26 August 2009

Hello? Deep End Calling. Is the Church Available? You Went Off So Quickly...


Okay. I get it. It's a big deal. Historic, even. WAAAAAY bigger than Called to Common Mission ever was. Every time I mention that I'm Lutheran lately, the Churchwide Assembly and the Human Sexuality stuff comes up.

So, listen up, Church, because I say this in great love: some of you need to get a fucking grip on yourselves.

You're a baptized believer in Jesus, ain't you? Then you've got salvation in the bag - and if that was good enough for Luther when he was on the run, it oughta be good enough for you today. I don't care if you think it's about damn time we ordained gays and lesbians or you can't believe we'd ever ordain gays and lesbians: working this out is gonna take time, patience and enough forbearance to fill a C130. Panic and petulance isn't going to get us anywhere. Neither will prideful celebration. KNOCK IT OFF, ALL OF YOU.

I'm declaring an official moratorium on the issue here and on FB for three days, and I encourage others to do the same. Just shut up and think about it for a couple of days. We need cool heads and thoughtful hearts on this. I'll admit to contributing my fair share of the problem today: will you join me in slowing down enough to be reasonable about this? I hope so.

Jesus loves you. Now shut up.

Grace & peace,
Scott

6 comments:

  1. oy! let me leave you some fresh baked blueberry muffins, a good hot cup of joe, and a terribly good book to read... *sigh*

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  2. Four years after the UCC's General Synod affirmed marriage equality, there's still plenty of pride and petulance to go around. I think you're in for a long slog.

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  3. HC: just finished Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Crazy how a good book does so much for the status of your soul. Thanks.

    CP: don't I know it. But I think FB is exacerbating the issue in ways the UCC might not have experienced four years ago.

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  4. Well, at least this whole brou-ha-ha reminded me that its not only we Presbyterians who su...I mean struggle, yes, struggle with issues.

    But hey, over at my place I'm b*tching about health care, if'n your looking for some ecumenical/ interfaith ways we are all f'ed up.

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  5. I'm reading In Defense of Food, too (for something completely different).

    I really like it.

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  6. Preach it, brother.

    I'm more concerned with the fact that Sunday school starts in two weeks and I have no curriculum, no materials, and no teachers.

    And as far as good (but disturbing) books go, I recommend Oral Sex is the New Goodnight Kiss. We did a discussion of it at the youth ministry workshop I went to this weekend. It was disturbing but necessary. As both a campus minister and the father of girls, you should read it.

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