McChurch – How Many Gays in the Graveyard?

At the end of the day, there is no such thing
as a homosexual corpse — only dead corpses and, of course, spiritual ones, like

the church in question.

I was greatly inspired recently by a report on Nation
News regarding the decision by a megachurch in Arlington, TX
to cancel the funeral of a veteran of the Gulf War because he was gay before he
assumed room temperature. 

"Officials at the
nondenominational High Point
Church knew that Cecil
Howard Sinclair was gay when they offered to host his service," said his
sister, Kathleen Wright. "But after his obituary listed his life partner as one
of his survivors," she said, "it was called off."

The decision to
cancel the funeral was made with only 24 hours notice.  God, of course, gave this poor guy more than
24 hours notice to make his arrangements, as he had an ongoing heart condition
and was waiting for a transplant. 

I happened to be
preaching a sermon on Sunday, August 12, 2007, on how God honors our faith even
when buried under weakness and compromise. 
This story came in handy, it being a classic illustration of weakness
masquerading as strength.

McChurch is in need of a heart transplant — no question about it.  This particular church, presided over by the
brother-in-law of tele-giant Joel Osteen, pastor of a 38,000 member church in Houston, was on the horns
of a spiritual dilemma.  Its pastor, Rev.
Gary Simons, described the action as based neither on hatred nor discrimination
but done out of love and kindness toward the family.  Since the church believes homosexuality to be
a sin, to hold the funeral would, in some strange way, appear as an endorsement
of the lifestyle.

This certainly is
a living example of taking yourself too seriously on the one hand and not
seriously enough on the other.  On the
one hand, who would give a flying care to what the average person on the street
thinks of that church.  They already know
that these people are more interested in their image than in their mission.  By their actions, it has now been publicly
confirmed.

On the other
hand, they might have enhanced their image had they considered this a great
opportunity to speak in love to how they feel about homosexuality — a live
object lesson on the evangelical mantra of loving the sinner but hating the sin.  At the end of the day, there is no such thing
as a homosexual corpse — only dead corpses and, of course, spiritual corpses like
the church in question.

As I was
preaching my sermon on faith to a handful of thoughtful Christians (as opposed
to high rolling, image-conscious, God-bless-the-American-Dream Christians), I
glanced out the window at the graveyard next door.  I asked, "How many gays are buried out
there?"  All I got was a laugh.  I then said, "I don't know how many gays there
are out there, but I do know of a lot of secrets that are buried there."  Another laugh. 

I wondered how
many funny uncles there were out there and how many women out there who had had
backroom abortions.  My mother is buried
there, for one.  The family scuttlebutt is
that she had had an abortion before I was born. 
There have been times when I have been accused of being the one
aborted.  Yet, despite all those secrets,
there was always someone throughout the years who was big enough to exercise a
Godly attitude and help grieving families get through their loss.  Some churches are hospitals for sinners,
while others are resting places for the self-righteous, of which there are
legion.

We are in
trouble, folks.

This incident was
right up there with the report this week of Evangelicals who will not vote for
anyone for President who does not keep the Ten Commandments.  Nobody had the courage or scholarship to
remind them that abortion and homosexuality are not in the first ten.  On the other hand, bearing false witness
against your neighbor is in the first
ten.  If memory serves me correctly, our
current President, a darling of the Christian Right, has displayed an uncanny
disposition to violate that one.  Some of
the victims of his witness are toughing it out in Guantanamo Bay.

No, there are no
gays in the graveyard — only histories and memories, some of which have
undergone Christian revisionism by those bold enough to openly congratulate
themselves for loving their God with all their hearts, souls, minds and
strength. 

Stan Moody is
the author of "Crisis in Evangelical Scholarship" and
"McChurched: 300 Million Served and Still Hungry