I loved the little Methodist Church I grew up in. There were lots of wonderfully quirky people doing their best to be disciples. Every 2-3 years we would get another student pastor – some great and others not so much. I learned a lot listening to those sermons, and I never thought once about their sexuality. They were just people, like the rest of us. While I was in seminary, I was sent to serve my first church as a student, and I met an amazing pastor in the county who became a life-long friend. It turned out that he was gay and was the subject of a witch hunt by some of the other UMC pastors in our conference. When I was ordained, I asked him to be the elder who walked me up to the stage. He said, reluctantly, that he would, but I think I could hear his knees knocking. I had made a vow earlier that year that I would, if asked, tell the Board of Ordained Ministry that I was a self-avowed, practicing homosexual. Nobody asked.
I got married that same year, and on our honeymoon, we attended a lovely little church in Conway, NJ. The pastor was dynamic and gifted. She was also a lesbian. A few years later, the bishop who ordained me had to preside over the trial that would cause her to lose her ordination. Meanwhile, straight people were getting away with all kinds of terrible things, getting moved from one church to another. Losing them would have been a blessing. Losing her was a crime. Another self-avowed, practicing homosexual bites the dust. And Jesus wept.
The news that Rev. Beth Stroud was welcomed back into the fold is wonderful, but my feelings are bittersweet. For over 50 years, the UMC has persecuted servants of God who are not straight, and it has been a mark of shame against the church I grew up in. I was raised to believe that God loved everyone, and when I became aware of this particular hypocrisy, I was told that LGBTQ people had “sacred worth”. Just not as much as straight people. No, they assured me; God loves all of us, but those people need to stop their sinful ways to be truly equal. How, I asked, can they be truly sinful if they are just being who God made them to be? They aren’t hurting anyone – they are just in love! “Sexual preference” was the term that was used. Another lie against people who aren’t heterosexual.
So yes; I rejoice that the church of my youth and young adulthood and ordination has finally concluded that LGBTQ people are good enough to ordain. I am thankful that all those gifted, faithful people who weren’t made straight by God are now able to stop hiding and use their gifts for ordination. Sometimes it takes a while for people to catch up with God. But I weep for all of the saints who have suffered under the often-unrelenting bigotry of some of God’s people. I mourn for the loss of those people who just weren’t willing to lie. And I pray for those who will face the “nice” bigots in the pews of the congregations they will be serving. Go with God – have strength and courage. You have been called into the struggle, and many of us are with you. Like the Apostle Paul wrote: If God is for us, who can be against us?
Prayer – Holy God, cure us of our biases – heal us of our bigotry – change our ignorance to understanding. Amen.
Today’s art is by Ernest Fiestan.