Reconciling Ministries Network

What if I am wrong?

by Joey Heath

In a conversation I was having recently I was asked what will happen if I am wrong about sexuality and whether it is a sin. It took me a little while to mull over this and come up with a theological response. I could have said I truly believe that God has shown homosexuality to be a part of the beloved creation and not a sin, but I felt that would be a cop out response and I wanted to respond in a way that offered something to think about and chew on. After some time of praying and thinking and this is what I kept coming back to.

Romans 3: 22-24 says “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 2:16 says “yet we know a person is justified not by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by doing the works of the law.”

Galatians 2:21 says “I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.”

John 5:24 says “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes in the one who went me has eternal life and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Mark 10:45 says “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”

So what does all that scripture mean? Well it means that we are all sinners and no matter how hard we try to adhere to the law we will always fail and be sinners. Gay or straight, we are all sinners. Christian or not we are all sinners. No matter how much we seek out perfection it will be just beyond our reach because have sinned and therefor fall short.

Galatians 2 speaks beautifully about the law and how our justification not from the law but is in Christ. You see redemption is the free gift offered to any who would receive it and there is no limit on it. See Christ came and gave his life so that all might believe in him and receive that redemption.

Then you turn to the gospels and see that Jesus himself says that he came to bring redemption to all who would hear and believe and for that cause was willing to go as far as to give his life for us.

So what happens if I am wrong? Well nothing, because I have placed my faith in the creator of the universe and as such have faith that redemption has been given to me because I believe. John Wesley once said“Faith, therefore, is the "necessary" condition of justification; yea, and the "only necessary" condition thereof”. This means that by faith were we are redeemed. So if I am completely wrong (though I must say I do not believe I am) that is ok because I have the assurance through faith in Jesus Christ that I will be redeemed. After all it is not about whether I sin or not but whether I accept the saving grace that comes from faith in Jesus Christ. To put it simply it is not about what we say and do but where we place our trust. I for one place my trust at the feet of Jesus and in the one who created us all and loves us all.

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Joey Heath is a 26 year old life long United Methodist. He is currently a graduate student at Wesley Theological Seminary completing his Masters in Divinity. Once an ordained pastor, Joey hopes he will be able to bring real change to the UMC on the issues of sexuality and gender identity at the broader church level, but also with individuals, so that one day the church will truly be a place that is inclusive of all people.

Called By God

by Joey Heath

To have a prophetic voice. To speak with the authority of God. To speak the truth of God. To show the love of God in everyday. These are part of who a pastor should be.

I have been learning about the reformation in my church history class and how the people hungered for the word of God. One woman stood up because she was called by God when others were not willing to stand up and speak out with a prophetic voice. This woman was a contemporary of Martin Luther named Argula von Grumbach and if you ever get the chance to read her Letter to the University of Ingolstadt I highly recommend it. In this letter she took on the corrupt Roman Catholic establishment of the time and the persecutions of the reformers and used scripture to back up everything she said. In doing so she preached the word of God. That is what I call prophetic voice. She spoke out because she felt called by God to speak out.

God calls us all to do certain things. For some it may be to be a teacher. For some it may be to practice law. For some it may be to be a stay at home parent. And for some they are called to preach and share the love of God from the pulpit on Sunday mornings and wherever else they might be throughout the week. A calling from God, particularly to be a pastor, is a high calling to follow.

I have a calling and I hope those who read these blogs or hear me speak hear the prophetic voice of God coming through. I am called to be a pastor, an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. Sadly I am not sure I will be able to become one at least for now. You see, because of the things I write about on here and my openness about who I am and the fact that I refuse to stop trying to be a prophetic voice particularly on the issues of sexuality and gender identity my candidacy will most likely be rejected. Sadly the United Methodist Church recognizes the call of many but not all. You see if you identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (thank God there are no rules against being transgender, though some protection would be nice) then your candidacy is in jeopardy. The United Methodist Church actually actively rejects these that are called by God. They will recognize the gifts the person has and acknowledge they would be a great pastor and then reject them based on their sexuality. How can we a church who follows God reject those called by God? If a person is called by God shouldn't that be good enough for us to accept them?

