"When Simon Peter saw (all the fish they had caught), he fell down on his knees, saying: "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazined at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him." (Luke 4: 8-11).
Today, the Anglican Communion celebrates Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury. When he became the first Archbishop he found himself doing a job that was next to impossible. The Church and the local government were at odds even then. What started out as what was suppose to be a ministry of unity, found himself surrounded with discord and inner fighting. Not much unlike how things are today.
God"s followers are called to break new ground. What we are asked to do will bring with it many adversaries. There is no Bishop, Priest, Deacon, lay person, business manager, music director, building cleaner, mother, father, child, spouses or all kinds that do not face and deal with difficulty as part of their life and/or vocation. When faced with huge challenges, most of us at one time or another ask that it be taken away from us, because it is just too much to handle. Once we start a project with God's help we can find that we do have God's help, but we still have to face our challenges.
A great question for us to ask ourselves is how are we facing the challenges that God has placed before us? Another good question for us is are we a source of unity and inclusion, or are we part of the disunity and exclusive people within the Church?
When the Christian religion is used by right wing extremists to promote bigotry and violence, the results are horrific to put it politely. Tonight on Current TV, GLAD will be showing the film Missionaries of Hate. This documentary will show in detail the work of American Evangelicals who led missionary activity that has led to the "Kill the Gays Bill" in Uganda. Here is a perfect example of what happens when those who carelessly practice and preach Biblical Literalism against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, and export such bigotry to other countries. This is no longer just a matter of religious and moral opinions. What is happening is attitudes of discrimination and violence based on the Bible are being taught to peoples in other nations that are taking what is being taught to them, to suggest that genocide and a real holocaust to LGBT citizens of another country is a good option. This kind of thing is not something that anyone in America or Christianity should be rejoicing in.
When Jesus called those first Apostles, I guarantee you he did not check the sexual orientation or social status of any of them. For those of us who are literally drowning in how much of the world has been Anglicized, keep in mind that Jesus and his disciples were not English-Anglo Saxon's or Italians or European. They were middle-eastern people under the oppression of the Roman Empire. What Jesus and his disciples did, was begin a movement by which those who had been marginalized because society and their religious establishment had kicked them aside and left to their own because they did not fit some social status or they did not obey all of the religious rules of the day. Jesus did not see the marginalized or stigmatized by their social status or because they did not obey the rules. Jesus saw each individual, male or female as an individual who should be loved and served because of God's unconditional and all-inclusive love. Not only should those pushed aside be loved, and served, they should also be invited to serve God and the Church. Those first Apostles did not go to a seminary or learn from the top theologians of the day. They were every day ordinary people, who were called to become "fishers of people" to apply all that they knew how to do, to doing something completely different.
When those who are leading the Church take notice of those who are stigmatized and speak on their behalf, it is amazing how they are noticed. In today's Episcopal Lead, the Anglican Bishops of South Africa called for the release of the couple imprisoned in Malawi.
We, the Bishops of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa call upon the Government of South Africa to seek the release of Stephen Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who were recently sentenced in Malawi to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour, after they shared in a traditional ceremony of engagement.
As we have previously stated, though there is a breadth of theological views among us on matters of human sexuality, we are united in opposing the criminalisation of homosexual people. We see the sentence that has been handed down to these two individuals as a gross violation of human rights and we therefore strongly condemn such sentences and behaviour towards other human beings. We emphasize the teachings of the Scriptures that all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore must be treated with respect and accorded human dignity.
Yet, again, when Christians use their power to hate, it is also recognized by many and rightfully so, looked upon with disgust and disbelief. For example in Think Progress it was noted that:
American Family Association’s (AFA) homophobic Director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy, Bryan Fischer, is constantly pushing an extreme anti-gay agenda, even going after people he just thinks might be gay. This week on AFA Radio, he claimed that not only was Adolf Hitler gay, but all his “Brownshirts” were too:
FISCHER: So Hitler himself was an active homosexual. And some people wonder, didn’t the Germans, didn’t the Nazis, persecute homosexuals? And it is true they did; they persecuted effeminate homosexuals. But Hitler recruited around him homosexuals to make up his Stormtroopers, they were his enforcers, they were his thugs. And Hitler discovered that he could not get straight soldiers to be savage and brutal and vicious enough to carry out his orders, but that homosexual solders basically had no limits and the savagery and brutality they were willing to inflict on whomever Hitler sent them after. So he surrounded himself, virtually all of the Stormtroopers, the Browshirts, were male homosexuals.
These things are not cool as we say. They are very disturbing, as they are also abusive of not only the Bible, but the Christian Religion and LGBT people too. It is the business of Christians to speak up when such trash as this is spoken, and say NO to any kind of discrimination and violence. The spiritual, social and political violence of LGBT people, needs to be called out for what it is. NO, it is not Christian.
May we see and understand as followers of Jesus Christ that there is a call and a need to follow the Gospel and to call Christians misusing the Faith for purposes that are not in keeping with who Jesus is or is about. Like Augustine of Canterbury we are called to serve God and the Church in the middle of a mess. And God has so many wonderful plans for us, if only we will place ourselves in God's service.
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Pentecost, Book of Common Prayer, Page 227)
Grant, O Lord, that the course of this world may be peaceably governed by your providence; and that your Church may joyfully serve you in confidence and serenity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Sunday closest to May 25, Book of Common Prayer, Page 229)
O Lord our God, by your Son Jesus Christ you called your apostles and sent them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless your holy name for your servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating your Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom you call and send may do your will, and bide your time, and see your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for St. Augustine, First Archbishop of Canterbury).
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, Page 818).
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