HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: WHERE WE ARE Preached by Greg Weeks at Manchester UMC May 31, 2015

Transcription

1 HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: WHERE WE ARE Preached by Greg Weeks at Manchester UMC May 31, 2015 Today I want to take on where we are regarding the hot button topic, Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage. And by we, I mean not just United Methodism, but our church. This is a topic that threatens the unity of our denomination. In our General Conference next year, United Methodist delegates will discuss whether our denomination s stance on homosexuality will be liberalized, or will remain the same. The official stance now is that, while gays are welcomed into full membership in United Methodist churches, our denomination still considers the practice of homosexuality to be incompatible with Christian teaching. Consequently, no selfavowed, practicing homosexual may be ordained. Also, a UM pastor is prohibited from marrying a gay couple, nor can a gay wedding be performed in a UM church. In the General Conference of 2012, Rev. Adam Hamilton and Rev. Mike Slaughter proposed changing the wording to we disagree as a people regarding whether homosexual practices is contrary to the will of God. That was defeated, primarily because of the delegates from Africa, who are staunchly conservative on this topic. In other words, we could not agree that we disagree. The issue will appear again in the 2016 General Conference. There has been talk by some on the conservative side that the only solution is to split the denomination, an amicable separation between those pastors/churches that see homosexuality as incompatible with Christian teaching, and those who don t. Thus, there is a lot at stake next year. It is our duty to pray for our church, that we as a denomination may be faithful to God s will. It is also our duty individually to prayerfully reflect on this issue. So, today I want to explore it. First, I want to present, as objectively as I can, these topics: homosexuality and the Bible; what we believe scientifically on the subject; and the impact on our view of marriage. For this part of my sermon, I want to rely somewhat on research done by a colleague of mine, Rev. Rob Fuquay. Rob is the Senior Pastor of St. Luke s UMC in Indianapolis, and he preached a sermon that reflects his extensive study With his permission, I ll be using some of his findings in the first part of my sermon. Then, second, I will end with my own personal reflections. Before we begin, I want to note that I ll be preaching from a manuscript this morning, something I don t ordinarily do. When I ve preached on controversial issues before, I ve found that people can sometimes listen emotionally, and hear things I didn t say, for better or for worse. Thus, I have a script that I can print out for reference if necessary. Also, from experience, I ve learned that ad libbing on emotional topics isn t a real smart thing to do! The topics around the LGBTQ issue. First:

2 THE BIBLE AND HOMOSEXUALITY. There are six core passages that deal with same sex relations, three in the Old Testament and three in the new. (Genesis 19:5; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9 ; 1 Timothy 1:9-10) Leviticus calls same-sex relations an abomination. Paul calls it degrading and shameless. You should do your own study on them. You should read them within the context of the whole passage, along with a variety of commentaries, to see differing viewpoints. The conservative, or traditionalist, viewpoint on these passages is this: The Bible is clear in these passages that same-sex sexual relations is a sin. Conservatives say that there are different types of laws in the Bible: ceremonial, civic, and moral. Ceremonial and civic laws are culture bound, but moral laws are not. They consider the six Biblical passages as reflective of moral law, and thus binding today. Furthermore, if you start picking and choosing what you want the Bible to say, then the Bible becomes more a human document instead of the inspired Word of God. The liberal, or progressive, viewpoint is this: They say that dividing up Biblical laws into categories of ceremonial, civic, and moral is a human distinction, trying to give more importance to some rather than to others. One of the prohibition-verses is within a section of scripture that has prohibitions we dismiss today. For instance, how can you justify eating pork, which the Bible condemns, but then say that the biblical prohibition of homosexuality still is appropriate? Furthermore, they say that the Bible talks about same gender attraction, not sexual identity. It s about sexual activity, and not about how a person is created. The concept of a monogamous, faithful same-sex relationship isn t a concept in Scripture. And so when Paul talks about degrading passions in describing samesex relationships, how different is that from promiscuous behavior in opposite-sex relationships? The bottom line difference in Biblical interpretation: What are culture-bound prohibitions and which aren t? Which reflect the intent of God, and which don t? There is debate about that. This leads to the second area of disagreement. BELIEFS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY The key here is whether or not a person is born gay, or if he/she chooses to be gay. Conservatives cite David Greenburg, a sociologist, who argues that homosexuality is socially construed rather than inborn. Others in the traditionalist camp acknowledge that sexual identity may be inborn but, since the Bible considers it a sin, homosexuals should either lead a life of celibacy or attempt to be transformed.

