Reconciling Ministries Network

Going Mad

By Julie Todd

(reprinted from the 2008 General Conference blog)

I recently finished reading

a christian ethicist

Who

after a long and depressing

Analysis

of the state of the world

& oppression of the masses,

further unbelieving in

the capacity of institutions

to change w/out coercion

Writes in the last paragraph of this work

“…justice cannot be approximated

if the hope of its perfect realization

does not generate A SUBLIME MADNESS

in the soul.

NOTHING BUT SUCH MADNESS

Will do battle

With malignant power

and

‘spiritual wickedness in high places.”

 

So.

I’ve decided

to GO MAD,

SUBLIMELY MAD

Yes, I’m going MAD

to General Conference

 

I will stand in line behind

so many women

who people thought were MAD

Witches

Suffragists

Preachers

WILD women

so moved by their communities

so resistant to the powers that be

so knowledgeable of their own power

so present in their bodies

so fundamentally themselves

that people considered them a threat

& called them

MAD, CRAZY, HYSTERICAL, INSANE

 

I mean

How mad is it?

to senselessly hope for change?

to be carried away by my foolish belief in the gospel?

to be totally infatuated with a desire for justice?

to be moved by a vision a insane egalitarianism?

marked by a wild abandon and gaiety in the face of hate?

Madness, some say,

is a form of ecstasy

& so I am ecstatic

w/ the thought of resistance

that they haven’t robbed me of my spirit

or my joy

in all these years

& they will not

b/c I’m MAD.

How crazy is all that?

“…justice cannot be approximated

if the hope of its perfect realization

does not generate A SUBLIME MADNESS

in the soul.

NOTHING BUT SUCH MADNESS

Will do battle…”

 

There is crazy MAD &

There is angry MAD

& I have no fear of either.

I am also going to General Conference MAD,

& by this I mean angry.

MAD about so many things, I mean

I don’t think I have to make a list for you

Everyone, I’m sure, has their own list of what makes us MAD

But here’s an example:

I’m MAD about the bishops’ letter “What God Expects of Us” –

In this, holy conferencing means:

Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, love, peace

“be patient, be respectful, be careful”

In other words, don’t get

MAD.

It’s bad for unity.

Don’t get me wrong,

I’m all for love and kindness and so on,

but not as a cloak for the status quo remaining the status quo,

not at the cost of human lives,

not at the cost of justice.

nobody better tell me not to get MAD

w/ some crap about good Christians not getting angry

or laying some ‘fruits of the spirit’ business on me

as if my MADNESS were not somehow warranted

or even holy.

 

There is nothing wrong with being MAD.

“…justice cannot be approximated

if the hope of its perfect realization

does not generate A SUBLIME MADNESS

in the soul.

NOTHING BUT SUCH MADNESS

Will do battle...”

Devotion: I Trust My Place With Jesus

Jesus was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:14, 16

The image of children on the lap of Jesus was visible in the stained glass window of our Sunday School when I was 6 years old. It helped to seal the message of our “Jesus loves Me” song. The story of adults trying to brush children away was told and we listened.  It was the response of Jesus is what caught our attention ~ imagine! He scolded those adults and made room for kids. I loved it.

As an adult, I also hear “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a Little child will never enter it.” He not only welcomed the children, he elevated them as an example of faith.

For years, I have been confident of my place in this church even though some adults would brush me aside. I am able to present scriptural and theological support for my confidence. But I suspect that having a ground-in sense of worth and place that came with the Sunday School lesson to a 6 year old (and repeated yearly) may be the real foundation of my resilience.

Nowadays the topic of homosexuality is more often discussed than it was when I was small. I am not sure whether this makes it more easy or more difficult for a young person realizing who they are. I know that some teenagers are coming out in high school and even middle school. I know that parents are more aware that their child may be homosexual.

I found a great book on sexuality written for parents of young children and teens. The authors write with sweetness and humor as they hold parents accountable for the well being of their children. They tell a few stories of irresistible children and ways that parents can help them to thrive ~  how to talk about homosexuality in age appropriate ways and how to create an affirming home.