Right now the church is losing good pastors who could have been the future leaders in the UMC. I know of several who have left the UMC for other denominations for this exact reason. They love the United Methodist Church and they feel called to be a pastor but because the UMC views them as a person of sacred worth who is unfortunately “incompatible with Christian teachings” they are rejected and in order to live out their calling they have left. Why are we letting this happen? When are we going to reject this notion that some how because someone loves a person of the same gender that they are damaged and unworthy? When are we going to stop riding the fence on this issue and speak as a church with prophetic voice claiming that all are equal and truly of sacred worth because they were created by God and called into God's service? When will we recognize the calling that God has placed on so many of the lives of LGBTQ people?

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Joey Heath is a 26 year old life long United Methodist. He is currently a graduate student at Wesley Theological Seminary completing his Masters in Divinity. Once an ordained pastor, Joey hopes he will be able to bring real change to the UMC on the issues of sexuality and gender identity at the broader church level, but also with individuals, so that one day the church will truly be a place that is inclusive of all people.

Failed to be an Obedient Church

by Joey Heath

We have failed to be an obedient church. That phrase from the prayer of confession is one I have been thinking about quite a bit recently. Whoever wrote the prayer of confession knew what they were doing because we have failed to be an obedient church. If you look at the history of the church here in the United States we have been failing...well pretty much our entire history. We allowed one of the worst forms of slavery every seen in history to happen in our country and parts of the church supported it. We claimed that women were not deserving the of the right to vote, the right to be placed at equal status with men and not subjugated to them, doing the same jobs making the same pay, and to be treated as equals in their own homes and we based it on scripture. We took land and displaced native populations and claimed it was God who gave us Manifest Destiny. We claimed that the races should be not be mixed and that God had ordained the separation the races based on the Bible. Most recently we have broken and turned away LGBTQ people claiming that they are less than and not deserving because they live “perverted lifestyles” saying that we “love the sinner, but hate the sin”.

Many Evangelical leaders want to say that we are in a moral decline here in the United States and that we are doomed. I would suggest that based on our history we have always been in moral decline. Now I would agree with Evangelical leaders on one point, there is an increasing number of people not going to church. Look at our sanctuaries on Sunday mornings, how many are half empty? I say it is because we have failed to be an obedient church. We spend far too much time sitting in our pews just getting our tickets punched. How much time do we spend telling others about this amazing God we worship and love? How much do we share that Jesus came not just for those sitting in church but for everyone? In fact it was Jesus in Luke 19:10 who said “For the Son of Man has come to seek out and save the lost”. What does this mean? Well If we are truly trying to live our lives like Jesus then we should be finding those who have forgotten or never truly felt the love of God and showing it to them. We should be seeking out those that are hurting, particularly those who have been hurt by the church. We should be doing everything we can to be instruments of God's love to world.

So why does the church have a bad image to the world? Because we have failed to be an obedient church. We have failed to reach out to the lost and offer the light of Christ. We have failed to see the hurting and offer the comforting hand of Jesus. How will you reach out to the lost and the hurting? How can we as the church act like the church that God wants us to be? How can we be obedient?

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Joey Heath is a 26 year old life long United Methodist. He is currently a graduate student at Wesley Theological Seminary completing his Masters in Divinity. Once an ordained pastor, Joey hopes he will be able to bring real change to the UMC on the issues of sexuality and gender identity at the broader church level, but also with individuals, so that one day the church will truly be a place that is inclusive of all people.

The Night That Changed My Life

by Joey Heath

Recently in my Hebrew Bible class, or Old Testament as it is called by many in other places, we discussed the Psalms and spoke specifically about the power of lament, which make up about a third of the Psalms. Despite this fact we rarely hear this side in our churches, the angry screaming “why?” at God. I thought I would share a time of prayer when I was lamenting to God because in that moment of being most real with God, God was more real to me then I have ever experienced.

I remember that night like it was yesterday. It was a random night during the week when nothing was going on and so I was over at my campus ministry house in the prayer closet. This space is what would have been a walk in closet when the house was a living space but was now used as a private prayer space off of a room we called the prayer room. This particular night was not really that different from most nights. As I had been doing daily for around two years, I was praying that God would remove my homosexuality from me. I was praying that God would forgive me for having felt attracted to guys that day. I was praying that God would forgive me for having the desire to see what it would be like to just kiss a guy. As usual I was crying and that night my prayer turned into lament.

