What Matters?

There has been a lot of chatter lately on various yahoogroups about whether or not the opinions of others matters regarding sexual orientation.  The fact is that for some it does and for some it doesn’t.  I think it has more to do with where you are in your own life and process of knowing who you are.  It use to matter to me more than it does today.  I am not sure I can say it doesn’t matter at all, but it matters so much less than ever before.

Here is a poem posted to homosexualityandchristianity@yahoogroups.com

Read The Words

My folks asked if I am gay
I asked Does it matter?
They said No, not really
I said Yes
They said Get out of our lives
I guess it Mattered.

My boss asked if I am gay
I asked Does it matter?
My boss said No, not really
I said Yes
My boss said You're fired homo
I guess it mattered.

My friends asked if I am gay
I asked Does it matter?
They said, No, not really
I said Yes
They said, Don't call us your friends
I guess it mattered.

My lover asked Do you love me?
I asked Does it matter?
My lover said Yes.
I said I love you
My lover said Let me hold you in my arms
For the first time in my life
something matters.

My Creator asked me,
Do you love yourself?
I asked Does it matter?
My Creator said YES
I said How can I love myself? I am gay
My Creator said
That is the way I made you
Nothing will ever matter again

Written by an anonymous high school student.

Isaiah 42:4 Justice

I was reading the lectionary texts for last week when I came across Isaiah 42:4,

He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

It has been some time since I studied Isaiah, but he wrote of the servant to come…the servant in this verse who is going to bring justice. It is without much debate among Christians that Isaiah is referring to the Messiah, who we know as Christ.

This begs the question, what kind of justice is he going to bring? Or better yet, what is justice in the eyes of Jesus?

These questions seem separate yet share a commonality. I think that the answers demonstrate an attitude of loving justice and showing mercy. Christ brought justice, by reconciling our relationship with the Creator. There could be no relationship with the disobedience in our hearts and we have proven time and again that we are not capable of overcoming it ourselves.

A study of Christ’s interaction with “sinners” shows not only what he saw as just, but also that he loved mercy. A prime example of course is the woman caught in adultery. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” To me this is a prime example of where mankind has gone so very wrong in trying to follow Christ. Rather than accept, love and try to bring justice to the world, they seek to have others conform to their view of what is right and wrong. That was not the call of Christ. The call of Christ was for justice…for mercy...for love.

I find this a particularly fitting discussion as I look at my calendar today. It’s is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday today. I have had this in the back of my mind all weekend, but since my company is working today, I did not think about the correlation until now. Part of me wishes that I could be with my church today as they march in the parade and part of me would rather leave this to those who were there during his time. While I certainly am grateful for what his life has accomplished for the greater good of our country, I was not there and suppose to some degree do not have as much to mourn and/or celebrate as those who were. Yet, I do feel the need to be there and to be a part of remembering this great leader for equality/justice even amidst the continued fight for such goes on today.

Thoughts on beginning the year...

I have condensed here some thoughts from the Editor of The Inspiriter which is a quarterly publication of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (www.wabaptists.org). This particular editorial was written by JoAnne C. Juett in the Winter 2007 issue.

Fear. Beginning a new year, contemplating all those resolutions, evaluating
the past year, should lead one to excitement and new resolve—but I think these
rather succumb to uncertainty and fear in short order. We humans don’t do so
well with uncertainty...even as we faithfully make those resolutions to lose
weight, exercise more, and eat more healthily, how do we face such overarching
fears?

First, we remember that the “fear factor” is part and parcel of our
spirituality. Not that we should be afraid of God or God’s power—we should
always stand in awe of that, of course; but, facing the unknown is always a
fearful event. Look at all those biblical angelic visits that prompted a lot of
fear and trembling—in the long run, most of those brought awesome visions, great
joy, and exciting possibilities. What was the key? The powerful presence of God
(however we experience that); that power that some invoke to frighten and
manipulate is really the power for good and great things to happen!

Secondly, we must be courageous and willing to forge ahead, even
against the odds.

Thirdly, we must embrace and celebrate all the good and all the
positive.

Yes, for all the darkness, there is always a great light. As I
write this editorial, I remind myself that I am in the season of Epiphany—the
time of celebration of light, that great metaphoric image of goodness,
knowledge, and hope. It’s my favorite season, even if it does come in the midst
of winter in Wisconsin for me! Epiphany allows me to look beyond the despair of
failures and setbacks of previous months to find hope and possibility in the
year ahead.

That’s what I wish for all of you—hope and fulfillment of great visions
for this year. May God’s presence be with you, guide you and empower
you through these coming months in your individual journeys and as we walk
together in celebration. Great things are yet to come!

Gay Marriage

Here is a brief article from http://www.wabaptists.org/voto.htm that sums up some of my own feelings on the subject. I think he could be a little more articulate but the main points are certainly there.

