Scriptural Basis
Matthew 18:15-20
Blog Reflection
This past week I found myself in a conflict with a dear friend. The conflict was about taking a good hard look at the historical traditions of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Which, I do in fact believe in. In a post in a group labeled: "Liberal Anglo-Catholic" my friend wrote the following words.
Sometimes, even for more progressive and liberal Christians, even those who call themselves Christian Socialists, Catholicism and doctrine can become an all too comfortable hiding place from the realities that brought about much of what Christians believe today. It is easy to recite the Nicene Creed and enjoy the rich worship tradition contained in the Book of Common Prayer. Except for one thing. Catholic dogma though rich with truths in and of themselves, are not given to us so as to hide from the real world through which the Tradition of the Church has arrived at where we are now.
In his book: Gay Unions: In Light of Scripture, Tradition and Reason, the Rev. Canon Gray Temple wrote:
There is a tendency in Catholic circles to celebrate our "oneness" in what we believe. Yet forget how very divided we are. Among the many steps towards becoming one community is to understand that every individual within the community is different, thinks differently and understands differently. Diversity is a good thing. It is when we attempt to make the Church more inclusive is when suddenly people run back to "tradition" as a safe haven for not addressing problems within ourselves.
I believe that at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus' instructions to the disciples today, is the desire to create and nurture communities within the Church with a recognition of the need for the ability to reconcile differences through working together. To strengthen each other when we have our disagreements, by dealing with conflict through careful counsel and as a faithful witness to our faith.
The problem for the Christian Church is that we have grown oh much to fond of our Catholic/Orthodoxy to allow the Holy Spirit to challenge us to be open to learning new things, so as to re-evaluate our long standing tradition of how we think of women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people. Among the ways we must be open to the Holy Spirit about such things as sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression is through listening to the stories of those Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox, Evangelicals, etc who are LGBT. The stories LGBT people have to tell of what it has been like to grow up being a Christian and discovering that we are of a different sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression in a Church and world that does not want to accept us or respect our need for equality and inclusion.
This past week a wonderful person named Ron Bates wrote an exceptional story about what it was like to grow up Catholic and gay in Minnesota.
In an article found in Pink News, Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire said: "God celebrates gay people."
The Church is great at preaching the need for peace and caring for the poor and the marginalized. But, when the Church beginning with it's leaders and many devoted lay people is confronted with the need to change an understanding, it takes an awful long time and some very un-Christian things said and done on the way to getting there. This is one part of the Tradition of the Christian Church that still to this day has not entirely changed for the better.
It is totally right that LGBT people are challenging Christianists and others in terms of the issues of immigration, health care, and many issues. It is important that the dominionists realize that taking over the world to suggest that only radical right wing, Biblical literal thinking that is based on opinions, not educated facts not become the only Christianity the world knows. The Christian message is not about domination or even the establishment of one world religion at the expense of anyone and anything else. Christianists and many who listen to them are not going to know or understand the damage they do to the Christian religion unless progressive Christians and even Atheists point it out.
Catholicism and orthodoxy are terrific. But, they are not the "rock" to hide behind so that Christians can excuse themselves from doing their part for the poor and marginalized. Christians are called to embrace all people and share the love and mercy of Jesus Christ through faithfulness and charity towards all people, including those different from ourselves. Sometimes Catholicism and/or orthodoxy become an all too handy excuse to scapegoat and stigmatize. That is hardly a proper use of Tradition.
How can we challenge the Church in this 21st Century? What ways can we challenge Christians misinformed by Biblical literalism and the stigmatization of minorities and others to consider a change of heart and behavior? How can we challenge Christians or even ourselves who enjoy hiding behind Catholicism and/or orthodoxy to live the meaning of what we believe by becoming more inclusive?
The Holy Spirit will help us to find the way. The life Jesus led is the way that leads to a greater understanding and self knowledge. Let us not make the mistake of every thinking there is no more that we can learn, so as to grow, so as to better influence the Church and society around us.
In so doing we can fulfill what St. Paul said in his letter to the Romans.
Prayers
Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus said, "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
Blog Reflection
This past week I found myself in a conflict with a dear friend. The conflict was about taking a good hard look at the historical traditions of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Which, I do in fact believe in. In a post in a group labeled: "Liberal Anglo-Catholic" my friend wrote the following words.
And let's not pretend to be ignorant of the fact that in its quest to be an "undivided Church" it is responsible for many evils then as it is now. Catholicism does not hold a monopoly on truth.
Sometimes, even for more progressive and liberal Christians, even those who call themselves Christian Socialists, Catholicism and doctrine can become an all too comfortable hiding place from the realities that brought about much of what Christians believe today. It is easy to recite the Nicene Creed and enjoy the rich worship tradition contained in the Book of Common Prayer. Except for one thing. Catholic dogma though rich with truths in and of themselves, are not given to us so as to hide from the real world through which the Tradition of the Church has arrived at where we are now.