After two years of daily commitment to study and prayer I felt no closer to my goal. In fact the pressure to keep up the facade was beginning to get to me. I was tired of not being honest with those I cared most about. I was tired of being depressed. I was tired of crying. Most of all I was tired of feeling like this struggle had taken over my spiritual life and even though I was doing my best to follow what I thought to be God's will for my life, I felt more distant from God than I had since I began my relationship with God. I guess in that time of prayer I reached a breaking point.

Suddenly my mood changed from sorrow to anger. I found myself saying to God “Why am I still this way? Why haven't I seen even the least bit of change? Why do you seem so distant while I am doing my best to be obedient?” Finally the real break came. I cried out “I can’t do this anymore! I can’t continue on like this so if you want me to change and you want me to not be gay then you are going to have to take it away yourself. If it is truly your will then you do it because I can't!”

In that moment my crying suddenly stopped and I sat back in silence. I just sat there for a moment and that is when God spoke to me in a way I will never forget but will probably never be able to describe. It wasn't an audible voice but it was not a thought coming from me either. It was something else coming from somewhere else, it was God. God said “that's ok Joey I love you anyway”. With this message from God a peace suddenly rested on me that I can only describe as the peace of God. It was like suddenly God had swooped me up in God's loving arms and held me. In this peace I knew that God was telling me it was ok for me to stop fighting, that God truly loved me, and that I am a beloved created child of God. In that moment all the sorrow, distress, and despair seemed to melt away, replaced only with God's comfort.

That moment has become a defining moment in my life. It was one of the clearest experiences of the presence of God I have had. While I live with the presence of God daily this was a special moment when God reached down and touched me in a moment when I truly needed it. What is even more interesting is that it came out of a lamenting experience, a moment when my emotions were raw and I was completely honest with God. I guess what I am trying get at is that God was present with me in my time of lamenting and honored that place of honesty it took me too. So why do we not preach this from our pulpits? Why do we say to question God or question the will of God is heresy? Why do we tell people that church is not the place to yell “why?” to God?  It is in those moments of honesty that it is sometimes easiest to meet with God because we are most vulnerable. So why is it so uncomfortable to question God?

Pain from Equality

The title may be a little confusing to some. You may be thinking what pain is there in equality, so let me explain. In my city, Washington, DC, the city council will be voting on marriage equality for the District very soon. It is our belief is that this will pass and we are also hopeful that it will be accepted by Congress (as we are the only city subject to have our laws reviewed by Congress). We know there will be celebration when this does happen but then there will also most likely be pain. See here is DC we are up to six reconciling congregations inside the city and I had not thought about this possible pain until just recently.

Here is the problem. We as reconciling United Methodist are known for our accepting and welcoming attitudes towards LGBT people. If DC marriage equality passes sad days may follow for the reconciling congregations here. The problem is how to react when LGBT couples show up asking to get married at our church. They have heard that reconciling means we are accepting of all people, but sadly they will have to be turned away. See the United Methodist Church bans us from having any service celebrating the union of LGBT people in our churches. The United Methodist Church has also banned our pastors from performing these ceremonies with past punishment being the loss of ordination. So when LGBT people show up at out churches, and they will show up, we will have to turn them away because of policies we see as wrong. Now the hard part is these couples will not understand that, they will only hear that they are once again being rejected by the church and that they have no place in the church. Once again we are turning away those turning to the church. Once again the United Methodist Church will cause pain instead of bringing the love of God. How do you think Jesus would feel about that? The Jesus I know does not turn people away but rather embraces them and loves them right where they are.

Pray for the pain that will come from equality and pray that equality will come to the United Methodist Church.

The Cause of so much Pain...

By Joey Heath

This is a part of a conversation I have been having with friend who happens to believe that homosexuality is against God's will. After I wrote it to him I felt like it was something worth sharing with other cause I realized I had just poured my heart out to him. I would also like to note that out of respect for him these are only my words and nothing he has said.

