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Genesis 19:1 The two angels came to
Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw
them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2
He said, "Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant's house and spend
the night, and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your
way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the square." 3
But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house;
and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4
But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and
old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; 5 and
they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them
out to us, so that we may know them." 6 Lot went out of the
door to the men, shut the door after him, 7 and said, "I beg
you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Look, I have two
daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to
them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the
shelter of my roof." 9 But they replied, "Stand
back!" And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and he
would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them."
Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near the door to break it
down. 10 But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot
into the house with them, and shut the door.
Welcome today to a
discussion about our upcoming special General Conference in February. I am not
planning on detailing the five proposals that are now before the General
Conference, that is a discussion for my chat and chews that I am having, one of
them on Sunday at 3 PM. What I am hoping to talk about is the core issues that
surround us and our Christian response to those issues. There is so much that
is wrong with the world today. We are polarized around issues and all too often
we cannot even come to the table to have discussion, rather we take to the
media and the streets to proclaim our positions as if we believe that by doing
so everyone else will immediately come to believe what we believe. I chose the
scripture because it is one of many that is used to proclaim that God took a
stand on LGBTQ long before we even called it what we do. In fact, laws that
were on the books and may still be in some places used this scripture to
describe the acts of LGBTQ.
Dr. Mickey Efird,
professor at Duke Divinity School until his retirement, would often say, that
we must ask the right question. As I have pondered this over the course of 17
years of ministry and countless years before that, I have found myself asking
the wrong question more often than not. In congregations like ours where this
issue is not printed material on the page, but real lifeblood challenges for
our sons and daughters, for our neighbors and friends, this issue divides us
all too often. When we look at the number of homeless people in the Greater Washington,
we should be appalled that over 10,000 people are without shelter on these cold
nights. When we look at the number of people who are living at the poverty
level or below, that number surges to 18.6 % of the population. The cost of one
Super bowl commercial could provide food for every man, woman and child in this
area and yet we the church are strangely silent.
Jesus said to us,
love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind and your soul and love
your neighbor in the same way. So maybe the question is not LBGTQ at all, but
what as a church are we doing about the appalling condition of our neighbor? We
will spend countless thousands of dollars, arguments from all sides of this
discussion and when we do reach an agreement, some will leave the church. Some
are even suggesting that we split the church and break it apart. I wonder how
often Satan smiles with glee at that possibility. Moreover, when the splitting
is done, we will be weaker than we are, less able to respond to crisis around
the world and unable to assist those who need assistance. For what may we ask?
So that we can say that, we followed blindly the inspired writings of men from
three thousand years ago. A time when we did not understand medicine and the
impact of relationships well? Why would God decree that we should not eat pork
or shellfish three thousand years ago? Maybe, because the people of that day
that God wanted to protect did not know about diseases that come from
undercooked food from sources like pigs and shrimp and clams and I could on and
on. Why would God decree that relationship challenges were wrong three thousand
years ago? Maybe because God understood that adultery caused hardships and
broken families and unrest among the neighborhoods. Especially in a nomadic
tribe who numbered in the hundreds not like the cities of today that number in
the millions.
God understands us
better than we understand ourselves. God understands what it takes to have a
harmonious environment that is safe and secure. As time has gone on, we have
learned important things. Abuse is unacceptable everywhere, all the time. Paul
argues against it in his day concerning the sexual misconduct between masters
and apprentices or masters and slaves. Leviticus outlines rules by which harmony
can exist. However, Paul is clear, we are followers of the Law in its entirety
or we are followers of Christ. Which is it going to be? Christ is saying to us
today, to love one another. I do not hear any exclusions. I do not hear Jesus
say, well these folks over here, you do not have to love them or accept them.
Send them into the wilderness where they will be devoured. The only people
Jesus suggests that should happen to is those who refuse to follow Him.
There
are three issues before us this morning. First, the issue of acceptance of
those who are LGBTQ as members. Second, the acceptance of those who are LGBTQ
as Christian leaders. Finally the issue of same-sex marriage. There are folks
who will argue that homosexuality is not a choice. Scientific evidence appears
to support that for the 1.6 – 6 % of the population that is gay; a percentage
is genetically born that way. Those that support gay rights will argue that it
should be a civil matter, an issue of equal rights under the law. That there is
no difference between the commitment men and women make in heterosexual
relationships and the commitment between partners in homosexual relationships.
They point to the evidence that is supported by history that gay lifestyles
have been the accepted norm in society form the beginning of time up until the
last four hundred years of history. It was an accepted practice in the time of
Jesus and Paul. Proponents of ‘Gay Rights’ point to Jesus not excluding anyone
in his teachings or his behavior and treating everyone with love. They point to
scripture being written before medical and scientific breakthroughs discovered
that much of what we now know about illness, sexual preference and behavior is
genetic. All skin diseases were considered leprosy in Jesus day and people were
shunned and excluded. Women were treated as property with no value and Jesus
railed against that injustice, meanwhile, homosexuality was part of society
probably in the same proportions as it is today and He never said a word
against it. A report of the committee to study homosexuality to the General
Council of Ministries of the United Methodist Church reported that there is scientific
evidence sufficient to support the contention that homosexuality is not
pathological or otherwise an inversion, developmental failure, or deviant form
of life as such, but is rather a human variant, one that can be healthy and
whole. The American Physiological Association reported that most people
experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual preference and LGBTQ
issues have been removed from the list of illnesses reported on by the Medical
community.
So where exactly does that leave us?
As a United Methodist pastor, I live by two books, the Bible and the United
Methodist Book of Discipline. I want to read you what the BOD says about this
matter. In paragraph 161 the BOD states, “We
affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image
of God…The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of
homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.
We affirm that God’s grace is available to all… We implore families and
churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members of friends.”[i]
And
in paragraph 304.3, it states that practicing homosexuals cannot be ordained or
appointed as ministers. In Paragraph 341.6, it says that United Methodist
ministers may not perform or participate in same sex marriage ceremonies and
paragraph 806.9 that no funds of the United Methodist church may be given to
any group or caucus that promotes the acceptance of homosexuality. These paragraphs
are being challenged at the called General Conference. What will be their
decision? We will wait and see.
So
what then is the right question? I would
be hard pressed to say it is as simple as only one question to be answered. I
like the way Adam Hamilton sums it up. He reminds us that Paul spoke about
seeing things dimly in a mirror that one day we will see clearly, but only when
we are truly in the presence of God. I think that for all of us this issue is
complicated. Will the church split over it and divide? Maybe! Where will
Sydenstricker fall in the future United Methodist understanding? These are
questions we need to ask. Part of the question is where we fall individually in
our understanding. Are we, each of us a traditionalist who cannot accept LGBTQ
folks in membership, leadership or marriage? Are we, each of us progressive who
cannot accept a traditional stance by the church that excludes people even we
speak of love? Or are we, each of us somewhere in the middle where the church
can be church regardless of the position taken at General Conference? Today we
stand at the crossroads of new realities. Regardless of where we go tomorrow,
the right question is whom will I follow. Will I follow Christ and abide in Him
as He abides in me, loving God with all my heart mind and soul and my neighbor
in the same way? The choice is ours to make.
[i] Smith,
Judith E, ed. (2008). The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church
2008. Nashville
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