And so, remember how I said in the previous post that some might not say, but think, that gays must repent of their homosexunusalness in order to be full members of the Church?
Well... then comes this bit of news that I saw up on "Thinking Anglicans". Still, the upside of this (if you can find an upside to this story); this Bishop is NOT a Bishop in the United States. The down side is that he probably is voicing what is in the hearts of many in the House of Bishops.
But the upside (I'm determined to remain hopeful...) is that there are bishops who are taking a stand in favor of our full-inclusion and it's NOT just +Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. And perhaps they can spread a new message amongst their fellow purple-shirt clan: God loves ALL and will welcome the formerly lost LGBT children back home with the same enthusiasm as the father in Luke's story of the Prodigal Son.
Queer people of faith ARE part of the body of Christ just like their straight brethren; they are not the appendix that needs removing!
The perfect love of God casts out fear, and there is no reason to be afraid that the presence of gay people and their full inclusion in the Church will result in the destruction of the Church.
Quite honestly, for some gay folks, it is such a leap of faith to get them in the door of the church in the first place that there is real cause for celebrating their return, and seeking out there involvement.
I will continue to pray for all those at GC 2009.
4 comments:
Are there UNlicensed massage therapists? Is this another "profession" in the making? Don't tell me you're working on certification in Fung Sui or Chiropracty.
Brad: I'm not quite sure what your question has to do with this particular post on GC 2009, but I'll answer it anyway.
In Florida, massage therapy is a LICENSED profession through our state's Department of Health. I must attend continuing education courses, retain records on my training, keep notes on client care, etc. etc. Florida was among the first states to require training and licensing of MTs.
Fung Sui (I think you meant Feng Shui) doesn't require a license, and doesn't really interest me.
And the amount of time, training, and cost that goes into becoming a Chiropractor (another licensed health care profession in our state) doesn't interest me either.
Still don't know what prompted your question, but those are my answers.
I'm old enough to remember the 1960s civil rights movement. Back then so many "Christian" leaders were diametrically opposed to equality for black Americans. Fortunately, there were also religious leaders who were willing to stand up to bigotry. Thank God their spirit is still alive in some of our bishops.
James: Welcome! Excellent point, and agreed: thank God there are some in the House of Bishops who recognize that its time to fully include the LGBT community in the church.
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