in the pews. “That’s where we always sit, they must go to a different service, and I have never seen them here before. They probably like the different music at that service.” Ah…yes, even among we Methodists and our great hymn singing tradition and the over 6000 hymns Charles Wesley wrote, there are those that want something different.
I guess I am getting tired of differences as it seems to be that by just adding one letter “s” we find ourselves deep in dissention. God has a way of slapping us in the face and we never see it coming. I just got slapped in the face and want to share with you the miracle of different. This is always a busy time of the year for me even though I am retired. For the past eight years of my retirement I have spent a great deal of time with some folks that are different. I have been blessed to be a part of a different world filled with special people whose difference does not define who or what they are. Their difference has made me a better person and created in me a heighten awareness that there is always a purpose in anything that God has done or created, and it is good. God himself said that. So what is this about? Special needs folks, Down syndrome and Autism the very nature of which makes them different.
So where is this Miracle of Difference? The love they have for life, other people and the trust they have in others, although I will tell you, you have to earn it. Faith, in God and their love for Jesus is honest and without conditions; I have been with them in Chapel service and bible study for six years now and I have seen the miracle God has wrought through those who are different in many ways but love and accept without condition. I am reminded of a great old hymn:
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
By our Love,
Yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

I invite you to visit the Trousdale School website (http://www.trousdaleschool.org/) and meet these remarkable men and women. Their presence in my life, their difference demands the very best of me and they have made me a better person. There are some very serious differences in our church today. Maybe we should pray for The Miracle of Difference.

I was reviewing some of my earlier blogs and pulled some content from a post of April 2015. There are some other posts in which I have addressed this same-gender issue and like many of us in the pew I find the debate to be confusing and at times a collection of scripture verses that seek to justify the many different positions that are being offered. I would dispute the wisdom of making this a social issue with civil, gender or individual rights being the basis of our decision.

As a layman I often use different commentaries as I study the bible or prepare for a Sunday school lesson. There are several respected elders of the Methodist Church and many in key leadership positions who have given their “commentary” on the issue facing our church today. There are several outside organizations that seek to put their agenda before the church and influence the direction the Methodist Church chooses to address this issue.

Does the church accept same-gender relationships as being compatible with Christian teachings and is marriage to be defined as a joining together of a man and a woman? This is where I step from behind scripture and like many of us in the pew simply try to say what I believe. I believe that in any situation, intent, that core thought or reason which brings something into being is the defining principle and meaning of those things that creation has given life to. God’s words as written speaks to the creation of man and woman, the intent being that they be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and have dominion over all things. The creation of the sexes was God’s intent to populate the creation in the manner God chose. So the question of whether marriage is defined as being between man and woman, that was and is God’s intent.

This question of same-gender relationships has been a part of biblical writings from the earliest of times. The bible had different terms or words to describe such practices, none were favorable. Many people point out that Christ never made reference to such and I believe it may have been because The Father had decided that issue long before he sent his son to live among us. Jesus’ ministry was to reconcile God’s children with the Father. He spoke of love, forgiveness and seeking the will of the Father by repentance and holy living. Jesus would not have justified any perversion that separated us from our Father in heaven; even if the social norms of the day were changing. So I believe that such lifestyle is not compatible with Christian teachings. But…..I am very aware that Christian teachings have a habit of changing with the times. With that in mind I would like to change the compatible statement to read “not compatible with God’s will.” The determination of God and if you share my view of “intent” should not be decided by legislative stratagems and votes. Regardless of how you feel about all this there is still one other thing to be considered.

We know as Christians that God’s Grace is for all. How do we extend that loving grace to those whom we believe to be estranged from God because their life style is not compatible with God’s will? If there is to be any peace among us we must accept that God’s grace is available to all who seek it. We must allow God’s judgement, not ours to be decided by God not us. The question the Methodist church needs to ask and address is simply this. How do we as Christ did, eat with the tax collectors, go among the lepers, kneel in the dirt with the adulterous, and how do we go among those who because of sin are estranged from God or better yet how do we bring them among us without being caught up or enticed into the sin that holds them captive? How do we show this grace and love and not give the impression that what God found to be unacceptable is now acceptable?
jk

Acts 2:41 KJV
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The numbers game for want of a better term, of which I am open to, started that very day; The Day of Pentecost. There were no Church buildings, no organizational structure and only one mission statement.

