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Mar 1 2017

Homosexuality and the United Methodist Church have been in the news recently. A May meeting of representatives from across the globe and the recent election of an openly lesbian clergyperson to the position of bishop have highlighted deep divisions within our church. In this week’s blog post I’ll explain what’s happened and what it means. And then Sunday at Access we’ll look at how Christians reading the same Bible come to such different conclusions about homosexuality.

The United Methodist Book of Discipline contains our church law for how our churches may minister to and with homosexual persons. It specifies that all people may attend worship services, participate in programs, receive the sacraments of baptism and communion, and become members of a United Methodist Church. However, the Book of Discipline prohibits ordaining homosexual persons as clergy. Also, United Methodist clergy cannot officiate at same-sex weddings, and same-sex weddings cannot take place in United Methodist churches. Every 4 years any United Methodist may submit a proposal for changes to the Book of Discipline, and elected laypeople and clergy from around the world gather at General Conference to debate those changes.

General Conference last met in May 2016. It received many proposals that ranged from strengthening the current position on homosexuality to completely reversing it. The issue was so divisive that the Conference approved a proposal by the bishops of the church to cease debate on homosexuality and allow the bishops to appoint a special commission to “develop a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph in our Book of Discipline regarding human sexuality.” If the commission finishes its work in time, the bishops will implement a Called General Conference prior to the one already scheduled for 2020. The bishops plan to convene the first meeting of the commission in October of this year.

A few weeks ago, on July 16th, United Methodist Churches in the Western United States elected Karen Oliveto, an openly lesbian clergywoman, to the position of bishop. While this seems clearly to violate the intent of the Book of Discipline, the United Methodist Judicial Council, a kind of Supreme Court of the Church, has been asked to conduct a judicial review to determine which particular church laws apply and how. The Judicial Council next meets in late October.

In the short-term I expect these events to have minimal impact on the day-to-day life and ministry of our church. However, your friends may increasingly turn to you to make sense of what’s happening. I encourage you to share what you know and to explain that our predecessors were called Methodists, because they worked very methodically. Right now the Untied Methodist Church is working steadily and methodically both to apply our current church laws justly and to develop our future laws in a way that will address our divisions over homosexuality while maintaining our unity. As you explain I encourage you to ask your friends to pray for the people of our church and for our ability faithfully to discern and follow God’s will.

At FUMCR we have always found ways to disagree on issues yet to treat each other with respect and to focus on what unites us. Whatever changes come in the future, I see FUMCR continuing as one congregation with diverse opinions working together to fulfill the mission God has given us: With open hearts and minds we Welcome people for Christ, Grow people in Christ, and Serve people with Christ. Thank you for being a part of continuing that wonderful tradition!

I hope you’ll worship with the Access community on Sunday as we turn to the scriptures to see what the Bible says about homosexuality. You’ll gain an understanding of two very different perspectives that Christians take on the topic, and you’ll learn how they end up at such different places while reading the same Bible.

In Christ,
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

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Mar 1 2017

photo by David Faulkner / CC BY-NC-ND

I got to spend Tuesday morning this week with 124 kids (plus 68 adults & teens) that have been creating a musical they’ll share at our 9:45 and 11:00 worship services on Sunday morning. We closed our time together with prayer, and I asked, “What should we pray about?” Two young boys raised their hands. I called on the first, and he said, “the shootings.” The second boy put down his hand and then raised it again and asked, “Which ones?” It turned out they had two different shootings in mind.

I long for a world where children don’t have to ask for prayers for a shooting or to clarify for which one. I have some suggestions for how to create that world.

Prayer is a good start toward that world. The Bible teaches that humanity’s propensity for injustice and violence is rooted in spiritual brokenness that only God can heal. However, we also have a role to play in creating a more just and peaceful world.

An old Jewish teaching says that it’s better to give 1,000 small gifts than 1 large gift, because the habit of giving will transform the giver into a more generous person and ultimately have more impact. Most of us won’t have the opportunity to make one large impact for peace and justice, but all of us can take small daily actions that promote them. I can strike up conversations with my neighbors I don’t know, especially those with a different first language or racial background. I can choose to give the benefit of the doubt to others rather than assume they act out of malice. As our senior pastor, Clayton, encouraged last Sunday, I can listen to the laments of others. I can also participate in ministries of FUMCR that help me get to know people I wouldn’t otherwise meet, such as our partnership with Mark Twain Elementary School, Body and Soul, or one of our other Mission and Outreach ministries.

Any given small act that promotes peace and justice will not likely change the world, but many small acts taken by all of us consistently over time will change us in ways that ultimately will change the world.

I hope you’ll join me in taking those small acts.

In Christ,
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

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Mar 1 2017

Image courtesy of meepoohfoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lots of my friends will celebrate freedom this weekend. A few of them also get excited about going to jail.

A few years ago I received an excited e-mail from a friend telling me about an event she was going to on the weekend. The e-mail concluded with the line “I might get arrested!” More recently I was talking with another friend that was excited, because in the fall he’s going to a prison he’s never been to before, one where “they had a riot a while back, and someone died.”

My first friend was headed to a non-violent protest about an issue related to social justice. She desperately wanted others to notice the injustice she saw, and getting arrested would have been a clear sign that she had gotten someone’s attention. I don’t think she ended up in jail that weekend, but I’m pretty sure it’s still one of her goals.

My second friend belongs to the Kairos prison ministry. They go into prisons over weekends and share their faith with inmates. They and prison administrators have seen the positive impact that Kairos makes, so everyone is excited about going into a new prison, especially one with an acute need for something positive.

The gospel of John emphasizes that everything Jesus did, he did by choice for the sake of others, including getting arrested. Free to do anything, he chose to do things that helped others no matter the personal cost.

This Independence Day weekend I’m thanking God for the freedoms I enjoy in the United States. I’m remembering that people gave their lives to secure those freedoms for others. I’m remembering Jesus and my friends that follow him, who freely choose to help others even at cost to themselves. And I’m looking for ways to be more like them.

This weekend I’ll also be exercising my freedom to assemble with others and worship God. I hope you’ll join me! Access will meet at 11:00 a.m. in Mays Hall at First UMC Richardson.

Have a great weekend!

In Christ,
Rich

 
Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson