Sidelined by sickness, I am watching the General Conference of the United Methodist Church as it is live streamed (www.umc.org).
Just finished was heart breaking and real debate on the floor.
The issue? A statement proposed that named the reality that we disagree over the issue of same-gender love. No news. But controversial and threatening? I guess.
To that effect, an amendment was made. It wasn’t radical in that it would do away with language which is soul wrench for many. What it said was that we disagree, we people called United Methodists.
The link is below.
I came into the discussion late and claim the what-I-don’t-knows.
I can only describe what I saw on my little computer screen while a Minnesota spring storm was raging outside.
I saw people who love their church come to their feet to beg for open doors and hearts and minds. I saw witnesses in rainbow stoles who circled the Body in prayer and witness.
I saw people tussling with each other about bragging rights to who is orthodox and who is successful and really who cares when a church built upon the heart warming of grace offered to all – even sinners like John Wesley and me – is unwilling to name that we disagree?
Here is what I know. The mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples for Jesus the Christ.
People in my church make disciples of ME by the ways they model ministry. They are gay and they are lesbian and they are straight and they are celibate and they are a multicolored rainbow transforming the world because they belong to a church that welcomes all who seek to live the teachings of Jesus.
All. The United Methodist Church is bigger than our fears. This I believe.
Living Waters 