In his book: Gay Unions: In Light of Scripture, Tradition and Reason, the Rev. Canon Gray Temple wrote:
"Tradition" is on of the reifications we warned ourselves against earlier in order to be clear in our thinking. The word is easily used in ways that ignore its complexity and fluidity. Let's remind ourselves that abstractions start out as a helpful and necessary way to save time; it's more efficient to say "politics" than to list every candidate we know of and all their known actions. But when "politics" gets reified, we forget individuals who participate in it and we lose its connection with citizenship. We should not permit reification to economize thought. An uncritical embrace of tradition results in what Berger calls alienation. Part of growing up intellectually--as a citizen--is to de-alienate to the best extent possible.
Before examining particular traditions, let's reflect a bit on the value of tradition and how we sometimes corrupt its use.
Tradition is to communities what memory is to an individual. (Page 101).
There is a tendency in Catholic circles to celebrate our "oneness" in what we believe. Yet forget how very divided we are. Among the many steps towards becoming one community is to understand that every individual within the community is different, thinks differently and understands differently. Diversity is a good thing. It is when we attempt to make the Church more inclusive is when suddenly people run back to "tradition" as a safe haven for not addressing problems within ourselves.
I believe that at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus' instructions to the disciples today, is the desire to create and nurture communities within the Church with a recognition of the need for the ability to reconcile differences through working together. To strengthen each other when we have our disagreements, by dealing with conflict through careful counsel and as a faithful witness to our faith.
The problem for the Christian Church is that we have grown oh much to fond of our Catholic/Orthodoxy to allow the Holy Spirit to challenge us to be open to learning new things, so as to re-evaluate our long standing tradition of how we think of women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people. Among the ways we must be open to the Holy Spirit about such things as sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression is through listening to the stories of those Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox, Evangelicals, etc who are LGBT. The stories LGBT people have to tell of what it has been like to grow up being a Christian and discovering that we are of a different sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression in a Church and world that does not want to accept us or respect our need for equality and inclusion.
This past week a wonderful person named Ron Bates wrote an exceptional story about what it was like to grow up Catholic and gay in Minnesota.
For years and years, I would prostrate myself on the floor and ask God to change me. Maybe if I just pray more, fast more, do more "works of charity," the male attraction will go away.
After more than 30 years of trying to "burn" the evil out of me, I finally came out at age fifty four. God finally broke through to my heart of hearts and said, "I love you just as you are. You are praying for healing, but you are not sick!"
Our God does not change. God is God always. And God was with me always. After all the self-hatred and foibles of life, God was still there waiting for me.
At that moment, the shame and guilt I had felt for years left -- once and for always. If Pope Benedict had been standing right there to tell me I was "disordered," I would have said to him, "You are wrong. God made me and loves me just as I am."
In an article found in Pink News, Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire said: "God celebrates gay people."
“There’s no doubt in my mind that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are part of God’s obvious delight in diversity. We see it all throughout creation, why wouldn’t we have it in humankind?
“I believe that the church has gotten this wrong, just as we once used scripture to justify slavery and the subjugation of women. It wasn’t too long ago in this country that women wore hats to church because St Paul said a woman’s place is to keep her head covered and her mouth shut! We kept women out of the ordination process because of that! Sexual orientation is something God celebrates and I believe that will become the mainstream Christian understanding before not too very long.”
The Church is great at preaching the need for peace and caring for the poor and the marginalized. But, when the Church beginning with it's leaders and many devoted lay people is confronted with the need to change an understanding, it takes an awful long time and some very un-Christian things said and done on the way to getting there. This is one part of the Tradition of the Christian Church that still to this day has not entirely changed for the better.
It is totally right that LGBT people are challenging Christianists and others in terms of the issues of immigration, health care, and many issues. It is important that the dominionists realize that taking over the world to suggest that only radical right wing, Biblical literal thinking that is based on opinions, not educated facts not become the only Christianity the world knows. The Christian message is not about domination or even the establishment of one world religion at the expense of anyone and anything else. Christianists and many who listen to them are not going to know or understand the damage they do to the Christian religion unless progressive Christians and even Atheists point it out.
Catholicism and orthodoxy are terrific. But, they are not the "rock" to hide behind so that Christians can excuse themselves from doing their part for the poor and marginalized. Christians are called to embrace all people and share the love and mercy of Jesus Christ through faithfulness and charity towards all people, including those different from ourselves. Sometimes Catholicism and/or orthodoxy become an all too handy excuse to scapegoat and stigmatize. That is hardly a proper use of Tradition.
How can we challenge the Church in this 21st Century? What ways can we challenge Christians misinformed by Biblical literalism and the stigmatization of minorities and others to consider a change of heart and behavior? How can we challenge Christians or even ourselves who enjoy hiding behind Catholicism and/or orthodoxy to live the meaning of what we believe by becoming more inclusive?
The Holy Spirit will help us to find the way. The life Jesus led is the way that leads to a greater understanding and self knowledge. Let us not make the mistake of every thinking there is no more that we can learn, so as to grow, so as to better influence the Church and society around us.
In so doing we can fulfill what St. Paul said in his letter to the Romans.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13: 8-10).
Prayers
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 18, Book of Common Prayer, page 233).
Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, page 816).
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, page 823).
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