"And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)
Today we bear witness to a historic moment in my church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and for our nation.
Since late 2010, ministers and elders across the country have been gathering in 173 different regional presbyteries to vote on whether or not to allow openly gay and lesbian people to become ordained ministers. With over half of the presbyteries now voting "yes," our church has taken a bold step towards inclusion that brings the third largest Mainline Christian denomination more in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ; that His love embraces all.
What makes this moment even more significant is that unlike the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which all adopted similar policies through top-level governing bodies alone, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) requires one additional step: ratification by a majority of the individual presbyteries. We have seen ministers and elders in presbyteries like Central Nebraska, Eastern Oklahoma, Middle Tennessee and North Alabama cast the majority of their votes for inclusion. Everyday clergy and lay leaders in areas that have traditionally skewed older, and more conservative -- many of whom voted "no" in previous years when this question was brought to them -- have voted "yes" this time.
I see this vote as one indication of a moral awakening in America. I say moral awakening because many people of faith across the country and world are opening their eyes to the many wonderful gifts and the faithful service that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender believers bring to our many religions.
As a minister who, ever since I was put on trial by my church for marrying a same-gender couple, has felt called by God to open up a heartfelt dialogue with those conflicted about or opposed to inclusion, I have seen this moral awakening first hand. I have witnessed people's minds changed by God in different ways. Just look at the witness that Rev. Arlo Duba and Rev. Randall Tremba provide to see the type of transformation that is occurring across the country.
So why is this so important for progressives of faith and for the country at large?
With 76% of Americans identifying themselves as Christian, it's critically important that progressives of faith give witness and show how Scripture supports the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people into our churches, communities, and civil institutions. This historic moment for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) didn't come in a vacuum. It came after thousands of individual, honest conversations and a deep study of the written Word of God.
The moral awakening of mainstream Christianity won't continue without thousands more conversations like those. As a start toward those thousands more such conversations, I want to say with humility and respect to those who did not vote the way I did: I may not agree with your point of view or interpretation of Scripture, but you are my neighbors and I love you. Scripture tells us that we are "all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). With God's blessed guidance, we can go forward and do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God, stronger together than we could ever imagine.
Rev. Dr. Janet Edwards is a Presbyterian minister in Pittsburgh, PA, and currently serves as Co-Moderator of More Light Presbyterians, a national organization working toward full inclusion of LGBT people within the Presbyterian Church (USA). In 2008 Rev. Edwards was tried and unanimously acquitted by a church court for presiding at the wedding of two women. You can read more on her blog, TimetoEmbrace.com.
Follow Rev. Dr. Janet Edwards on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RevJanetEdwards
Matthew L. Skinner: Matthew 14:22-33: Faith within the Chaos
44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
12All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
13The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
14But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”
15When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
16The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. ....’”
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New International Version
Reverend Edwards has stood up and said what is in her heart, and for this I give her thanks. It is very easy to "cherry pick" the scriptures we want to quote, but what scripture comes before or after the one chosen for "our purpose? For me, scriptures are to be read and taken to heart, the scriptures are not a Chinese menu, we cannot pick and choose as we see fir, but I guess we can, for I have read many examples of this.
I will continue to attempt to love ALL, smile at ALL and show compassion and understanding to ALL! The God of my understanding has asked me to love ALL, not just those that I choose to love.
Genesis 3:1-4
Also, You Tube has a selection of videos referencing the "Religious Left."
Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"
1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."
Luke 18:8
Hard to believe people who call themselves "Christians" refuse to believe God's revelation of the holy scriptures. So sad. No wonder there has been such large numbers leaving the denominations.
People want truth and answers, not some boring religion. This is one cause of the rise of the mega churches.
If homosexuals should not be allowed to marry, then heterosexuals should not be allowed to divorce except for sexual immorality, disobedient children should be stoned to death, shellfish and pork should be banned, and we should only be allowed "Biblical Marriage," i.e. between a man, his wives, his wives' maidservants, his concubines, and his brother's childless widow.... Anything else but following the 613 Mosaic laws and the things Paul said that we aren't sure how to translate would be "Moral Relativism"
And Jesus's use of "Born Eunuchs" or "Eunuchs by birth" is interesting in that these are the Roman legal terms for homosexuals during the time he lived. Ironically, Jesus also here contradicts one of Moses's 613 laws, this one in particular being Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Either Moses or Jesus must be wrong. So much for inerrancy.
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." -- 2 Corinthians 3:6
Bisexual does NOT mean one has a male sexual partner and a female one.
It means one is romantically and sexual attracted to both sexes and can all in love with either sex. Bisexuals can be as monogamous as others. When we're monogamous withe opposite sex we appear straight and when we're monogamous with the same sex we appear Lesbian or Gay.
But when we end up single we just have twice as many folk to date to find someone we might love.
You have no right whatsoever to cast your judgment over the world from a place of ignorance.
By the way, I'm assuming that since my partner and I are little old ladies who don't even think about sex anymore, we'll have your full approval to get married.