Houston

I've been in Houston since Thursday night. I can't really tell you why I'm here, but I am. I guess part of it is to be in prayer with Beth Stroud and her family. I guess part of it is to get out of Washington, DC. I guess part of it is to have a time of retreat so that I can read, pray, and think more clearly.

On Thursday, the United Methodist Church's Judicial Council heard some very important cases, three of which focus on issues of sexuality and doctrine. Beth's case is probably the most famous, but two others have distinct implications for our church. Another case centered around the decision of the Virginia Annual Conference to place a clergy person on leave without pay for his denial of local church membership to a person because of their sexual orientation. And a final case, was that against the California-Nevada Conference for their resolution stating that sexual orientation and gender identity were “statuses” and thus covered under the non-discrimination policy of the Constitution of the United Methodist Church.

While I recognize that I take a certain stand on such issues, I continue to hold the entire United Methodist Church and the Church universal in prayer. I think it might be easy to think of the Judicial Council hearings in terms on win-lose. The deeper reality, however, is that no matter the decision of the Judicial Council, our church is in a difficult place. We don't always reflect God's love and grace, not matter which side we're on. We never repent, and although many of us may say we are "reconciling" - we think just because we have reconciled issues of faith and sexuality, that we have already attained perfection.

Holy other, Holy one, immerse us in your grace. Teach us to continue the process of reconciling that was begun in Jesus Christ. Heal us, hold us, be with us forever. Amen.

Life at the Rectory

A great bit of my laxity in posting has been due to the move I made around the time I began blogging. This is the first time I've ever really lived in a house, other than the one I was raised in. And with it, comes all of the intricacies of a house.

My roommates are two wonderful women from church. Like me, they are seminary graduates. We live in northeast Washington, close to Gallaudet University, and next to a cute little Roman Catholic Church. On the other side of the church is the rectory, which has caused me to call our home of rogue theologians, "The Other Rectory."

Friday was a day where everything seemed to go wrong. The plumber couldn't finish his job, the phone company didn't arrive in their declared time frame, the water company was working on the line on our street and turned the water off without notifying us, and I broke our lovely glass front door in a passive-agressive moment.

I suppose I could try and make some simplistic theological statement here: Rely on God, or Peace, Peace, or even my mother's Presbyterian answer of "Well, I guess it was just supposed to happen." But I think what I desire most, is not an easy theological answer. You know, the funeral response of "well, he's in a better place," just doesn't cut it. And simplistic statements don't give much hope either.

So I live in the tension of wondering if God wanted me to break the door or if the door just had it in for me. I also wonder if the phone company would be a good description of sin. Whatever God intended, things are getting fixed.

Hits on the Blog

Wow. I never thought anyone would find what I had to say remotely interesting - and my last posting had 5, (well 3 if you don't count the bots placing ads), comments. Obviously I am theologically progressive, but I truly believe there are points where our lives of faith, no matter our theological tendencies, bring us together. Personally, I can't wait for the day when we can stop fighting over sexuality and doctrine and focus on powerfully transforming lives and the world. God engages us in this process - we just need to accept our role in the divine-human encounter.


I need to get into the habit of reading blogs more often. It can be part of my daily disciplines.