There is something happening in my Church that has the air of the secrecy of Secret Santa, you know that time of year when we purchase gifts for someone but no one can know just what is happening because it is secret.

Shh, those in the know say, “Be very patient and very quiet while WE convene and work out a way forward.”

This secret discussion is not about the color of the draperies.  It is not about the construction of a building, it is not about money and how to spend it.  No, it is not about anything about which choices can possibly be made, so why are they looking for a path forward?

There is a confrontation going on in the Church about the ordination of those persons practicing homosexual relationships.  Why is there a question?  God, Whom I have always been taught is the Creator, has given His verdict on all sexual activities and homosexuality is in the list of sexual contacts that He calls wrong.

Reasoning powers make it a logical deduction that IF God is in charge THEN God has the say so about what the Church does and does not.

So why are they looking for a way forward?

God did not single out homosexual practice as the only kind of sexual contact not permitted by Him.  He names also, adultery, bestiality, incest, and fornication.

I envision that the Church powers that be meet, and knowing that both the Bible and the Book of Discipline provide them with no possible route to accommodate this request they are looking for words that will in some way  politically and correctly persuade those in the majority view to concede and agree with the minority view and against God and The Book of Discipline.

Otherwise, why are they spending so much time “discussing” what to do and how to move forward?  Where is there to go seeing that God has already spoken?

If the designation of “sinful behaviors” was a classification made by the Church, or even the Book of Discipline, we could then discuss changing the rules.  That is not the case however.

The problem is that the Church has not, for many years, taught about “sin” and why God is opposed to us being engaged in any sinful behavior.

No activity, so labeled by God as a sin is okay, but there is a special designation made about sins of a sexual nature; “All other sins are committed outside the body, but sexual sins are done TO the body.”   I Cor. 6:18

My purpose in this writing is not to defend God; He does not need defending; however, God is all FOR us and He tells us that some things are good for us and some things are harmful.  He is very open and straight forward about sexual sins and does not shy away from calling homosexuality, “an abomination to Him.”

So, why are they looking for a way forward?

Can a person who has been engaged in fornication, adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, ever be ordained?

Remember the woman taken in adultery and brought to Jesus by the crowd of self-righteous men?  Jesus told her that He did not condemn her but to “go and sin no more.” 

“Don’t continue this life style,” He effectively said.

The adulterer can be ordained IF the adultery is confessed and abandoned.

So what if one’s preference is for the same sex?  You just don’t engage it, in the same way that a person who is heterosexual does not engage in sexual activity if not married.  It is called celibacy!

Since God does single out “homosexuality” as an abomination to Him, it becomes clear that He does not permit marriage of the same sex. 

Lev.18: 22, Lev. 20: 13, I Cor. 6: 9- 11, Romans 1: 24, Romans 1: 26-27

So what are they doing discussing a way forward?

Maybe they are talking about how to soft glove their refusal of ordination of homosexuals.  Is there any way to soft glove an announcement to a person that they are in fact standing on the side of a situation that is in opposition to God?  I doubt it. 

Personally, I have never been comfortable with coming to terms with my sins as they have been revealed to me.  I don’t think anyone is; but God says we are to tell His Word like it is AND we are not to change His Word.

So, why are they even discussing a path forward?  The path has been established for us by God Himself.

The answers are in Eternal Writings which can be disobeyed but not made ineffective. 

#11   01/27/2016

Ramona,  Master in Ministry Arts, BA in Biblical Studies, I am an Ordained Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.