What's love
got to do with it? – Tina Turner
As I write this,
our brothers and sisters over at the United Methodist Church are on
the verge of imploding. They are currently holding their General
Conference meeting in St. Louis (their version of our General
Convention) and debating whether or not to allow LGBT people to hold
leadership roles within the church (specifically whether or not they
should be allowed to become ordained pastors) and whether or not to
allow for same sex marriages to take place within their church.
There are two
plans being debated. One, called the Traditional Plan, would more
stringently enforce UMC rules against LGBT people, further
marginalizing them within the church and more vigorously pursuing
ecclesiastical charges against those clergy who are pro-equality.
The second, called the One Church Plan, would allow each individual
congregation to determine whether to include or ban LGBT people and
to support, or not, LGBT clergy.
This debate in
the UMC is similar to the debates over these issues that the
Episcopal church (TEC) faced several years ago. It is also similar
in that the majority of those pursuing the Traditional Plan, as I
understand it, are from African nations; much like those putting
forth anti-LGBT proposals and demands in TEC and the Anglican
Communion come from African nations supported by money from
conservative US groups.
Right now it
appears that the Traditional Plan has the upper hand. This debate,
vote, and ultimate decision will have far-reaching consequences for
our friends in the UMC. Of course, I don't know what those results
will be; but I've heard they could entail everything from a new
pro-equality, pro-LGBT denomination being created, to a mass exodus
of pro-equality, pro-LGBT parishioners from the UMC.
What's love got
to do with it? Everything.
God created out
of love. Love your enemies. God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son. This is the message we have heard from the
beginning: Love one another. Love one another, for love comes from
God. Faith, Hope, and Love: and the greatest of these is Love. God
shows no partiality.
Right now the
UMC is debating and plotting their course for the future: Will they
opt for a course that continues to see LGBT people as less than and
as unworthy to receive love and acceptance in the church? Or will
they opt for a course that allows for LGBT people to be welcomed,
affirmed, and appreciated? I have an idea on which course they will
choose. As they make that choice, I would make two points: 1)
Bigotry wrapped in prayer is still bigotry; and 2) God is love.
Pray for the
UMC. If you have friends in that denomination, let them know you are
praying for them. Let them know that God is love, and that love has
everything to do with it.
Blessings,
This drives me NUTS! Every fetus starts life as a female. About a third of the way into the pregnancy, the male chromosome - if it is present - will kick in. The ovaries drop to become testicles, the clitoris expands and the lips of the labia grow together, which is why men have that neat little seam down the center of the scrotum. This is also why men have nipples. This is true of ALL fetuses - humans, dogs or elephants. It's not a very efficient system, but I wasn't asked how to do it. However, it doesn't always work as advertised, and the mind goes in one direction while the body goes in another. This is how you were created from the womb. It is not a choice! Are you going to argue with the way God made you? Aaargh!
ReplyDeleteAch! Here endeth today's sermon. Sorry about that.