Some Thoughts on Marriage and Domestic Partnership
Comment by Chris Boisvert

I recently participated in a rather unorthodox wedding. The wedding was in Las Vegas and had a Star Trek theme. Everyone in the wedding party wore a Star Trek Star Fleet uniform. There were cast members dressed as Klingon, Ferengi and Andorian characters. The minister even wore a uniform. The fun nature of the wedding wasn't meant to detract from the serious nature of marriage or the commitment of the two people who were taking the steps to share their lives. There will be a church wedding in the Philippines in December, but U.S. law requires a civil marriage on American soil for it to be legal since the bride is not a U.S. citizen. It was decided by the couple that this would be a fun and exciting way to deal with the civil requirement.
Many nations make the distinction between the civil marriage of two people and the religions ceremony of a wedding. Yet in the United States where we talk of the separation of church and state, the two are linked in the mind of many people. I wholeheartedly support same sex marriage, yet I do not believe that religious bodies should or ever would be required by the state to perform such ceremonies. Yet, if we truly believed in the separation of church and state in this country, we should be able to better see that the legal and religious aspects of what bonds two people together are separate.California recently enacted the a change to the tax law that allows same sex domestic partners within the state to have equal tax benefits to married heterosexual couples. In California, same sex couples wishing to marry still not do so. That distinction goes to Massachusetts alone. Yet, like Vermont, another California has moved to the cusp with the latest additions to the rights extended to domestic partners. I believe that the focus should be on rights of equality at this time, rather than need to for those rights to be wrapped up in a bundle called marriage. I feel that more can be accomplished this way than to insist that the only way we can be equal is with the label "marriage."

Homosexuality and the Bible

This is one of the best written articles I have read on the topic:
http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-walter-wink

Ephesians 1:3-14 The Difference

This passage which is in my Bible class’ study this week (1/4) was at first confusing because it seems to run on. The reason for this, is that it was originally one sentence in the original language.

As Paul begins his prayer he begins with a blessing, the berakhah, which I believe my friend AJ Jacobs refered to in his excellent book. The berakhah take son special meaning here as Paul includes Christ in what was a traditional Jewish blessing. For more on the berakhah and many of these types of blessings, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berakhah.

Along the way, this passage which includes the repetition of praise speaks to an important question, "How central is Jesus to my faith?" or better yet, "What do you do differently in your everyday life because of your commitment to Christ?"

Thomas Adams says it this way:

Our mind is where our pleasure is, our heart is where our treasure is, our love is where our life is,

but all these, our pleasure, treasure and life, are reposed in Jesus Christ.

I had to look up that word reposed. Reposed means: peace; tranquillity; calm. To lay to rest, rest. Basically, he is saying what Paul is telling us. We find our peace when Christ is central in our lives.

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Romans 6:1-11 Law, Love or No Law

Back in December I spoke on this topic and today as I was reading the Lectionary texts for this Sunday, I cam across the following passage which sheds some more light on my discussion. While Paul previously said all things are permissible, he gives us an argument for following the Law as well.

Romans 6:1-11

1What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? ²By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? ³Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For whoever has died is freed from sin. ⁸But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

2 Samuel 24:18-25: Sacrifice

It has been sometime since I recorded my thoughts here and I do not recall where I was when I came upon this reading, but it hit me squarely in the eye.

King David was unwilling to make a sacrifice that cost him nothing. It dawned on me that so many times when I thought I was making a sacrifice for my faith, I in fact was not. You have to give up something for it to be a sacrifice. Going to school was not a sacrifice because my family paid for it all. Even serving overseas and in various other places was not a sacrifice, because I was well compensated and I wanted to be where I was.

Perhaps I have not yet made any sacrifices for God. I have certainly made some sacrifices to be myself, but I am not sure that has much to do with Spiritual sacrifice.

2 Samuel 24:18-25

18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, ‘Go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ ¹⁹Following Gad’s instructions, David went up, as the Lord had commanded. ²⁰When Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming towards him; and Araunah went out and prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. ²¹Araunah said, ‘Why has my lord the king come to his servant?’ David said, ‘To buy the threshing-floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be averted from the people.’ ²²Then Araunah said to David, ‘Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him; here are the oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing-sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. ²³All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.’ And Araunah said to the king, ‘May the Lord your God respond favourably to you.’

24 But the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will buy them from you for a price; I will not offer burnt-offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and offerings of well-being. So the Lord answered his supplication for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

Ephesians 3: 1-12 Epiphany

As we approach Epiphany and look at the coming of God as man, I think that the passage from Paul which is also in the lectionary reading this week is especially appropriate.  The Magi brought gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.  What do each of us have to bring?

This is something I have been contemplating a lot lately, as I seek to return to the ministry.  I feel especially led to let the GLBT community know they do not have to give up their faith…Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, whatever because of their sexual orientation.  However, I have not yet found that place where I feel I can serve God and survive financially. 

It is an odd feeling to know your purpose but not being able to fulfill it.

Ephesians 3:1-12

Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles

3This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for^* Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ²for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵In former generations this mystery^* was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. ⁸Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹and to make everyone see^* what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in^* God who created all things; ¹⁰so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.^*