Approaching the starting line, and picking up where I left off

So more of the pieces are starting to come together up here. We have pretty well settled on a church, and there are some decent prospects for a job that are starting to materialize. At this point, I feel like I'm just waiting to find out which of several good opportunities is going to become a reality. It is really true that the provision of God is truly good, not just decent, not just acceptable, but perfect. And that comes from me with a lot of humility, because, as I said in my previous post, I didn't want to be here just a few months ago. I didn't want to consider the kind of jobs I'm looking at right now, because I thought I knew what I needed/wanted. But I was wrong. What I really need is to be right here, right now, listening to and obeying the Lord for today, and rejoicing in the blessings He has given me.

So to pick back up on the homosexuality discussion...Tiara and I went to the church's Wednesday night service this week, and that was the topic of discussion. The three clergy at the church each spoke on different aspects of the issue that is confronting the church, and in particular the Episcopal church, over homosexuality and how the church should deal with people who are dealing with this particular sin. First up was the Rector of the church, who talked about the gradual erosion of theological truth among the leadership of the Episcopal church over the past 150 years. His aim was to point out that today's issue is only the tip of the iceberg; in the past few decades, bishops in the Episcopal church have openly denied such key points as the doctrine of sin, the Lordship of Christ, and the need for salvation, and were permitted to do so by their governing authority. He pointed out that there is no biblically based theological explanation for this, and in some cases these leaders have claimed that they are acting prophetically and bringing the church to its next phase in the plans of God. He also said that the issue is not whether homosexuals were or were not created that way, but whether they are or are not in need of salvation through Jesus. For a child born to a crack-addicted mother, who enters the world with an addiction he or she did not choose for themself, the issue is not whether it is right or wrong for them to be addicted to crack, but whether Jesus came and died so that person could be set free from that addiction. The child is no less in need than someone who becomes addicted to crack as a adult by virtue of their own choice.

The big snag for me is how to explain WHY it is that God wants to set anyone free from homosexuality, at least without coming across as a judgemental ass. I had lunch with the rector yesterday and asked him how he has dealt with this, and his answer was really amazing. He said you don't speak a word about it until you have earned the right to do so. He said that until you have gained the person's trust, your words can do only harm, and it is best to keep your mouth shut. The assistant rector described a situation in which she did just this, to great success. An openly gay man came to her for counsel about his lifestyle, to which she responded by suggesting that they meet weekly to pray together and read scriptures, and ask the Lord to answer his questions for him. They met every week for a whole year, after which the man felt deeply convicted, and heavy criticism from the homosexual community, left that behind and committed himself to purity before God. The amazing thing to me is that she felt no need to give him the answers, because she had such faith in God's desire to do it Himself. She was not insecure about it, but acted in confidence of the power of the Holy Spirit to get into the man's heart in a way no person ever could, and speak truth where he really needed it. If that's not the Gospel, then I don't know what is.

It seems like the two sides of the debate tend to take certain principles of God further than they should be taken. Those who argue for "tolerance" and acceptance of homosexuality mostly point to the love and acceptance of God as He looks past our sin and loves us in spite of it. The problem is, they take this so far as to deny His desire to change us and make us into His perfect image. On the other hand, those who feel the need to explain and drive home the sinfulness of homosexuality and those who practice it mostly do so out of a desire to express God's desire for justice and transformation. But many of these people forget that it is God who brings about these things, and that He does so in perfect love and mercy. In very different ways, both camps seem to take an overly humanistic approach to certain apsects of God, and in the process leave Him out of the equation. The assistant rector talked about the struggle between these two extremes, and came to the conclusion that in the balance between mercy and love, it is self-defeating to sacrifice one in favor of the other. Both must be completely present and unhindered, because otherwise it is not the true image of God that is reflected. And this balance comes only through total reliance on the Holy Spirit for guidance and discernment and daily transformation of one's own mind, because it is not in our power to bring it about on our own.

Anyway, I need to stop now, because I'm late. I have more to say, but this should be good for now. Looking forward to your thoughts on this!