{"id":8413,"date":"2015-02-02T10:52:57","date_gmt":"2015-02-02T15:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/freedhearts\/?p=8413"},"modified":"2017-07-16T16:30:36","modified_gmt":"2017-07-16T21:30:36","slug":"pastor-looks-up-in-tears-i-had-no-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/freedhearts\/2015\/02\/02\/pastor-looks-up-in-tears-i-had-no-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Pastor Looks Up In Tears. “I Had No Idea.”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"manalone\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Love the \u2018sinner,\u2019 then kick them out of church<\/a>, and their family too if they don\u2019t side with you against their child.<\/p>\n

I just can\u2019t get my head around that. Telling someone they are no longer welcome in your church, in your home \u2013 and calling it love?!? It makes no sense to me at all. It is not<\/em> love in any way.<\/p>\n

As Rob says, \u201cTo stand at the church door and block anyone from entering, for any reason, is absolutely indefensible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Too much \u201cChristian\u201d teaching has really gone off-track<\/a>, off into the weeds and over a cliff: believing that by rejecting another person they are somehow supporting their faith, even showing devotion to God. We see pastors rejecting, Christian leaders rejecting \u2013 but we DON\u2019T ever see Jesus rejecting. Ever.<\/p>\n

So, the question is: Who are we following anyway??<\/p>\n

The people kicking people out of their church, \u2018separating people\u2019 from God \u2013 are the same people who look forward to a \u201cgolden crown with jewels in it\u201d for their fine performance on earth as a Christian.<\/p>\n

I can only imagine that conversation as a Pastor shows up at the pearly gates\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here! Looking forward to that reward now! That crown and the jewels\u2026 and the mansion\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cUh yeah, about that\u2026 So, I\u2019m looking over your life here\u2026 seems like you threw people out of your church, let\u2019s see, because they were gay. Is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor smiles proudly and nods.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it says you did this in my name\u2026 let\u2019s see here\u2026 and you threw their families out too\u2026\u201d Looks up from notes. \u201cWhy in heaven\u2019s name did you do all that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor stops nodding and smiling. \u201cUm\u2026 because I was doing what you wanted!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I wanted?? Where did you get that idea? I never threw anyone out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor looking down now. \u201cWell, uh, I thought\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you didn\u2019t. You didn\u2019t think about what this would do to them.\u201d\u00a0 Waits. \u201cI never once told anyone to throw anyone out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor shuffles his feet. \u201cBut\u2026 that was how we\u2019d show them tough love and get them to change.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDid any of them change?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor is silent. Then quietly. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know?? You\u2019re the pastor in charge of leading these people. How would you lose track of them and not know what happened? Do you remember the story I told you about leaving the 99 sheep to go after the one because each one matters?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor looks puzzled.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s what I was talking about. And you not only didn\u2019t go get them, you shut and locked the gate behind them. You told them they were condemned to hell!\u201d\u00a0 Another pause.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want to know what happened to those people you and your church sent away?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor speaks quietly. \u201c\u2026yes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThree of them committed suicide<\/a>. They believed you when you told them they were wicked evil sinners, abominations. They\u2019re here now\u2026 in case you wondered.\u00a0 Most of the others wanted nothing more to do with God<\/a>. They also believed you that God hated them and had no use for them. I sent some of my beloved faithful people to talk to them, to tell them the truth, to draw them back into God\u2019s unconditional love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor looks up. \u201cI thought my job was to stop people\u2019s sin.\u201d<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. In fact, I told you the opposite. I said for you to love them \u2013 just love them \u2013 and point them to me. I told you to serve them\u2026 even if you didn\u2019t feel like it. I told you to visit them and clothe them and feed them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor\u2019s head drops again.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI told you to seek justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly. Kicking people out is not humble, or merciful, or just.\u201d Lifts the pastor\u2019s head. \u201cI was pretty clear when I said to love God and love others. I said everything else would line up under that. I said the Spirit would lead you. I sent people directly to tell you all of this, but you wouldn\u2019t listen. You kicked many of them out too.\u201d
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Pastor fidgets. \u201cI thought all the pastors who were giving in and letting gay people into their churches were just weak\u2026 I couldn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got it upside-down. The ones who welcomed gay people into their churches were the strong ones. They asked God about it and then they listened to the Spirit \u2013 they did what was right \u2013 they actually loved people the way that I love people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pastor looks up in tears. \u201cI had no idea.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Every day, people from the pews and the pulpits are realizing the deadly result of their attitudes.<\/p>\n

Every day, people are becoming welcoming, loving, and affirming.<\/p>\n

Every day, people are choosing the heart and truth of God.<\/p>\n

Are you?<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"We have \u2018pay-what-you-want\u2019 video courses helping parents love, accept & affirm their LGBTQI children; helping those in the faith community be more loving & fully inclusive; and helping LGBTQI heal shame from family, church & community wounds. We also have private Facebook support groups for parents, and other resources. Please click here<\/a>. <\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Love the \u2018sinner,\u2019 then kick them out of church, and their family too if they don\u2019t side with you against their child. I just can\u2019t get my head around that. Telling someone they are no longer welcome in your church, in your home \u2013 and calling it love?!? It makes no sense to me at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2073,"featured_media":8415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,9,12,13],"tags":[362,364,475,622],"class_list":["post-8413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-religion","category-family-support","category-lgbtq-support","category-the-real-jesus","category-theology","tag-gay-child","tag-gay-christian","tag-homosexuality","tag-lgbt"],"yoast_head":"\nPastor Looks Up In Tears. 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