Matthew 28:19,20 King James Version (KJV)
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Simple, pure and to the point; the number was important to the story and notice it referred to souls. Saving souls is far more worthy than just filling pews. They had a number, they had a mission statement and now they needed a way forward and a plan. Whoa! How are we going to do this, everyone will have a way they think is best. Now past events should tell us that God’s way is often high jacked by well-meaning people but we seldom learn from history. They had a way which they received on that day…The Holy Spirit would be their guide.

This is going to be a short blog today. There is a numbers game going on in the church. We have in some instances become too caught up with structure, what kind of music people like and if we build it they will come. Yes I heard you Pastor, you said it was a numbers game, you can’t deny that. But……then you went and spoke about bringing people to Jesus. Whoa! You are counting souls. Now that is a numbers game worth playing; preaching the word to all people, loving all people, studying to grow in faith and seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance through pray and Christian fellowship. Yes I heard you Pastor. We are going to fill the pews with souls, not numbers. I will be here in the pew next week, come back and bring a soul or two with you.

We live in a world that demands we label everything and place it in it proper category. After having done this we then turn to numbers to decide if we need to change anything and what is needed to make that change, which by the way, will be good for all of us. We assume that the greater the count the better the thing. About four years ago on another blog I lamented that many of our smaller churches were being closed. Some of course because they hadn’t been successful at the numbers game and to be fair they were just dying out as the membership aged.

Here are a few of the church labels of the day. A “Mega Church” for those of you who aren’t familiar with the term is a church so large that if the last person to leave were to turn out the lights it would be the next week. Then there are “large churches”, they have valet parking, at least three morning services, Family life Center and two or more Pastors. Then there are the “big churches”. They have everything the large churches have but they’re having a hard time paying for them. That brings us to that “nice little church”. They don’t have any of the above. Everyone knows everyone; the Pastor is either a nice old guy or a brash young man filled with the spirit that preaches long and loud. The sound system if they have one came from Radio Shack and there is a piano that old Aunt Nettie played for years before she died. Now the newer younger lady is Nettie’s younger sister. Amen! Today there is something bigger than numbers, well it is said it leads to good numbers. That something is “Service”.

To grow a church has to have a lot of different programs other than worship itself. It’s all about how you present yourself; make people want to come, offer a range of services that meets every need. Family things, what do you have for the kids, is there a Youth Director, what type of Music Program do you have? Is there a Family Life Center and what does it include? What about the young adults and seniors, do you have programs for them? Now I could go on and on but the point is this. Church today is about the services it can offer to its members. Most of the things I have listed are the ones people ask about. I have never really heard anyone ask, do you preach the gospel of the Living Christ and is the pastor anointed by God preaching the word and led by the Holy Spirit? When I shared this with some friends they had a question for me. What does it matter how large or small a church is, or what services it offers its members, as long as people are saved and their lives are better? Well I can’t argue with that. I do still wonder why the success of a church is determined by its size. Religion is a weird science for lack of a better term. I think I will stick with John 14.6 Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That’s the way it looks from my spot in the pew. Come back next week. The pews aren’t full yet.

For several weeks I have been looking at the possibility of change in the Methodist view of same-gender issues which are dividing our church leadership and creating uncertainty among us in the pew. According to Webster sin is an offense against religious or moral law or an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible an often can be a serious shortcoming. The Christian view of sin is that it is a transgression of the law of God which can tarnish the state of human nature in which a person is estranged from God. We have all heard it said that God is the same today as He was yesterday and for all the days to come. I have written about church law versus God’s Law and my belief that God’s intent was for marriage to be between a man and a woman. I do not believe that any amount of discussion however well-intentioned will change that. That brings me to the inescapable conclusion that we are about to witness the evolution of church law. Evolution by definition is a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state. It is a growth process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance. I can see no better state when the cost is the perversion of God’s intent and the redefining of scripture to be more compatible with the ever changing morals of today’s life style. Many of the changes that take place in any church now days are driven by statistics.

