Musings

I admit to being torn. This wasn't suppose to be my private blog, but it does seem to be working out that way. I have intentionally limited the topics I have posted on in the hope of not discouraging participation if anyone else from SCC actually did wander over here. I may do so again in the future, but not today.

Today is our anniversary. Today is also the day before we learn what the ruling of the California Supreme court on the legality of Proposition 8. There is question about the constitutionality (is that a word) of the proposition. I have no expertise in law, and even less about the California state law. I don't have an opinion on the very specific question the court is ruling on. The question is not what is right, it is was this proposition filed in accordance with California law. If the answer is "yes" there is an additional question before the court: What to do about the 18,000 same gender couples that were married during the brief months the state held this as legal. The group that argued that the measure is legal has asked the court to declare them null and void. Thirty-six THOUSAND people divorced against their will. Actually, I see this as worse than divorced against their will -- rather 36,000 people told that their marriages were a sham, it never really happened. Celebrating our anniversary on this last day of waiting has sharpened my awareness.

I know, in person or on-line probably 2 dozen of those 18,000 couples. It is no trivial matter. For them, for me or for any of us. It also cuts to the heart of what this blog is to address: how do we take the Biblical message and apply it in our world.

It usually comes as a shock when I tell people that I was moved, no pushed, into becoming an advocate for full inclusion of LGBT persons in our church and in our society as a result of my reading and study of the Bible. Most were ready to assume that the view I hold means I am a "godless liberal", someone who probably doesn't read the Bible at all or if I do am ready to "explain away" any passages that don't suit me. Not hardly.

If I am going to take the Bible seriously that means I have to take ALL of it seriously. It means trying to understand what it meant in it's own time and place. If I call Jesus the Christ that means his teachings must be given the greatest weight. If I really believe that the Spirit was moving in the early church I have to take seriously how that formed the understanding of what the church was called to be. When I look at how Jesus treated those who were outcasts in his day, when I read of Peter baptizing the household of Cornelius because who was he to withhold baptism when God had poured out the Spirit on them as well I have to take that seriously.

I have seen the blessing it has been to same gender couples to have their relationship recognized and held as marriage. Unlike Peter should I deny the reality of the gift of God? I don't think so.

No, celebrating our anniversary as we wait to hear the fate of friends has sharpened the focus for me. I have been less active in the recent past. That needs to change. Refusal to recognize all kinds of marriages that have been blessed by God truly does deny the sanctity of marriage. Anything less than full inclusion of ALL people as God created them denies the gospel. It doesn't get more serious than this.

There is no question of what I should work towards. No, the only question is just what do I do next?

A Suggestion To Consider

Last week during the New Beginnings assessment I had an opportunity to briefly visit with our Regional Minister, Rev. Lari Grubbs. He was interested in the information about this Bible study that was posted in the hall and wanted to know what we were doing. I gave him a copy of the handouts (the first post on this blog + the worksheet) and after reading them he had some good suggestions that I am passing on here.

The first was that in a group that was not already use to working online we probably needed to start with some face-to-face meetings that could be augmented with online participation. I think the slow start we have had (being generous here folks) shows the truth of this observation.

The second was to conisder structuring discussion not around books of the Bible but rather the issue we wished to consider in light of the Biblical message. We could use the same "other" resource, or just pick resources on a common topic and then what different insights different parts of the Bible provide as we consider how we are to respond. The more I think about this the better I like it. What do you think?