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When my wife
and I felt the first jab of spiritual need in our lives some years ago, our
search brought us to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Sacramento. We had
been married by a minister of that denomination and occasionally attended a
Methodist church in our hometown as kids, so while not then believers, felt
little danger from the proverbial lightening strike.
From the inside
I hardly knew I was in a church. The sermon advanced a variety of social causes
(most of which I supported, as I recall); the bulletin board touted fundraisers
for groups ranging from food kitchens to Sandinistas. But the spiritual message
was so “free” as to escape me altogether, not that I was in any position to
know.
We fared no better at the more traditional churches we tried. Though we lacked
something, we weren’t ready for that tiresome obedience stuff either. The quest
went dormant for about a decade.
I hadn’t
thought of St. Mark’s for years until it made national news last month by
hosting a “holy union ceremony” for two lesbian members. A total of 84 pastors
co-officiated, including at least four from Chico and one from Oroville. The
local pastors made news again this month when they were asked by their district
superintendent to recant their support of the ceremony. They have reportedly
declined and the church must now decide whether to take further action.
The scariest
thing I do when writing this column is pray over it. There have been times when
I’ve been terrified to write what was on my heart for fear of the reaction, then
found I could only stare blankly if I tried to type anything else. I know I’m
not writing scripture here, despite the precedent – in the Old Testament, God
once spoke through a donkey. But while this is one such moment of terror, these
views are strictly my own.
We are all free
to believe in the God of the Bible or not, as we choose; I direct this to those
who do. In perhaps the last two decades, our views on homosexuality have become
a litmus test for social enlightenment. This is understandable in the secular
world, where values go in and out of style in much the same manner as hemlines
and neckties. Unless the Second Coming has slipped my notice however, I know of
nothing new from above.
Observing news
coverage of the ceremony, I was struck by the factions demonstrating on the
street outside. On one curb was a group spewing messages that will not be
repeated in this space – suffice it to say that “have a nice day” was not among
them. There was loathing in the words, not the firm but loving correction
Christ prescribes in Mathew 18. Their posters bore a condemnation that is
clearly reserved for God.
Across from
them were equally confused folks claiming that the Bible doesn’t say what it
says, distorting its teachings to the point of themselves judging the two
women. Perhaps they consider “guilty” the only prohibited verdict; I know of no
such distinction in scripture. Even so, there’s a huge difference between not
throwing stones at sin and throwing it a party.
Despite those
who would bend its message to fit fashion, what the Bible says on homosexual
practice is clear and immutable. I will not be drawn into arguments over what
the meaning of “is” is, nor does the “nature versus nurture” debate sway me.
Even if inborn, this orientation would hardly be the only errant drive native to
human nature.
And that’s
another clear truth of scripture: same-sex desire is not the only sin in the
book. Lust, pride, and envy come to mind, longings that ignore sexual
preference or orientation.
I
choose the leadership of God over that of man even if it can be blasted
inconvenient at times. I therefore cannot support gay unions or pastors who
do. But I can choose to battle the lure of sin in my own life and leave
Biblical judgment where it belongs.
© 1997 – 2002 Brent Morrison
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