When a little girl said she loved her friend and asked “Am I a lesbian?” Mom said, “That’s friendship love. That doesn’t mean you are a lesbian. The kind of love a lesbian has for another woman is like the love Cinderella felt to the prince. If Cinderella were a lesbian, she would have fallen in love with a princess.”

Chapter 5 is called, Think about it: Considering your child’s sexual orientation. In it they write, “Consider the possibility that you have been charged with the responsibility of raising a gay son or lesbian daughter.” And “Your child needs you to be the parent. You may not be an expert on homosexuality, but neither is he.”  Page 143

We are children of God. Jesus created an affirming home for all of God’s children.

I thank God for family and Sunday School teachers that allowed me to thrive. I trust my place with Jesus.

Sue Laurie
Outreach Coordinator, Reconciling Ministries

Everything you NEVER wanted your kids to know about Sex, but were afraid they’d ask. J  Justin Richardson, Mark A. Schuster

Why do some Christians accept/affirm an inclusive Constitution, but feel it necessary to reject/deny, an inclusive Bible?

Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell

Years ago, Grandpa Gil was influenced by the title and contents of a book by Robert A. Raines, "Living the Questions". As our United Methodist Judicial Council prepares to meet to discuss and rule on the inclusivity and exclusivity of Church membership, these questions come to mind.

1. When Governor Sarah Palin was nominated as the Republican Party nominee for Vice President, some conservative Christians were asked this question. How could they accept her as a potential Vice President, and a possible President, when they believed that the Bible forbid women to be Pastors of their Churches and should not lead in the same ways that men led? They responded by saying that the Bible defined the nature of leadership in the Church but not the nation. Were they saying that the Constitution proclaimed gender equality, while the Bible did not? 

2. The U.S. Supreme Court decreed in 1954 that racially segregated public schools were in violation of the equality provisions of the Constitution, yet many Methodist Churches and Church-related institutions as well as the denomination (The Central Jurisdiction) continued their policies/practices of racial discrimination. But, after the 1954 Supreme Court decision, racially segregated Churches and Church-related institutions slowly began to integrate. The racially-segregated Central Jurisdiction was not merged into geographically-designated Jurisdictions until 1968. How do we explain why/how a Scripture-based and centered Church denomination was led to racially integrate by a new interpretation of the Constitution by the Supreme Court, rather than being led by its understanding of the inclusivity of Jesus and the Bible?

3. While we in the United Methodist Church debate whether a Pastor is justified in excluding from  Church membership persons who do not view their same gender relationship/commitment as being "incompatible with Christian teaching", and deny the right of same gender couples to  participate in civil unions or marriages, states are being led by their Constitutions to include rather than exclude. And, many in the military are re-considering the validity or necessity of their "Don't ask, don't tell policy". Are we going to continue to diminish the power of Scripture by continuing to "use" the Bible to support our prejudices?

When will we as United Methodists accept the fact that although Scripture has not changed, we  have changed on matters of race and gender, as we have allowed the totality of  Scripture and the love made manifest and visible in Jesus, to move us from Bible-based exclusion to Bible-based inclusion?

I have been influenced by the writings of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Jewish Reconstructionism. Rabbi Kaplan writes this in "Judaism in Need of a New Approach". (I suggest that the reader substitute Christian/United Methodist and Christianity/United Methodism, where appropriate)

"In sum, those who look to Judaism in its present state to provide them with a ready-made scheme of salvation in this world, or in the next, are bound to be disappointed. The Jew will have to save Judaism before Judaism will be in a position to save the Jew."

My fear is that we who are the daughters and sons of John Wesley are fearful of and failing to be, the agents of Church Renewal as was our founding father. We have not allowed our history of re-intepreting Scripture to include rather than exclude, to provide us with "heart(s) strangely warmed". If we allowed ourselves to be led to understand that the Scriptures that moved us from exclusion to inclusion in relation to some persons, could also lead us to include persons whom we now reject because of whom they love, the heart of United Methodism would experience a new "heart warming".

