{"id":3784,"date":"2015-06-27T13:39:32","date_gmt":"2015-06-27T20:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/irreverin\/?p=3784"},"modified":"2015-06-27T13:39:32","modified_gmt":"2015-06-27T20:39:32","slug":"holy-edges-10-things-to-preach-if-your-church-is-divided-on-gay-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/irreverin\/2015\/06\/holy-edges-10-things-to-preach-if-your-church-is-divided-on-gay-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Holy Edges: 10 Things to Preach if Your Church is Divided on Gay Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

It\u2019s going to be a great day at my church tomorrow. My congregation<\/a> has been open and affirming since before that was a thing. So at our place, the news of the SCOTUS ruling<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0gay marriage will be met with rejoicing. There will be a special prayer. There will probably be cheering. We might haul the kids\u2019 noisemakers out of the closet. I know, and it\u2019s not even Christmas!<\/p>\n

But in other congregations, there will be a sharp, icy chill in the air. I\u2019m not talking about the churches where everyone\u2014pastors, leaders, and members alike\u2014are CERTAIN that this decision signals the end-times, and that all LGBT people and allies have just purchased a 1st class, 1-way ticket to hell. I\u2019m talking about the places where SOME of the members feel like that\u2026 but not all. Places where maybe the pastor and many members are quiet allies, knowing that there would be a mass exodus if they ever said so out loud. \u00a0\"farbenspiel-174873_640\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In other words\u2026 most congregations in most mainline denominations.<\/p>\n

Those churches have found ways to peacefully co-exist, up until now. Maybe there\u2019s a \u201cdon\u2019t ask, don\u2019t tell\u201d approach\u2026 unspoken but agreed upon. Or maybe they\u2019ve just \u201cagreed to disagree,\u201d and have found ways to focus on the things they hold in common, rather than rocking the boat with controversial issues. While I question the authenticity of both those arrangements, I respect them\u2014and appreciate the pastors who live faithfully in those places, seeking to build bridges where they can, while also keeping their jobs. I know that\u2019s an impossibly tough job sometimes.<\/p>\n

But this week, it is nearly impossible for a pastor to step into the pulpit and not address the news\u2014and what it means for the Church in our time and place. So, if you\u2019re in a church that is not exactly cracking out the noisemakers tomorrow\u2026 what can you say? Here are a few sermon ideas, for the weary leaders in that middle place:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. 1 Corinthians 13:\u00a0 <\/b>On love, and loving mystery. You can talk about love all day long, and how we are called to love each other above all else, etc. But also in this scripture is an interesting connection of love to mystery\u2026 <\/i>You explore the theme of how vast God is, how little we truly know of the universe and the human experience\u2026 and how our assumptions that we have ANYthing figured out\u2014much less that we have EVERYthing figured out\u2014are harmful to the human family, the church, and the gospel itself. God is a mystery. Love is a mystery. How do we find some comfort in the unknowns, and love each other where\/when we are?<\/li>\n
  2. Matthew 7\u00a0 \u201c<\/b>\u201cDo not judge, or you too will be judged.\u201d Well\u2026 and I guess that one is pretty dang straightforward. If you were REALLY cool, you could just read that passage and then go sit down. Mic drop.<\/li>\n
  3. Ephesians 4 <\/b>(or any one of the Epistles) re: Unity in the Body of Christ. <\/b>We don\u2019t have to agree on everything to be Church together. And we don\u2019t have to agree on ANYthing to be part of human family together.<\/li>\n
  4. Just about ANYthing from Acts, <\/b>and discuss the value of community, <\/i>over and above the value of who is right or wrong. This value is, and always has been, important to the spread of the gospel.<\/li>\n
  5. Any of the miracle stories<\/b>\u2014 Jesus doesn\u2019t just heal people. Jesus restores to community<\/i> all who have been rejected. No conditions, no big conversion. In Jesus\u2019 ministry, bringing people back into the fold of human relationship was an important part of their overall wholeness and well-being. How might the church follow that practice of reaching out and restoring relationship\u2014with ALL people?<\/li>\n
  6. Matthew 7, take two. <\/b>Hey, man, you\u2019ve got something in your eye there\u2026 Oh, wait, it\u2019s\u00a0 a LOG. Yeah, I\u2019ve got one too\u2026<\/i> So, this one can get tricky. Many of us don\u2019t believe that homosexuality IS a sin\u2014and suggesting otherwise can be really harmful. However, if you know that much of your congregation is CERTAIN it is a sin\u2026 you could preach a really powerful sermon questioning whether they are willing to put their own \u2018sin\u2019 under a microscope\u2026 If you are brave enough to go this route, I\u2019d suggest you couch it with a big \u201cIF you believe _____ is sinful,\u201d and then go from there to discuss\/question why some sins have become so socially acceptable, while others have become a pariah\u2026And then focus on the sins that we ALL commit, (probably daily); and begin to change the conversation. Again, this one\u2019s a risk. But it\u2019s also got transformation potential.<\/li>\n
  7. Genesis 1, and Romans 8. <\/b>Yes, both together. We are, all of us, created in God\u2019s image. And as such, Nothing<\/i> (neither height nor depth, etc) can separate us from the love of God.<\/li>\n
  8. Galatians 3 <\/b>There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, man nor woman, etc. \u2026 This letter was written to a specific community in a specific time and place. What do you reckon it would say now, if Paul was writing to us? Neither black nor white?\u00a0 Progressive mainliner nor conservative fundamentalist? There is neither gay nor straight. There is neither Democrat nor Republican (!!) You could go on for a bit like this\u2026<\/li>\n
  9. Of course, you could just skip straight to Communion, <\/b>and talk about all the things we have in common\u2014even down to the basic need for bread. And all the ways God holds us together in these bonds of faith and witness.<\/li>\n
  10. Micah 6: <\/b>What does the Lord require of you? Justice; kindness; walk humbly\u2026 <\/i>It can really be just that simple. This is what has been asked of us. We aren\u2019t the boss of anybody. We don\u2019t have to manage or manipulate someone\u2019s life in order to love them or be kind. The law of our land does not have to reflect our own personal beliefs. etc. Be loving. Be kind. Be HUMBLE. Emphasize that last point, and we can all get along just fine.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Of course, you could do any combination of these scriptures and talk about how the Church has changed and evolved over time\u2014from one conflict to the next, from Acts until now. For each generation, the most difficult, but most important task of ministry is finding places to be together, in the middle\u2014 and at the edges \u2014of great change.<\/p>\n

