The Challenge, As Always

Beloved:
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              Recent conversations require me to say again that for as long as I am pastor of University Baptist Church, people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, bald, blue-eyed, left-handed, genius, nearsighted, brown-skinned, long in the tooth, gentile – or any other variation therein – will be received and regarded the same as all other people.  That is, children of God, equal in belovedness, in need of grace, being made new in Jesus Christ.

Does God’s design for the human family include LGBTQ brothers and sisters?  Yes.  In our life together – so long as I am pastor – our testimony will be yes.

Do the same biblical teachings of monogamy and fidelity, mutual submission, kindness, and Christ-centered love still apply?  Yes.

Must we talk about this all the time?  Yes.  All the time it’s time to say that for love of each and every human being Jesus came and died and rose.  And whenever church voices rise with exception to the gospel, the truth must raise its voice accordingly, Jesus made no exceptions.  (Acts 10)
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The challenge, as always, is to persist in love with those who see things differently.  For the sister who visited and needed to explain how we are failing to be truthful with them, all I know to do is be graceful but insist, here I stand, I can do no other.

Do we all have room to grow in being more like Christ?  The loudest YES! of all.  Who doesn’t struggle with fear, addiction, jealousy or sloth?  With envy, greed, prejudice or lust?  Who could be more generous with money, time and talent?  More brave in speaking up for justice?  More consistent in prayer?  More attentive to the needy in our midst?

All of us know less than we don’t.  Lording over those with whom we disagree can come to no good end and, besides, it undercuts the very gospel that we preach.  Grace, then, must always be our fallback position.  Tell the truth as best we can, leaving as much grace as possible in our wake.  I pray you find yourself full of grace and truth and courage in these days. 

~ peace & prayers,
pastor annette