Are we fearful of a United Methodist repeat/replication of Wesley's 18th century heart warming experience, in the 21st century?  If we are, why?

Grandpa Gil

They Really Did Mean It!

By Dr. Pamela Lightsey

By now many of us have heard about or seen the photo of singer Rihanna after her alleged beating by boyfriend Chris Brown.  It's a troubling case.  What is also troubling is the unreported incidents of same-gender couples involved in domestic violence.  So let me say it, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAPPENS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY!  Not only is it a problem, but adding to this problem in some cases - not all - is the inadequate level of service and lack of genuine sensitivity provided by law enforcement personnel and domestic support services.  And - as with heterosexual couples - there are the many levels of enabling systems, myths, family members and friends who help these real life dramas to continue playing themselves out.

How do we highlight the tragic circumstances of victims of domestic abuse within the LGBTQ community amidst a cultural geared to support heteronormativity without reinforcing the stereotype image of all same-gender-loving relationships as dysfunctional?  Looking at the codified laws related to domestic violence, it has become increasingly apparent that we ought begin by ensuring that EVERY state has laws which safeguard ALL persons against domestic violence and that NO victim is denied protection.  Until this happens, many members of the LGBTQ community will continue to feel isolated and unwillingly to speak out abut their pain and the horror of their day to day living conditions.  Moreover, we must continue to work to ensure the equal rights of every LGBTQ person.  Until fear of being "outed" can no longer be used as a tool of oppression we will never even begin to come close to eradicating domestic violence within our communities. 

 

And finally, WE must speak out!  We should not turn our heads considering violence as mere "lover's quarrels".  We must not dismiss cases of rape as "misunderstandings".  And no, there's nothing "cute" about verbal abuse.

I'm sure many of you have stories you could tell to highlight the problem of domestic abuse in America. It's a serious issue.  We need to give it serious attention.

Devotion: With Sighs to Deep for Words

By Rev. Katy Krumbach

For (when) we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Rom 8:26

Morning prayer was an essential part of our ‘retreat’ experience. We gather for two weeks twice a year as part of our DMin studies and, each time, we quickly became a community- in class, in studies, at meals and in prayer. We were able to carry one another’s burdens.  When we departed for distant homes, we mourned the loss of our community.

Today the words Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ over me and Christ under me spoke directly to my heart. I knew I was feeling unsettled, uncomfortable, uneasy with concerns at home. Was it possible these words were in bold print? No, on the paper the words were printed, as always, in regular, 12 point, Times New Roman font. The boldness must be in my heart.

I looked again around the room and saw our circle, at peace and complete, and I was part of the circle. Although I felt out of sync, all was good in the Body of Christ. But I became aware that these words were exactly what I needed to hear. Where did that boldness come from?

As we moved from the liturgy into community prayer time, our normally noisy, supportive, caring and compassionate group prayer was silent. The silence was not uncomfortable, just unusual. The silence spoke to my heart. I wondered at the unity of our unspoken thoughts. There was a sense in my soul that it was good, it was all good.

I heard the movement of the second hand on the clock. Click-click- click-click- click-click. Every time the second hand paused after it moved forward, my heart would beat in time. Click-beat-click-beat.

Then, in the rhythm of the silence, I heard a groan. Was that really a groan? I tuned out the clock and listened again, more closely. I heard the movement of the clock hand in unity with the beating of my heart. There was another groan, and also sigh.

In my confusion, clarity came.

For (when) we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Rom 8:26

In my confusion and lost-ness, I no longer felt alone. I felt the assurance that I was a loved and precious part of the Body.  I was being supported and cared for even as I had not yet admitted my needs. But God knew, the Spirit knew.

Amen was spoken, and felt.