3 The progressives say that science leans more toward nature over nurture. They say there is no scientific proof that people are conditioned to be gay. On the contrary, they cite research, such as a 2014 study of gay brothers, that suggests a possible genetic link to sexual orientation. Regarding celibacy, they say that in the tradition of the church, never is celibacy presented as an option because of one s condition. It s used either as a punishment or as a spiritual discipline. They believe that it s opposite of grace to say that a person has to deny a part of who they are in order to be acceptable to God. MARRIAGE AND CIVIL LAW Traditionalists disconnect homosexuality and gay marriage from issues of racial and gender discrimination. They say that racial and gender discrimination is condemned in the Bible whereas homosexuality is never condoned. Some support the right of gay people to marry, but do not support the church doing it. It s similar to how Catholicism deals with divorce. It s dealt with one way in the legal system, and another way within the church. The progressives say it is a civil rights issue, and that the church should be an advocate for that just as much as they are for confronting racial and gender inequalities. They say it s not right that if you re heterosexual, we offer to marry you, but if you re homosexual, you must find that somewhere else. Progressives say that, yes, the Bible defines marriage between one man and one woman, but does so within the context of the creation story, where God says, It s not good that man should be alone. Marriage is seen as the fulfillment of a relational need. So, those are three points of disagreement between the two sides, presented in a very general, and I hope objective, way. It is a very broad and complex issue, and again, I encourage you to do your own study, if you ve not already done so. What I would like to do for the rest of my sermon is to give you my reflections on it. First, I want to give you the questions I wrestle with, and invite you to wrestle with them as well. Then, I want to give you my pastoral thoughts for Manchester UMC. If you would like, you can write these down on the sermon notes section in the bulletin. The questions. 1. Can I look objectively at myself? I believe 100% that the stance you or I take on this issue is not based on pure reason. It is an emotional one. Each of us naturally leans one way or the other, conservative or liberal values. We will each come up with rationalizations to rationalize a stance we took irrationally. We will read the Bible and do research to support what our mind has already decided. We will talk to people or read books by people who agree with our opinion. This is just the way we are wired. Whether you re progressive or traditionalist, you owe it to yourself to ask yourself why you believe what you do.

4 Are you protecting something? Are you afraid of something? Is there a the truth you are avoiding? Are you angry at someone or some thing? Maybe one of the healthiest things you can do is to read a book on this issue from an author who is on the other side of the topic. One of the hardest things is to read it with an open mind--and I say that from personal experience. 2. How do I use the quadrilateral? The quadrilateral is this. Whereas we believe that the Bible is the primary way we understand God, we need help in interpreting it. So, we use our reason, our experience, and our church tradition (what others have said about it and why) in understanding what the Bible means in a particular area. What struck me, in reading books on both sides of the issue, is that there seems to be a difference in the way traditionalists and progressives read the Bible. Traditionalists, in using Scripture as the primary source for discerning God s will, will say, Well, the Bible said in six places that homosexuality is a sin. Let s see why it s a sin. Progressives, while saying that Scripture is foundational, will have a less literal approach to interpreting it. Well, the Bible said in six places that homosexuality is a sin. But that doesn t make sense to me in light of what Jesus said and in my personal experiences with folks in the LGBTQ community. Is there another way of understanding those six passages? 3. Can I be welcoming without asking someone to change? We are called to be a welcoming community. That means that we welcome people who live differently, think differently, feel differently from us. Can we sit down beside them and treat them as equals, as potential friends, as they (whoever they ) are? The definition of hospitality is to give worth to another person even if that person may be unlike you. Are you able to do that? It is difficult to do. It s just something that each of us needs to ask ourselves. So, three questions that I invite you to join me in reflecting upon. And now, I want to give you four pastoral statements. 1. We are about loving, not labeling, people. There is a natural tendency to demonize the other side. There are extremists on both ends of the spectrum whom I would not invite to a party. I don t want to be preached to or argued with. Liberals must not look at conservatives and inwardly label them as judgmental and uncompassionate. Conservatives must not look at liberals and label them as bleeding hearts and dismissive of the Bible. People in the LGBTQ community cannot be seen in stereotypes, just as heterosexuals can t be seen as one type. To paraphrase Paul, IN CHRIST there is no straight or gay, liberal or conservative, but all are ONE. OUR HIGHEST LOYALTY IS NOT TO OURSELVES, BUT TO CHRIST.

