There will also be a special offering taken during the month to raise money for four international organizations – New Generations International (Cambodia), Life Mission International (India), CPS (Sudan), and New Life League (China) with the hope of funding the planting of 500 new churches in those four countries.  Each church is encouraged to do something ministry-related in their community during the month, and to visit the website, where they can be encouraged by others who are spending time in fasting and prayer during June.

 Even though I chose not to participate, I think this series is worth checking out if you are able to find it online.  There are many gifted preachers who have contributed sermons, and the large-scale cooperation among so many different churches is encouraging.  Unity was a big prayer of Jesus’ that seems to have gone unanswered thus far, but is certainly very important in our witness to the majesty of Jesus.  Consider His words in John 17:20-23:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Of course, if you read the context of that passage, you find that there is more to unity than just joining together to do a sermon series or to pray for the world.  Verses 17-19, directly before Jesus’ prayer for unity, go like this:  “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”  To sanctify is to make holy, to set apart, to be different than the world and be completely in line with the heart and will of God.  Jesus prays that His followers might become holy by living in line with the word of God, which is truth.  As Jesus was completely holy, through His death and resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we now have His power working in us to make us holy.

 So, when I think of unity among Christians, I think that Jesus meant for the two – sanctification and unity – to go hand in hand.  God’s desire is not that all His churches would downplay their differences and highlight their similarities; it’s that God’s people would pursue holiness and desire Him, so that they might all be united in their discipleship to King Jesus.  If I were to preach a message in line with Jesus’ call for unity, it would have to be “Make us Holy,” because the unity Jesus has called us to comes when we are sanctified and living in line with God’s word. 

Do you want unity in the church?  Allow God to sanctify you, to make you different than the world, to shape you so that you are living in step with God’s truth.  That would be my One Prayer for the church. 

 A couple of months ago,  I raised all sorts of questions that illustrated for me just how complex this issue is for anyone who holds to the traditional Christian understanding that homosexual behavior is against God’s will.  In case you missed it, here are just a few of the questions I was wrestling with:

- Does the Bible ever speak about mutually loving, committed homosexual relationships?
- Christians throughout history have reversed their stance on issues like slavery, interracial marriage, and the role of women; could they be wrong on this issue as well?  If there is even a chance we could be wrong, how should that affect the way we handle this issue?
- How do you teach that homosexuality is against God’s will without damaging the psyche and faith of countless of people who question their sexuality?
- How do you convince a gay person that God loves them and is worthy of worship if He will not allow them to experience a loving, committed relationship to the person they love, simply because he or she is the same sex?

I raised those questions with the intent of possibly preaching a sermon on the Bible and homosexuality at the end of the recent series on the Bible and gender roles.  In the end, however, I wasn’t convinced that Jesus dealt with “issues” like that in a public forum, but rather that he dealt with individuals in their unique situation.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I just didn’t see the wisdom in handling such a complex issue in a Sunday morning monologue.

Since that Pulse, however, I haven’t touched the issue with the proverbial ten foot pole.  So why drop the pole and risk entering the fray today?  I think the culprit is last week’s post, where I raised the issue/dilemma of Christian unity and how to take practical steps towards that in such a fractured religious landscape, for the sake of Christ’s reputation.  As I mentioned, there is no more divisive issue in Connecticut than the intersection of homosexuality and the church, with the issues including:  should a church perform civil unions; should a practicing gay man be appointed bishop of the Episcopal Church; and should the church be a champion for gay rights?  Jesus prayed that his followers would be united, so that the world would know that he is the Savior, and therefore for His reputation I think it’s worth offering a few thoughts on how we might move towards unity on this issue.  The question I ask today is this: with so much potential for heated disagreement among Christians, is there any common ground from which to stand on the issue of homosexuality?

Thankfully, I think there is, and it’s the most foundational of all Jesus’ teachings.  When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he replied, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”’ (Matthew 22:37-39).  If nothing else, this one thing should be clear, regardless of denomination or church – we are called to love homosexuals as we love ourselves.  Whether you support gay marriage or not, whether you believe in appointing an active homosexual as bishop or not, this one thing should unite – love.   

Love is an active thing.  Love is more than an emotion, but expresses itself in good deeds.  Remember in Luke’s gospel that there was a follow-up question – “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).  Jesus responded with the famous story of the Good Samaritan, who responded to the fallen traveler by bandaging his wounds and taking him to a place of safety after two religious leaders had passed by the injured man without stopping.  I think we would be wise to consider the implications of this parable for this issue.  I am not gay, and as such am not qualified to speak with authority on the homosexual experience, but it has been my experience that most if not all homosexuals can relate to the fallen traveler in Jesus’ parable.  They know what it is like to be ridiculed, to be hurt, to feel outcast, and, sadly, to see religious people hurry by without stopping to offer care and support.  The best question to ask, therefore, is how can the church be a Good Samaritan to the homosexual community?