To Come Out or Not To Come Out

By David E Braden

In the film, Milk, Supervisor Harvey Milk portrayed by 2008 Academy Award Winner Sean Penn tells his followers that they need to come out to their families, their friends, their co-workers – to everyone. The more people who know “us” the more they accept us. Harvey’s long-time partner Scotty expresses concern about the safety of their constituents and friends if they come out of the closet.

I struggle with such insistence for people to come out. One reads stories in magazines like Out that call on one celebrity or another to come out of the closet. It makes me uncomfortable.

Calling All Gay Pastors

I remember hearing someone not too long ago in the reconciling movement question, “What if all of the queer pastors just came out? What if they just announced who they were, en mass? What would the Church do? Would they charge all of us?”

It is an intriguing scenario that relies on multiple ducks to queue up. But rather than discuss whether such a scenario is feasible, I want to talk about the tone that I so often hear during such discussions. I hear and feel so much pain that the Church has caused because it forbids queer pastors from living fully human lives. But rather than directing such pain and anger at the Church and our Discipline, I hear far too many people (in my opinion) pointing figures at our clergy, asking them why they have not come out? Why do they collude with the Institution by remaining silent? Why do they continue to preach in a Church that denies them their full being?

In one sense, these are fantastic questions to be asking but in another they seem to be attacking queer clergy and abusing them again. Are we blaming the oppressed? From where I stand, we have unjust laws in our Church and we need to change them. I am just concerned that when we get into debates on whether queer pastors should come out, we are missing opportunities to be talking about how we can change our current systems of being.

Questions That I Ponder from Time to Time

As a white, gay, young professional who has been openly gay for nearly 10 years, I wonder:

• Why do we privilege coming out?
• Do we look condescendingly on those who do not come out? If so, why?
• In what ways is “coming out” culturally, racially, ethnically, and/or generationally determined? In what ways is asking someone to “come out” another form of hegemony? When is it liberating?
• Where does self-determination fit into all of this?
• What would a world look like in which all people – heterosexual, homosexual, male, female, trans – had to decide whether to “declare” their sexuality and/or gender publicly?

More Questions For the Church Community

• What can we do to create an environment where pastors (and other LGBTQ folks) can make the decision on whether to come out without fearing the loss of their jobs, communities, and families?
• How can we support pastors who are in the closet without pressuring them to endanger themselves?
• How does our culture view coming out? How does our church view coming out?
• How does our church’s definition of “self-avowed, practicing homosexual” affect our denomination’s understanding of coming out?

Motive Comes Out!

By Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell

Grace and I after 51 years of marriage, continue the emotionally draining process of re-discovering and then discarding, articles, magazines and books that we have saved over the years. A recent re-discovery; Volume 32, Number 1 of the 1972 MOTIVE, Lesbian/Feminist Issue. It is my hope that it is not inappropriate for me as a male to share this. The editors include these words; "Ending gay oppression will not automatically end woman oppression. Only a complete destruction of the whole male supremacist system can free women." I have sought to acknowledge my male privilege and hope that my sharing these words from that issue of MOTIVE will represent another small step on my part, to "own up to" the imbalances that still exist between women and men.

"MOTIVE, a monthly magazine published by the United Methodist Church for over twenty years, is no more. This is its final issue. Throughout MOTIVE's history, radical dissension within limits was tolerated with a few slaps on the wrist, but the church fathers really squirmed when the special issue on women appeared in March-April, 1969. In the aftermath of the controversy over the women's issue, the church began to reduce its support of Motive and Motive decided it could no longer function under the church...the staff and editorial board decided to close up shop-using the remaining resources of the magazine to put out one final gay issue. The Furies, a collective of twelve lesbians in Washington, DC. which included a member of the old Motive editorial board, assumed responsibility for the lesbian issue. Within the collective, four of us took major responsibility for this project but everyone has contributed to it....We hope you will read the magazine, pass it on, talk about it with women you know and women you are getting to know, keep in touch with us and join the struggle."