5 I long for the day, and I believe our church law will eventually get there, when labels become obsolete, and we don t see people as gay or straight or transgender or bi-sexual, but we see them as PEOPLE. 2. We are open to all. There is a meme I like. (A meme is an idea that makes its way through the internet; it s usually humorous and in cartoon or picture form.) This meme is a picture of Jesus talking to a crowd. He says, OK, so here s an idea. You love them like I love them. Take care of them and don t judge them. A person raises his hand. But what if they re gay, or worship other gods? Jesus replies, Did I stutter? This is similar to the United Methodist slogan of a few years ago: Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors. The slogan never said, half-way open doors. We re either open or we re not. We either accept openly, or we judge inwardly. We all have prejudices, whether we re liberal or conservative; you might call this a form of original sin. The key is if we can still open doors for people who may trip our prejudice trigger, whatever that might be. 3. We learn from and respect each other. Christians are not called to see things in total agreement. Look in the Book of Acts, and from the very beginning there were disagreements. That s just the way the Holy Spirit works. We ARE NOT called to try to convince the other person to see things from our viewpoint. We ARE called to feel free to state our beliefs without fear of judgment. We ARE called to be open to people with differing viewpoints, and to have the humility to try and learn from them. We ARE called to respect other Christians we disagree with, knowing they are trying to be true to Scripture and to Christ s message and to building up Christ s body, just as you are. From my study, and experience From discussions I ve had From my taking the Bible seriously and honoring the Living Word behind it as honestly and faithfully as I can: I cannot say that being gay is a sin. Some of you, from your study, discussion, and taking the Bible seriously, come to a different conclusion. Diversity of opinion is simply part of being a large, diverse church. HOWEVER: I am pastor to you all, and being pastoral has little to do with whether or not we agree with each other on controversial topics. That s because being Christian has less to do with agreeing on social topics, and more to do about what we MUST agree on if we re Christian: that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, that we take up our cross, that we follow him, and that we have his heart and mind within us as we do so. It is the state of our hearts, not the debate in our minds, that is ultimately important. We will have reached that when we can genuinely have an interest in

6 what someone is saying, not to prove them wrong, but to understand them better and learn from them. 4. We hold each other accountable to high moral standards. Whereas there is debate in Biblical interpretation regarding homosexuality, there is no debate about the qualities that characterize a Christian relationship. An intimate relationship with another person, regardless of sexual orientation, is characterized by the qualities of 1 Corinthians 13. It is characterized by faithfulness, loyalty, respect, sacrifice, compassion, understanding. Such characteristics are established and built up over a long period of time. There is no place for promiscuity, for using someone for pleasure; that is a misuse of sexuality, regardless of one s orientation. To be open and welcoming to all means to be an example to all of what it means to be Christian in a relationship. That is a high standard in which there is to be no debate. * * * So, there you have it. A broad overview on a very complex topic. What lies ahead? We have been, over the last few months, exploring the LGBTQ issue in small groups. Our dialogue for understanding each other as we grapple with the topic must continue. It s an opportunity to put into practice what I ve talked about, especially learning from and respecting each other. Tonight I ll host a conversation on it. It s at 6:30 in the Old Fellowship Hall downstairs; I welcome you to be a part of it. Ultimately, for our church--locally and as a denomination--i hope we move toward agreement on what it means to be a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming body of believers. I hope that openness will be reflected in a future vision statement where we spell out what inclusive means in a broader sense, even beyond this issue. That agreement is possible only when we affirm the one thing we have in common, regardless of our diversity: we are all people created in God s image, we are all people who are broken, and we are all people in need of God s unconditional love through Jesus Christ. As I started this sermon referring to Rev. Fuquay, so allow me to conclude with his remarks: God made every one of us for relationship. And we re all sinners, every one of us. We all do damage to relationships. We all struggle with relationships. We all struggle with loneliness and the desire to be more relationally fulfilled. We all need help. We all need hope. And we all need the grace of Christ that we hope will be real in this fellowship for everybody.