Saturday, June 11, 2016

how Gentiles almost ended up not being part of the body of Christ


Picture of house with two men outside. Man in doorway says, "Cornelius the centurion? Sorry, but even though I've had this amazing dream and while I'm completely good with it, the idea of you being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and included in the church makes some of my fellow Jews uncomfortable and so we need to dialogue first and set up a listening committee...". Cartoon by rob goetze.


And many years later, Peter and the other Jewish followers of Jesus might still be debating whether Gentiles could or should be part of the kingdom of God.

Remind anyone of our current times?

Churches and denominations dialogue and debate and chat and argue about if and how our LGBTQ+ siblings in Christ can and should be included in the church in a way equal to the way cishet Christians are included.

And while this is carried on by people whose lives it does not directly affect in any way, our siblings in Christ are often left outside the door or in the back pew....

Thursday, June 09, 2016

[crossing the line]

In regard to plantations (see previous post), Bishop Flunder says,
It seems difficult in most cases, however, to cross the line from benevolent tolerance to full affirmation; to create a community of affectional orientation parity along with gender parity, class parity, and the like ...

What has occurred is a subculture of SGL [same gender loving] persons in the Christian community who are not necessarily condemned for being SGL, but who are also not given equal status with heterosexual persons in a heteronormative environment. SGL Christians are not often free to celebrate anniversaries, be close in public, or share a last name.

Bishop Yvette Flunder, in Where the Edge Gathers:

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

not ashamed but...


Top text: "I am not ashamed of the gospel...". Left block: 56 A.D. Man tells others, "...but I'm too embarrassed to tell my Jewish friends that it's also for the Gentiles...". Right block: 2016 A.D. Bishop says to parishioner, "... but don't ask us to publicly proclaim that it applies equally to our lgbtq+ siblings...". Cartoon by rob goetze.


And how about publicly proclaiming that our lgbtq+ siblings are actually and actively welcome and embraced?

Sunday, June 05, 2016

plantations...


I came across a fascinating article which in part said this:
White Christians without multi-ethnic experiences often have a white cultural vision for what it means to be a multi-ethnic church. Their mono-ethnic, predominantly white, and non-multi ethnic experiences will inevitably force them to see multi-ethnic church through the lens of their socially constructed whiteness.

Consequently, it will be easy for these Christians, lacking the necessary multi-ethnic and multi-cultural competence, to import their limited cultural vision onto ethnic minorities in the name of a multi-ethnic church, while genuinely thinking they’re pursuing racial reconciliation with their ethnic minority brothers and sisters in Christ.

How to avoid becoming an unhealthy, multi-ethnic church plantation
Jarvis Williams May 5, 2016
This makes a lot of sense to me.

And then I wondered, how might this apply to our lgbtq+ siblings? Is there a similar dynamic? So I rewrote the paragraphs with that in mind:
Straight Christians without experiences of multiple gender and sexual realities often have a straight cisgender cultural vision for what it means to be a diverse and welcoming church. Their mono-sexual, predominantly heterosexual, and solely cisgender and gender binary experiences will inevitably result in them seeing a sexually-diverse and gender-diverse church through the lens of their socially constructed cisgender straightness.

Consequently, it will be easy for these Christians, lacking the necessary multi-sexuality and multi-gender identification competence, to import their limited cultural vision onto sexual and gender minorities in the name of a diverse and welcoming church, while genuinely thinking they’re pursuing reconciliation with their sexual and gender minority siblings in Christ.

The result will be predominantly straight cisgender churches with predominantly straight cisgender leadership seeking to conform sexual and gender minorities into the cultural idea of straightness and cisgenderedness instead of Spirit-empowered, multi-sexual, multi-gender, gospel-centered churches whose members are seeking to pursue reconciliation with one another regardless of sexual and gender differences, as the members put one another’s needs before their own and as they seek to listen to, learn from, and serve one another in love.

Is this what's happening in some progressive parishes and churches? Are they plantations where lgbtq+ people are welcome to fully be part of the existing order, but not embraced and celebrated for who they are?

Friday, June 03, 2016

first to the jew...


Top text: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..." Left block: 56 A.D. One man telling others, "... first to the Jew, then to the, uh, ummm, ah, yeah...". Right block: 2016 A.D. Minister standing at pulpit tells congregation, "...first to all the straight folks, then to the, uh, ummm, ah, yeah, world without end, amen." Cartoon by rob goetze


For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Romans 1:16

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

if the apostle paul was like us...


Picture of the apostle Paul sitting at a table, writing on a scroll. He writes "In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave or free...". Then he says, "Heck, scratch that - it's offensive to Jews" and then writes "In Christ it's Jews and only Jews", and says "That's better!". Cartoon by rob goetze

If the Apostle Paul was like us... would Gentiles be part of the church?