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Same-Sex Weddings in Churches and LGBTQ Ordinations

Updated September 4, 2022
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Same-Sex Weddings in Churches and LGBTQ Ordinations essay

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In May of 2016, I witnessed one of the most depressing things I have ever seen as a clergy. I was live streaming the United Methodist General Conference (The worldwide, lawmaking body of the denomination) as they were discussing human sexuality, for the millionth time since the denomination’s founding. The hate and vitriol I saw spewing from my denominations highest body of Clergy and laity was deeply disturbing.

Watching the highest body of my denomination breakdown into name calling, like a Jr. High lunch period, was, and is, one of the most painful moments of my religious life.

The seeming disregard that each side had for the Image of God in their fellow Christians was heartbreaking.

This is just a symptom of the underlying issue though.

The true sickness that is tearing my denomination, and most of America if not the world, apart is the “Us verses them” mentality that has taken over in the world of politics, pop culture, and apparently even in our churches.

This mentality has been encouraged by our government to the point that when we look at each other all we see is red or blue. You are either with us, or against us.

There are lines drawn in the sand, and putting one step over will open you up to a backlash like you have never experienced. This divisiveness and hate is causing mass shootings, hate crimes, murders.

This flies in the face of Jesus’ command to be united with each other. It is a clear disobeying of the first, and greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27)

In the gospel reading for my sermon today, we find Paul in the middle of defending his ministry in Galatia. He is in the position to have to defend himself because there are people who believe that to be a Christian means that you have to bind yourself to the law of Moses. These people believed that their way was the only way. You either believed exactly as they did, or you were wrong. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn’t it?

And that is exactly what Paul is refuting in this passage. Because faith in Christ removes all differences. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is the truth. Jesus Christ is the answer to all the prejudice, bitterness, hatred, oppression, and inequalities on earth!

This passage gives us an incredible insight into what Christianity is all about! And unfortunately, many of us have still not gotten that big picture two thousand years later!

Everyone is equal before Jesus Christ. There are no distinctions. Even if we refuse to see it! Jesus Christ accepts all. God loves everyone. All the things we allow to separate us, race, nationality, gender, class, or any of the other “differences” we put on ourselves and each other. These things mean nothing, NOTHING, to God. We are all sinners, after all. We have all fallen short of God’s glory.

In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus warns us not to judge, because we will be judged by the same measure. Can any of us really live up to the judgment that we place on others? Can we really call ourselves agents of the Kingdom of God, when we throw out hate speech against those with whom we disagree? Can we be followers of Jesus, the Hands and Feet of Christ in the world when we are constantly slamming the door to the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces? What gives us that right?

Remember when Jesus stopped people from stoning a prostitute? He did not join in with them when they were about to kill someone because of her sin. He didn’t join the crowd when they hurled curses and insults, naming her sins so that everyone would know. So that they could feel good about their own self-righteousness.

He put a stop to it. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” And the people who were about to stone that prostitute realized that none of them could truthfully throw a stone. None of them were without sin. The only person in attendance that day who could throw the first stone was the one person who never would!

What would you have done in His place? We all would like to think that we would do as Jesus did, that we would stand up to the crowd and stop them. But would we?

Think about it, with how divisive and angry we are as a people, would we have been true Christians, which means to be like Christ, in that moment? Or would we have gone with our human instinct to prove ourselves better than the lowly?

Jesus was the only one who could throw that first stone, so why are we throwing stones now?

How are we any different from those people? How are we any different than the very people who shouted “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Who are we stoning, who are we putting on crosses because we don’t like what they have to say?

That moment, live streaming General Conference woke me up. Jesus reached out to me in that moment. I felt compelled to stand firm in my beliefs, but to do so in a way that does not alienate those with whom I may disagree. There is a way to fight for justice for the oppressed, and to redeem the oppressor. That way is The Way, the Truth, and the Light. That Way is through Jesus Christ, and His Love, and His Grace.

The argument over human sexuality isn’t going away, nor should it. There is a special General Conference called for this coming February to try to answer the question of Homosexual weddings and ordination. I will be live streaming this one as well. At this point I may just be a glutton for punishment. No matter what that conference decides, this is only the beginning.

The question is, what do we do with that? What does ministry look like in a world where human sexuality is THE issue of our time? How do we continue to be the Hands and Feet of Christ in the world when a lot of us completely and vehemently disagree with the direction in which the church is moving? The answer: We do as Christ did. We follow the example set before us by the author and perfecter of our faith. We strive to lift up the oppressed, the broken, the left behind, the cast aside. We take Jesus out of our sanctuaries, Sunday School rooms, seminaries, and we show Him to a world that is still in desperate need.

Our call is to be like Christ in a world that sorely needs Christ. I understand that Jesus is a tough act to follow. Especially since we are all flawed humans. But our flaws are not an excuse not to try.

Pray for your neighbors. But go beyond that to actually help them. Be amongst the downtrodden and the low. Live life surrounded by the “tax collectors and sinners”. Dine with the unclean, the unkempt, the huddled masses. Follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

The Communion liturgy of the United Methodist church contains a prayer of confession and pardon, I want to end today with that prayer, in the hopes that it will help guide our hearts back to the path of unity the God has called us to:

Merciful God,

we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will,

we have broken your law,

we have rebelled against your love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.

Free us for joyful obedience,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Same-Sex Weddings in Churches and LGBTQ Ordinations essay

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