I believe this question needs to be thoughtfully considered, because my concern is that the evangelical church has been so concerned about fighting to preserve the traditional definition of marriage that they are often afraid to step out and love homosexuals as Jesus would, out of fear of appearing to condone homosexual behavior.  If your conviction is that marriage is between a man and a woman, then work to preserve that institution, but do not neglect Jesus’ most important commandments in the process.  After all, what good will it be if the evangelical church keeps gay couples from marrying but alienates thousands of homosexuals from God and the church in the process?

So how can the church be a Good Samaritan to the homosexual community?  One of the best books that I have read on the subject is Chad Thompson’s Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would (with a title like that, it had better be a good book).  Thompson is a self-proclaimed “ex-gay” (an emotionally charged phrase for many) and the founder of Inqueery, an organization that addresses homosexuality on high school and college campuses.  Since Thompson has more authority to speak on this question than I do, let me share his opinion on the Good Samaritan question.  Thompson writes that in order to love like Jesus would, Christians should work towards eliminating the social and personal struggles faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered people, whether or not they decide to change their sexual preferences/orientation.  As he writes, “I believe that loving gay people requires us to fight for their right to live outside the closet without consequence, whether or not we agree with homosexuality… Real love does not demand anything in return.” 

One of the biggest concerns in the evangelical community, as I mentioned earlier, is the fear of appearing to condone homosexual behavior.  This is probably what holds many back from actively trying to find ways to express Good Samaritan love, for there is often a belief that the best way to love homosexuals is to let them know that their behavior is sinful.  To that concern I would say:  trust me, I think by now most homosexuals know that the traditional Christian view is that homosexuality is against God’s will, and they probably don’t need you to point it out yet again.  They have no doubt struggled to reconcile that knowledge with the reality of their same-sex attraction for a long time.  I am sure it’s been the cause of lots of guilt, fear, and questioning in many homosexuals for many years.  I think that perhaps our bigger concern should be whether homosexuals know just how much God loves them, and whether the church is doing its part to communicate the radical, transformative, unconditional love of God.

I speak on this subject in many ways as an amateur who deeply desires that the church would truly love homosexuals as the Good Samaritan would, bringing the healing love of God to the places that hurt and leading them to a place of safety.  This hasn’t been meant to be a thorough treatment of a multi-faceted issue, but a simple call to reflect on what it might mean to love homosexuals as our neighbors, a foundational principle on which all Christians should agree.  If you have practical suggestions or thoughts on what it would look like for the church to be the Good Samaritan towards the homosexual community, especially if you have firsthand experience with the intersection of church and homosexuality, please post a comment.  In the spirit of this post, I would ask that your words might come from a desire for unity and neighbor-love among all Christians.

Despite the thousands of denominations, it is important to note that just because two denominations differ on theological or social issues does not mean that they can not work together and love each other.  For example, while our church might not agree with everything the Evangelical Free church believes, we were happy to worship with Glastonbury Community Church last Christmas Eve, because we are able to focus on the 99% of things we do agree on instead of the 1% about which we might disagree.  However, knowing when to compromise and when to stand firm on an issue can be incredibly difficult, as any casual observer of the Connecticut religious scene would know.  In the past year, the most prominent divisive issue has of course been the intersection of homosexual behavior and the church – should a church perform civil unions; should a practicing gay man be appointed bishop of the Episcopal Church; and should the church be a champion for gay rights?  These questions have caused a great deal of strife in not only the Episcopal Church but many other mainline denominations as well.

I was reminded again of the importance of the unity of the church this past week as I read the reports that more than 10,000 clergy and parishioners from the United Church of Christ have gathered in Hartford this week for their General Synod.  The UCC is big business here in Connecticut, with beautiful white churches decorating every town green and a seminary, Hartford Seminary, which is very much in line with UCC values.  The Hartford Courant reported that this week’s synod will deal with many social justice issues, such as immigration policy, a worldwide ban on depleted uranium weapons, and support of physician-assisted suicide.  Among the resolutions, of course, is the issue of gay marriage, with proposals coming from conferences in the Midwest and South that call for the church to “vehemently affirm” that marriage is a God-ordained relationship between a man and a woman.  Despite the “vehement affirmation” of those conferences, it is highly unlikely that such a resolution will pass in a denomination which last year voted by more than 80% to endorse gay marriage (causing anywhere from 90-220 churches to leave the denomination in protest).