We know as Christians that God’s Grace is for all. How do we extend that loving grace to those whom we believe to be estranged from God because their life style is not compatible with God’s Law? If there is to be any peace among us we must accept that God’s grace is available to all who seek it. We must allow God’s judgement, not ours to be decided by God not us. The question the Methodist church needs to ask and address is simply this. How do we as Christ did, eat with the tax collectors, go among the lepers, kneel in the dirt with the adulterous, and how do we go among those who because of sin are estranged from God or better yet how do we bring them among us without being caught up or enticed into the sin that holds them captive? How do we show this grace and love and not give the impression that what God found to be unacceptable is now acceptable? I have reached a point where words do not come easy. I turn to the Word….. From Romans 12: 9-13

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

We must never accept that which separates us from our God. Only that, that which the Father sent to be among us, will guide us and sustain us in the days ahead. Come Holy Spirit, Come. Next week “The Numbers Game”. Hope you come back. I’ll be waiting here in the pew.

Thanks for joining me in the pew this week The Methodist Church has been in a forty year debate, conversation, or discussion; you pick the one that works for you, seeking an answer to two questions. Does the church accept same-gender relationships as being compatible with Christian teachings and is marriage to be defined as a joining together of a man and a woman? I want to keep this simple. As one who sits in the pew and has no theological training or degree I often turn to research and study with a heavy dose of prayerful consideration before I say “this I believe.” I will always acknowledge those sources in any writings of mine. That said; let’s start with this 613 law thing.
The Law is the revealed mind of God. His Will is His commandment, and His commandment is His Law. Thus, the Law is Divine since it comes from a Divine source. It is also perfect, as God Himself is perfect. God’s Law supersedes all other laws. It transcends all other law, making it the Supreme Law of the entire earth.
God’s Law is also comprehensive and universal. It speaks to all areas of life, and to every living soul upon the face of the earth. The Law speaks of ceremonial truths, moral truths and dietary truths. It speaks of man’s duty toward God, and man’s duty toward his fellow man. (http://www.hisglory.us/DOCUMENTS/613_biblical_laws.htm )
The site referenced above is well worth the time spent there and lists all 613 laws. Now let’s move to the seven scriptures.

We examined over and over the seven biblical texts that deal directly with homosexual acts. We acknowledged the violent victimization described in some of these texts. We noticed the centrality of the call to loving relationship and the absence of comment on homosexual acts in the Gospels and in the words of Jesus. We considered the reality that loving, committed; covenant relationships between persons who were homosexual were unacknowledged in ancient times. We studied the creation stories, asking: Do these creation accounts describe the desire of God for mutuality among humans or the delineation of heterosexuality as normative for all? We acknowledged that nowhere is there direct biblical affirmation of homosexuality. In all these conversations, there was strong push and pull as we spoke from entrenched positions. (http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/what-are-the-bible-passages-that-deal-with-homosexuality)Again I encourage you to go to the link above and look at these scriptures. Now we are back to the two questions.

Does the church accept same-gender relationships as being compatible with Christian teachings and is marriage to be defined as a joining together of a man and a woman? This is where I step from behind scripture and like many of us in the pew simply try to say what I believe. I believe that in any situation, intent, that core thought or reason which brings something into being is the defining principle and meaning of those things that creation has given life to. God’s words as written speaks to the creation of man and woman, the intent being that they be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and have dominion over all things. The creation of the sexes was God’s intent to populate the creation in the manner God chose. So the question of whether marriage is defined as being between man and woman, that was and is God’s intent.

This question of same-gender relationships has been a part of biblical writings from the earliest of times. The bible had different terms or words to describe such practices, none were favorable. Many people point out that Christ never made reference to such and I believe it may have been because The Father had decided that issue long before he sent his son to live among us. Jesus’ ministry was to reconcile God’s children with the Father. He spoke of love, forgiveness and seeking the will of the Father by repentance and holy living. Jesus would not have justified any perversion that separated us from our Father in heaven; even if the social norms of the day were changing. So I believe that such lifestyle is not compatible with Christian teachings. But…..I am very aware that Christian teachings have a habit of changing with the times. With that in mind I would like to change the compatible statement to read “not compatible with God’s will.”

This is what I believe sitting here in the pew. I will not meet you half-way, I will not compromise my faith in order to meet the changing norms of the day. I understand church structure, law and the Methodist way of doing things. This way and this procedure is embodied in districts, annual conferences and general conference to which all churches have some form of representation. I would remind all sides in this debate that the church, God’s church, sits in the pews. Next week I will look in a direction that is quite different than that we are now traveling in the Methodist Church. I wrote that I would not meet you half-way or compromise my faith but I will work to find a way to love and allow God’s judgement to prevail. You see I also believe that God’s law cannot be changed by a vote. Hope you come back, I will be waiting here in the pew. jk

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