    In some of our places, this is not a time to celebrate moderation. It is a time to embrace the radical love and inclusion that is beginning to move outwards, from our congregations and into the world around us. There is a tremendous need right now for churches that are equipped to welcome and embrace LGBT folks; it is critical for the survival of our own communities, and for the gospel itself, that we have all of their gifts and voices at the table. There is an urgency to begin (or continue) the healing that must be done, if they are to feel safe and included.<\/p>\n

    But we also need churches for the people who are not yet sure\u2026 places for those who are struggling, questioning, wondering\u2026 Even for those who are angry and afraid. We do not have to let those voices define us, or stop progress\u2026 But if we mean what we say about unity, and places at the table, we are all still one Body in the meantime; even as we figure out how to be all \u201ctogether, in one place.\u201d My prayers are with the leaders of those churches right now, as they teach their folks to live together in uncertainty, and love through seasons of discomfort.<\/p>\n

    All this said,: Many congregations that THINK they are stuck in the middle on this\u2014whatever that might mean\u2014 do, in fact, have the gifts to be welcoming, inclusive and diverse; they are ALMOST READY to move ahead. They just need some good leadership to nudge them ahead.<\/p>\n

    More on that to come next week\u2026<\/p>\n

    Meanwhile\u2014blessings and peace all around. Say what\u2019s true. Love your folks. All will be well.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It\u2019s going to be a great day at my church tomorrow. My congregation has been open and affirming since before that was a thing. So at our place, the news of the SCOTUS ruling\u00a0on\u00a0gay marriage will be met with rejoicing. There will be a special prayer. There will probably be cheering. We might haul the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1154,"featured_media":3785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,5],"tags":[59,772,646,105,712,9],"class_list":["post-3784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-being-a-person","category-faith-and-community","tag-church","tag-gay-marriage","tag-lgbt-rights","tag-ministry","tag-preaching","tag-progressive-christianity"],"yoast_head":"\nHoly Edges: 10 Things to Preach if Your Church is Divided on Gay Marriage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It\u2019s going to be a great day at my church tomorrow. My congregation has been open and affirming since before that was a thing. 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