Joan E. Biren, Rita Mae Brown, Charlotte Bunch, Coletta Reid

(The issue was published by Sojourner Truth Publishing Collective, Atlanta, Georgia)

It may be that the greatest gift we who are old men and women who "Dream Dreams" (Joel),can offer this moment in history is to share history that many of us have forgotten and many, many others, have never known.

Grandpa Gil

Pray for Jackie! EXPECT MIRACLES!!!

By Kelli Busey

The young lady gracing the slide show is Jackie Murphree from Decatur Texas. A college student who's life was forever changed when her car was hit by a drunk driver. Jackie's brain was shifted and she remained in a coma for several months until finally emerging. But now Jackie's eyes must now speak for her.

Jackie's faith family prayed that time forward for miracles. The miracles the world awaits for began to occur to the people that Jackie's life touches. Adversaries found common ground. People began finding ourselves in the grace of our lord and being brought together in the Methodist faith. Recovering substance abuser's refreshed, pausing to wonder in the beauty of the lives we had taken for granted.

Why should we not pray with Jackie because she needs us now. She is going to China where stem cell research has progressed to the point that it offers her a opportunity to become a vibrant interactive woman once again.

We can be part of this miracle. If you can come to Decatur there are many opportunities to help, but if you can't, you can be a miracle maker by praying for Jackie.

Pray for Jackie! EXPECT MIRACLES!!!

DECATUR — Sitting in a wheelchair, Jackie Murphree's eyes must now speak for her.

Benefit Fun Run May 23, 2009 sign up form

My space Pray for Jackie! EXPECT MIRACLES!!!

First UMC Decatur, Decatur, TX

A Lenten Mediation on Reconciliation

By Peter L. DeGroote

I have learned that God not only honors, respects, and upholds the clay that I am, but also has great hope for what that clay may become.

God’s love and hope for me and for all of us is the message that continuously resounds from Jesus’ teachings.

Just now I think of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The parent grieved over the son’s departure and worried about what would become of him. He watched down the road, hoping he would return. When he did, there was joy and celebration. 

But there was another character in that parable, the older brother. He did not want to celebrate, he did not love, he did not hope. I must choose love and hope, even for the older brother. Very difficult, but that is where many struggles for reconciliation begin.  

The Prodigal Son will be found at Luke 15:11-32

I Have Never Been in Search of Identity

By Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell

Over the years, I have sought to allow my African American experience to "connect" with the experiences of others. I have been able to do this while avoiding the debates about the "equivalency of oppressions." Howard Thurman, the first African American Dean of a Chapel at a predominantly white University, was Dean of Marsh Chapel at Boston University when I was a student at Boston University School of Theology form 1955-58. Thurman's grandmother was born into slavery. He tells of how when he would read the Bible to her, she would tell him not to read the writings of Paul, because the words, "Slaves be obedient to your earthly masters" are attributed to Paul. I quote these words from "Racial Roots and Religion", an interview with Howard Thurman, by Mary E. Goodwin.

"My grandmother would talk about the times when a black preacher was permitted to hold services for the slaves of her master's and all the neighboring plantations.

My grandmother would say, 'The preacher would stand up and say you are not slaves, you are not n______ - you are God's children.' And you know, when my grandmother said that she would unconsciously straighten up, head high and chest out, and a faraway look would come on her face."

Howard Thurman then said in a way that as I have read and re-read his words, tears have formed in my eyes:

"Now that transmitted an idiom to me. And there was nothing that could happen in my environment that could ever touch this. It gave me identity, so I didn't have to wait for the revolution. I have never been in search of identity - and I think the explanation is that everything I've ever felt and worked on and believed in was founded in a kind of private, almost unconscious autonomy that did not seek vindication in my environment because it was in me. This is what I tried to pass on to my children. We have to have some way to keep from internalizing our environment's negative judgments about us. As long as I keep the environment external to me it cannot control me, but when I internalize it, I become captured by it."

I once heard someone say of Christians; "We are an Easter people, living in a Good Friday world." This is another way of saying, what Howard Thurman said about himself.

Grandpa Gil