As any member of an evangelical church can tell you, the term “liberal” is often thrown around to describe the UCC and many other mainline churches like them.  As you may have guessed, “liberal” is not used as a compliment (indeed, to be labeled a liberal in many evangelical circles is sort of like being labeled a terrorist).  Instead, it probably means something like this:  “a church of mostly unsaved people which has forsaken the authority of the Bible and is so caught up in the prevailing issues of its time that has lost sight of the truth of God.”  I am sure that in the same way, many so-called “liberal” churches have their own characterizations of evangelicals (or conservatives, fundamentalists, born-agains) as “narrow-minded, judgmental Pharisees so concerned about heaven and hell and being right that they have no time to work for Christ-like love, compassion and justice and actually make a difference in this world.”  Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s been my perception – two groups who think they are more in line with the spirit of what it means to follow Jesus than the other.

One more time, with feeling – “May we be one, Father, just as Jesus and His Heavenly Father are one, so that the world might know that Jesus is the Savior.”

What if, for once, instead of focusing on the worst qualities of the other and letting it divide us, we chose to not only focus on the similarities but to learn from the ways in which the other may actually be closer to the heart of God than we are?  What if, without naively declaring in relativistic fashion that “we’re both right,” we attempted to communicate and work together for the sake of the gospel and the reputation of our Lord and allowed the Judge of all the earth to sort out who was right and who was wrong in the end?  Is that even possible?  Is it preferable to the way we’ve been doing things?  Is it worth even an effort???

One great place to start is a book by Brian McLaren, a writer, theologian, and former pastor, which is not only one of my favorite book titles of all time but a thought-provoking read:  “A Generous Orthodoxy:  Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, anabaptist/anglican, methodist, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed-yet-hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian.”  As you may have guessed from the title, McLaren attempts to embrace what is good about the many disparate approaches to following Jesus, with the goal of a church body which fosters conversation and partnership among denominations instead of trash-talking and hyper-divisiveness.  It’s a worthy goal, and merits at least an effort, in my opinion. 

So as 10,000 clergy and parishioners gather in Hartford, what can the evangelical church learn from the United Church of Christ and the so-called “liberal” church? 

The first thing we learn is that the life of Jesus matters.  In evangelical theology, the death and resurrection of Christ are so central that the life of Christ is often reduced to something like “he lived a sinless life,” with the purpose of that sinless life being that he could provide a perfect sacrifice for our sins (critics of The Passion of the Christ complained that the film skipped over the most amazing life ever lived to focus solely on his death).  But what about Jesus’ acts of compassion, healing, justice, and love?  The gospel of the “liberal” church often centers around the words and deeds of Jesus, offering a way of life that, if practiced, brings blessing to the whole world.  The church’s mission, therefore, is to bring the teaching and example of Jesus to bear on not only personal relationships, but also the political structures and cultural systems of the world (McLaren, 59-60).  The evangelical church sometimes needs reminding that as central as Jesus’ death and resurrection are, there is more to the gospel of Jesus Christ than the last week of his life.

Secondly, we can observe that the “liberal” church has always been on the front lines of social justice issues, believing that justice and freedom from oppression are central to Jesus’ gospel.  These churches were the first to get involved in racial reconciliation, women’s rights, stewardship of the earth, concern for the poor, and treating homosexuals with compassion.  Evangelical churches have by contrast often been cautious (or slow, some might say) in their support of the oppressed and the fight against injustice.  In their hesitation, they forget Jesus’ first “sermon” in Luke 4:18-19, where he announced that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2 – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Certainly in Jesus’ mind his gospel was not only about eternal destiny but about justice and good news in the here and now, and the “liberal” church reminds us of that.

Finally, “liberal” churches recognize that, as James wrote, faith without deeds is useless (James 2:20).  Some “liberal” churches and theologians are known to question the authenticity of miraculous elements of the Bible, reading them instead as instructive fictions or myths intended to convey a deeper meaning.  For example, the feeding of the 4000 is sometimes taught as a fable of how God can use the little we give him to do more effective things than we could ever imagine.  As a result, they are inspired to actually feed the hungry, build and staff hospitals, cross boundaries in love, and confront corrupt systems, knowing that God can multiply their efforts (McLaren, 60).  An evangelical Christian would not be caught dead denying Jesus’ miracles, but that doesn’t mean they always live out the truth that is being communicated in the Biblical stories.  Therefore, it is at least worth asking the question – which is better, to deny the reality of the miracle but live out the truth or to believe it really happened but not live out the meaning?

If you’re anything like me, as you’ve read what I had to say you had to fight the urge to say “yes, but,” “what about this?” or “but they’re so wrong on this!”  We can be so quick to focus on that which divides and to let that dismiss our desire to dialogue and work together towards unity.  I am not so naïve as to think that truth does not matter, but for the sake of the gospel and the reputation of our Lord, is unity not worth the effort? 

“May we be one, Father, just as Jesus and His Heavenly Father are one, so that the world might know that Jesus is the Savior. Amen.”