For me I am simply told to be celibate and alone because I know I will never be attracted to women. I'm told because of that fact, I must turn my sexuality off. That is why I see it as so different. You are not being told to turn your sexuality off just channel it to a proper place. There is no option like that for me. I tried to turn it off and many people I know have as well, spending years trying to do just that only to meet with defeat. It cant be that they didn't try hard enough or believe enough because I know people who have done some really crazy things, I'm talking extreme measures, in the name of turning it off. Do you know what the result was? For me it was that so much of my life became consumed with staying focused on not allowing my attraction that it took over. My focus was not on God anymore and I saw it happening but felt powerless to do anything because I felt to only other option to fighting my "sinful desires" was to let them roam free. All this led to was depression and separation from God. I was a mild case. I have heard of so much worse, things like people attempting to cut off their own genitals because they felt like that was the source. Where is God in this pain that is experienced by so many of God's children? Since when was being obedient to God so painful all you want to do is die because you don't feel like you have the strength to even lean on Christ? Why would God allow such suffering in God's people who are only trying to be obedient?

Those are questions that are tough to answer. Those questions are why I do what I do and why I want to be a minister, so that I can help easy the pain and suffering of others. God is love not pain and suffering. I didn't originally intend to write this much but I hope it helps you see why i am so passionate about this. It has never been about my own sexuality. I would give it up in a heartbeat if I felt that was God's will. For me it is about the pain and suffering I see that I know God has called me to ease, and use that to bring hope and joy back to the LGBTQ people of faith and those who have wandered from their faith.

Opposing Homophobia and Heterosexism Resolution (#2043, 2008 BOR)

WHEREAS, homophobia is the discrimination of people perceived to be non-heterosexual, regardless of the victim’s actual sexual orientation or sexual identity; and,

WHEREAS, heterosexism is a self-justifying system of homophobia that:

1) perpetuates stereotypical categories of what is essentially “masculine” and what is essentially “feminine,”

2) provides a privileged status for people who identify as culturally defined heterosexuals, and

3) discriminates against persons who, regardless of their sexual orientation or sexual identity, do not appear to fit within the particular category defined as appropriate for their gender; and,

WHEREAS, actions rooted in homophobia and heterosexism, including violence, threats, ridicule, humiliation, discrimination, isolation, and rejection, is damaging to persons of all sexual orientations and identities,

WHEREAS, homophobia and heterosexism are manifestations of sexism in general in that they foster stereotypes based on arbitrary distinctions of gender categories,

WHEREAS, the United Methodist Church is committed to the eradication of sexism (#48, 2004 Book of Resolutions),

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United Methodist Church strengthen its advocacy of the eradication of sexism by opposing all forms of violence or discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice or sexual orientation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the General Board of Church and Society provide resources and materials aimed at educating members of the local churches about the reality, issues, and effects of homophobia and heterosexism and the need for Christian witness against these facets of marginalization.

Adopted by the 2008 General Conference

This link takes you to the General Board of Church and Society Website and resources for combating homophobia and heterosexism. http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/c.frLJK2PKLqF/b.5473163/k.911A/Homophobia_and_Heterosexism.htm

 Take a look and continue the struggle to make the world a better place for all people! 

The "gay agenda"

By Joey Heath

Since the march on DC I have been watching the coverage the weekend got. The hate-crimes bill is also set to pass Congress and so after ten years of struggle it will become law. I keep seeing a phrase pop up here and there around the conservatives view of the weekend. I keep hearing the word gay agenda. I know I have written on this before and so have many others. In some ways I feel like I'm beating a dead horse by saying “What gay agenda???” but here are my thoughts on the subject.

I have heard it said that the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) rights movement is not a civil rights movement and that is really just some “gay agenda” to get special rights. People claim that no one is oppressing LGBTQ people so this must not be about civil rights. I heard it recently said that no one is forcing LGBTQ people to sit at the back of the bus or to go to segregated schools. They are right in saying this. The oppression that LGBTQ people are facing is different from that of the 1960's civil rights movement but that does not make the LGBTQ oppression any less real. The truth is that LGBTQ oppression is alive and well and preventing countless numbers of individuals from living the dream that so many dream of as small children.

So here is the real gay agenda, the real reason we struggle for equal rights. Are you ready?

