Future signs
Which way to the future? Being attentive and nimble will help churches discern their path. (GraphicStock Photo)
The very thought of splitting The United Methodist Church over the issue of gays and lesbians in the pulpit strikes me as one of the most foolish things I know. When calling his disciples to follow him, Jesus did not say. First I need to check out your sex life. He stressed love, caring, service, caring for the least, the lost, and the last. On the cross, he did not ask the thief about his sex life. Just forgiveness for a sorry sinner.
I can imagine God and Jesus sitting and mulling over this entire thing, imagine mere men, and women with the future of their church in imperfect hands of clay, and discussing the very idea of gays and lesbians in the pulpit, and concluding to themselves, well those humans have messed up the human experiment again. And stating when we launched the trial, there was no mention made of credentials in the pulpit or wherever, only "take up your cross and follow." How many opportunities do these humans need to make a go of things? Time could be running out.
I was born and raised a Methodist. I grew up as a Methodist. I have been a Methodist all my life. I married a Methodist farm girl, fresh off the farm. I believe my mother surely prayed me into the distinguished ranks of Methodist clergy. Like the late Bishop Roy Short, it was just the natural thing for me to do. I had no choice. I have no regrets, only wishing that I had done a better job. My wife and family all pitched in and made the 50-year journey around the circuit, exciting and inspiring. They were the best.
In my limited knowledge of Methodism, I am not all surprised with what is transpiring in our large, glorious and historical denomination. It is nothing new. It's been going on for generations. Some people with a burning religious fever get on a distorted jag, lose sight of their primary calling, love, win, inspire and assist in ushering in the Kingdom of God, and find themselves entangled in an endless and hopeless maze of a so-called "Holy Calling," to straighten out and clean up all the habits of their wood be followers. Jesus did not use this method. The Apostle Paul may have done this. But he is not our leader. Jesus is! Paul, who appears to have had his problems with sex, women and other issues is not our "Savior." Jesus is! While an endless, inspiring and courageous leader of the Christian Faith, Paul was made of flesh and blood, just like the rest of us, with a historical record of love and service, and ultimate death for that in which he believed, and with far superior credentials than any of us will ever have.
Over the years our denomination has gotten sidetracked, confused, hostile, divided, and sometimes split over issues such as:
Bitterly taking sides during the Revolutionary War (the King or freedom),
Slavery (Some bishops owned slaves),
The Civil War (Divide the nation),
Women's Suffrage (Deny women the right to vote),
Wine at Communion, (Welch's Grape Juice),
Preachers smoking (Not here you won't)
Divorced preacher in the pulpit (Not in our church),
Same-Sex Marriage (Should be outlawed),
Temperance Sunday (No drinking, selling, or making alcohol and serving as an Official),
Integration of Public Schools (It won't work here), and
Fear of AIDS (dirty needles are often the culprit, not sex partners).
These are just a few of the issues that have gotten under the skin of a lot of zealots, and in many instances, have brought the denomination to its feeble knees. And it appears it is about to do the same thing again with much more force and devastation. It strikes me, as they say in all political issues like this, it's the old “wag the dog" force at work. Someone or someplace is wagging the dog. They might want to reconsider the issue. I have seen such wagging of the dog in the local church. It often winds up with bitter and angry people, and a devastated local church.
I cannot imagine one of these "dog waggers", him- or herself or a close member of their family lying on the hospital operating table right before life-and-death surgery, and just before the anesthesiologist administers the gas, rising up on their elbow and looking the surgeon in the eye, and asking, “Doc, I need to know about your sex life. Are you straight or gay? If gay, forget the surgery. Let the death knells roll.” I seriously doubt it!
We Christians are an interesting lot. It appears to me that we desperately search out every possible avenue and cause that we can find to break the Heart of God and Jesus. Gays and lesbians are not our problems; we are the problem. We are the focal point of the entire issue.
While the world is sitting on a powder keg that could destroy the human race, Methodism is lost in a maze of God-given human sexuality. It’s our right! Who’s guarding the switch? It could be someday the Almighty will get fed up with this human experiment, and wipe the slate clean (I hope not). After all, there could be a Mars project in the future.
Holding back the future is like holding back the sunrise; it’s impossible.
The Rev. Billy Cox of Louisville, Ky., is a former military chaplain and retired clergy member of the Kentucky Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.