This was taken from a friends notes page of Facebook. I am fairly certain this article was written about me…
I am fairly certain that there are few things as emotionally and/or Spiritually painful as having someone with whom you have lived and shared faith embracing and teaching things (in the name of tolerance and love) that are contrary to God’s will and intent for us – as revealed in the written word of God. To know that you played a part in helping to raise them up and send them out to teach falsehood – a sense that you aided and abetted in the process – is HEARTBREAKING.
Yet, much like Paul writing to the Galatians, there comes that moment where you have said all that you have said. Coercion won’t help, and persuasion has failed. So how do you move on?
For any of my colleagues and friends who continue to assert theological, doctrinal, sociological, ecclesiological, and hermeneutical principles in the false ideology of “Jesus didn’t say (insert here” – playing freely with the other writings and teachings revealed in Scripture as being written and spoken by others that sometimes have something to do with Jesus, other times are directly attributed to Jesus, and other times are contrary to Jesus’ hope, intent, and purpose I will say these two things…
1) Jesus refers (and the authors of the Gospels and writings) refer to these written words in Greek as “sacred writings”. The tense of the terms, in Greek, infers that they are writings that were “true” and “sacred” not only then, but forever. Scripture is is often,yet not always, a tool to wield, but I would always encourage servants of the Christ to see the Scriptures as witness to which we are all called to humbly yield.
2) Even the teachings of Jesus that are quoted in red letters were not written by Jesus. They were attributed to Jesus by witnesses and disciples who wrote and taught in accordance with the teachings handed on to them. There was no tape recorder…but we receive them in trust.
(*note-please don’t argue these thoughts with me on this page. There is no debate regarding these things that is fruitful.)
It makes me wonder how this is to make me feel when this person was a huge part in me realizing my gifts for ministry and now as I struggle to find a congregation to lead I read this and question my call even more.
It is interesting that I am teaching falsehood and not following with what the sacred scriptures say. I wonder where the line is actually drawn? When Jesus met the Pharisees with the woman caught in the act of adultery, as He is drawing in the sand He tells them that the one without sin may cast the first stone, yet we are all ready to throw our rocks when we spot someone who is sinning…
Where does the line go? We eat shell fish, and catfish which are against the dietary laws of the Holy Scripture. I eat bacon and all kinds of pork and know many others who do as well, and this is against the dietary laws of the sacred scripture. We wear clothing made of mixed fibers, and that is against the laws of the sacred scripture. We seem to pick and choice what laws we will follow. Right after one of the admonitions to homosexuality is the commandment to accept the outsider, and in America we are saying we need to send all of the immigrants back home. Well the sacred scripture tells us to accept and welcome the stranger and the alien. So which part do we listen to and follow and why do we get to pick and choice some?
I wonder how I am to move on, but then it is about me, and that is the real point where we might disagree…
I see it as not about me, but about all of creation. It is not about the hurt I feel when my pastor says that I am teaching falsehoods. It is not about the hurt I feel when my congregation leaves the denomination that I was ordained into (not that it is about the denomination, but about the church catholic and my call is not to the ELCA but my call is to God). It is not about my hurt or anything that I have gone through. It has to be about Jesus and spreading His gospel. And I do not recall any where where Jesus says that people are second class or lower and do not deserve the same respect and honors as all other people. We are all sinners in need of His grace and that is what it has to be about.
Brokenhearted – maybe we can move forward in the unity of Christ understanding we do not agree on interpretation to do what we are called to do – spread the gospel – the good news of Jesus to everyone.
aSacredRebel 