It's about not having to hide the fact that the person we go home to after a long day of work is a person of the same gender, hiding this because we fear losing our jobs by being fired or forced to resign. It is about having protection from losing that house we go home to simply because our landlord doesn't want to rent to LGBTQ people. It's about being able to start a family with kids that may not be biologically ours but we will provide the much needed love and care just as if they were. It's about not having to fear walking down the street with our loved ones for fear of personal injury. It's about being able to officially declare our love for one another and have it recognized in the same way our heterosexual counterparts are recognized for their love. It's about not having to watch every move we make in public life for fear of the backlash of people finding out about our private lives. It is about being able to serve and protect the country and values we hold dear. It is about being able to openly move through society as the people we really are. I guess you could say it is simply about being seen and treated as an equal.

So there you have it. That is the infamous “gay agenda”. Now that we all know what is going on, how are we going to move forward? Are we going to work for hope or hate? It's your choice. I choose hope and a world where no one needs to live in fear. Now it's your turn to choose.

Justice and Joy: Continued Hope

By Joey Heath

I just got home from convocation and I wanted to go ahead and write while everything is still fresh on my mind. What an amazing weekend. It is always great to gather with so many other reconciling United Methodist together in one place. The title says how I feel. I feel like this was a much needed boost of hope for the future of the United Methodist Church.

You know Anytime RMN gathers it always amazes me the diversity that exists there. We had everyone from people well past retirement to small children. We had every race, every gender identity, and every sexual orientation represented. One of the most amazing moments to me was when one of the speakers asked all of the straight allies present to stand and what seemed like half the audience stood up. This is truly amazing because in most LGBTQ organizations you have mostly LGBTQ people with a few allies, but not with RMN. With RMN, have an amazing group of straight allies who love and support the many LGBTQ people that are in our church.

So what did I walk away from convocation with? Well for one thing I walked away knowing that we have a lot more work to do. We have to hit the streets and talk to everyone. The more we share our stories with others the more we will see change. For all those that fear change will never have happen just look at what has happened in the past year. In the past year we have tripled the number of states that offer full equal marriage to LGBTQ people and that is with the loss of California. We have seen the Episcopal Church stand up and say they welcome all people into the full life of the church including the call to ordained ministry. We have seen the Evangelical Lutheran Church make the statement that LGBTQ are also welcomed to ordained. We also saw the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) vote to remove their incompatibility clause and narrowly defeat a resolution that would have allowed for the ordination of LGBTQ persons. Change is possible and will happen for us if we are willing to do the work to show people the true lives and faith of LGBTQ people.

Now it is our turn. As one of the largest denominations in the world it is time for us to stand up for the equality of all people. It is time to show God's love to all God's beloved children, especially to those that have been neglected or worse pushed out of church in the name of God. It is time to recognize and bless all loving relationships. It is time for us to allow all who are called by God into God's service to be ordained and appointed. It is time for us to stop calling people incompatible with Christian teachings. It is time for us to stand up and say that all are truly welcome in God's family and our churches and all means absolutely all.

I leave you with this question. Are you ready to stand up?

Thoughts on Pride

By Joey Heath

With it being around the time many gay prides are occurring, and having just attended my first real pride event, (or at least part of it) I thought I would offer some thoughts on the subject of pride. For those that don’t know, gay pride is for all LGBTQ people and allies.  It is a time to remember one of the first times the LGBTQ community stood up and said "Enough is enough.  We refuse to continue to be treated as second class citizens."  It is also a chance to come together as a community and celebrate the fact that--despite what many say and think about us--we are proud of who we are and will not apologize or hide in the closet.  One of the things that really intrigues me about pride is the sense of community I feel. I feel like it is a place where I belong and where people understand me. There is a sense of community in which I can be free to be who I truly am without the fear of judgment or condemnation. I used to feel this in church communities. I used to feel like no matter what I did, they would always be there for me and support me. Then I told them I was gay and everything changed.

So why is it I can walk into almost any LGBTQ community and feel like I belong when our only commonality is that we are attracted to the people of the same gender as ourselves, but when I walk into a church community with whom I have almost everything in common, I have to wonder if they will accept me for who I am?  Why do the least Christian people in the world sometimes act more like Jesus than real Bible believing Christians?  What does that say about us as Christians if we are unable to welcome and love all God’s children as He created them?  These are hard questions that may make some people feel on the defensive, but these questions are meant to challenge us to be better and be more like Christ.