As I sit down to write this, email inbox, Facebook, and the internet are all
abuzz with news that the United Methodist Church has “defrocked” a pastor for performing a wedding for a gay
couple. More poignantly, this pastor
performed the wedding ceremony of his son, who happened to be marrying someone
else’s son.
This is the latest in a growing
number of incidents of disobedience (or
“biblical obedience,” as some call it) to the United Methodist Book of
Discipline, which forbids our clergy to perform weddings of this nature, and
also forbids having them take place on church property. Moreover, in language that only a church
committee could conjure, our Discipline lifts up the sacred worth of all people
while simultaneously condemning homosexuality.
In my new role as a Superintendent I
am receiving a growing volume of queries about where I stand on this issue. With each email I have burrowed a little
deeper in prayer and wondering. For me, this is a storm of clarity and
conscience. Anyone who knows me even a little knows full
well my position and my work on this issue over thirty years of ministry. But, for those who wonder if Superintendency
changes someone’s heart let me be clear.
The Church is wrong on this
issue. Cloaking homophobia in poor
biblical scholarship and even worse concoctions of church law is simply wrong. Moreover, demanding subservience to Church
law above dictates of conscience and biblical understanding smacks of idolatry.
The preponderance of our Christian
understanding of grace, which speaks to the unearned, abundant love of God for
every person reveals the Church’s error in this. Our
understanding that all the walls between people have come down in the love of
God in Jesus Christ reveal the Church’s error in this. The call of our own Lord and Savior to
liberate the oppressed reveals the Church’s error in this. And, the simple practice of agape love
reveals the Church’s error in this.
Even our local Church membership vows which have every United Methodist
promising to struggle against evil and injustice in any form, reveal the
Church’s error in this.
Now that I have made my stance clear, I need to add that this is not the only place
where the United Methodist Church is wrong.
The Church is wrong on it’s mushy language about war. The Church is wrong when it invests pension
funds in military contractors and other corporate entities that ravish our
environment and practice human slavery. Indeed, the Church has been wrong often
throughout it’s history. On slavery, on
the inclusion of women in ordination, on so many things the Church has stumbled
and fallen. And,
friends, the hard truth is that when we get this issue sorted out we will
continue to be wrong on a host of things.
When I served the local Church I
would frequently invite people to participate in a rhythmic chant. It went like this. Feel the beat if you can.
“The Church is a broken and sinful institution!
The Church is a broken and sinful institution!
The Church is a broken and sinful institution!”
I know. It’s a strange
thing to ask people to do. But I led
this seemingly silly chant because as a people we frequently get caught in the
trap of thinking the church should be perfect. And then we are surprised and upset when
learn that it’s not. The Church is not
perfect. It never will be close to
perfect. It will always be forming,
reforming and reviving. It will always
be picking itself up from the dust of its errors and reaching to be a more
faithful expression of God’s love in Jesus Christ. Moreover, we are not perfect. We, the Body of Christ, the people of God
are an imperfect people in search of the perfect wonder of God.
Of course, one cannot list the frailties and failings of our United
Methodist Church without lifting up the wonder and power that emerge from our
great Connection. Divided though we may
be, we continue to heal the sick and lift up the broken hearted. Disgruntled and disagreeable we may be, but
because of us the scourge of malaria will very likely be halted in it’s
tracks. While we argue over important
issues, we continue to sponsor the most effective relief agency on the
planet. Our common work is spread
around the world through the schools and colleges, hospitals and clinics we
have built. We also share the saving
Word of God as we train pastors and lay people across the globe. Friends, even in the heat of our present disagreement
we are nothing short of amazing.
My hope and my
fervent prayer is that we will journey together with our eyes on the prize, knowing
that we are not there yet, believing that the journey is worth it, and trusting
that God is calling us forward to justice, hope, revival and renewal in Jesus’
name.
So there it is. I
believe the Church is wrong here. I
stand firm in my commitment to the United Methodist Church, and I will follow
it’s rules as far and as long as conscience and biblical understanding allow.
Finally, I call all my sisters and brothers throughout our
connection to get busy where you are and do your passionate best to be
the Church of Jesus Christ in this time and this place. Let
us join hands and hearts as we build a faithful, powerful, healing place for
all people in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord.
sr
