Distracted from what, Bishop?

North Alabama Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett released this statement* criticizing retired Bishop Melvin Talbert's decision to officiate a same-sex wedding in her conference. *(It seems the original statement has been replaced by a new one as of this afternoon.) Part of the Bishop's concern is that Bishop Talbert's actions will somehow be a distraction from the church's *real* ministry.

First of all, to her concern about media coverage, I say bring it on. The coverage of Bishop Talbert performing the wedding in opposition to discriminatory church law will be an inspiration to many of us, inside and outside the UMC. How refreshing it will be to see a leader lead.

But yes, the ongoing debate about sexual orientation and marriage equality is a distraction. It consumes too much of my time and energy as a queer United Methodist. Jesus, we should all remember, did not seem to care at all about condemning or policing people around their adherence to Levitical law. He did, though, say a heck of a lot about money and the poor and how we should treat those on the margins. If Jesus were still in his grave, I am sure he would be rolling over. It's true that the church's obsession with sex is a giant distraction from the ministry to which we followers of Jesus are called.

Except that church law and practice as it stands is causing grave harm to God's children. It is further marginalizing the marginalized. And Jesus does call us to care about that. Bishop Wallace-Padgett, I will be glad to turn my attention to things more important than sexual orientation when you and the rest of the church stop actively marginalizing me and my LGBT brothers and sisters. Until then, we will not be silenced.

Going Deeper

Last Sunday's Gospel reading was a tough one!

From Luke 14:25-33:

Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 

So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Here's my reflection on this passage at Parkland United Methodist. Jesus' words are challenging and discomforting. But the resistance they might evoke is an invitation to go deeper.

Thought of the Day

I love this description from Cynthia Bourgeault's Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening:

"The big difference between [ordinary and spiritual awareness] is that whereas ordinary awareness perceives through self-reflexive consciousness, which splits the world into subject and object; spiritual awareness perceives through an intuitive grasp of the whole and an innate sense of belonging. It's something like sounding the note G on the piano and instantly hearing the D and the B that surround it and make a chord. And since spiritual awareness is perception based on harmony, the sense of selfhood arising out of it is not plagued by that sense of isolation and anxiety that dominates life at the ordinary level of awareness."

On Syria

I used to pay more attention to news from the Middle East than I do now. In college, I spent time in the West Bank and Morocco, studied Arabic, and got connected to human rights activism around Palestine. At that time, I kept pretty close tabs on news and analysis, but it's been awhile. Though I still keep up on what is going on in Palestine, I can't say I have been paying very close attention to Syria over the past two years.

It doesn't take much expertise, though, to know that Obama's proposed unilateral military strikes are a horrible idea. For one thing, I am trusting the expertise of others, who have convinced me that military action is ill-conceived and extremely dangerous. Some of the most helpful things I've read/heard:

Bassam Haddad On Democracy Now

Do's and Dont's For Progressives Discussing Syria

On Syria, A UN Vote Isn't Optional

Iraq Veterans Against the War Statement

Juan Cole: A US Attack on Syria Will Prolong the War

But most of all, I don't think any of us have to be experts to see a pattern emerging over the last decade plus of U.S. intervention. Syria can't be easily compared to Iraq, Afghanistan, or previous conflicts. However, those of us whose skepticism and war-weariness are heightened by our country's recent (and not-so-recent) past should pay attention to that intuition. We have learned things: No, the U.S. is not primarily motivated by humanitarian concerns. No, it will not be quick, easy and painless - not for our own country and especially not for the already war-torn country we plan to bomb. And no, our conventional weapons of mass destruction are not likely to deter others from using their WMDs, conventional or otherwise.

If - as seems likely - we do launch missiles in the coming days, I truly hope my go-to experts and I will be proven wrong about the geo-political consequences.

Regardless, though, the moral and human consequences will still stand. I don't always agree with my denomination's stance on things, but I think the United Methodist statement on war is worth sharing:

 "We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ. We therefore reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy. We oppose unilateral first/preemptive strike actions and strategies on the part of any government. As disciples of Christ, we are called to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict. We insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to work together to resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among them. We advocate the extension and strengthening of international treaties and institutions that provide a framework within the rule of law for responding to aggression, terrorism, and genocide. We believe that human values must outweigh military claims as governments determine their priorities; that the militarization of society must be challenged and stopped; that the manufacture, sale, and deployment of armaments must be reduced and controlled; and that the production, possession, or use of nuclear weapons be condemned. Consequently, we endorse general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control."

  

Humility and Making Space

This week I preached on Luke 14:1, 7-14, looking at what humility means (and doesn't mean) for those at the banquet and those Jesus tells us should be invited.

Here's the text:

"On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Hear my sermon on this passage here. (The link will download the mp3 audio file.)