November-7 I wouldnt want to be in this good mans shoes...Ive copied a message just sent to Methodists from their Bishop. For some reason, his messages dont have a Facebook link. Nov. 20, 2013 My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that many of you have been following this weeks church trial of Rev. Frank Schaefer in Pennsylvania. Rev. Schaefer was charged with disobedience to the Book of Discipline for officiating at the same-gender wedding of his son in 2007. On Monday, after a day of testimony, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Late last night, the jury sentenced Rev. Schaefer to a 30-day suspension, with the stipulation that if at the end of the 30 days he cannot agree to follow the Discipline in its entirety, he must surrender his orders. I heard this news with a heavy heart, and I know that many are trying to understand this sentencing. The trial also comes on the heels of last week’s Council of Bishops’ statement recommending that retired Bishop Melvin Talbert be charged with disobedience to the Discipline for officiating at a same-gender celebration earlier this month. Though I appreciated the fact the letter indicates that we, including the Council of Bishops, are not of one mind on this issue, I could not agree with the statement in its entirety because of my strong belief that we must try our best to follow the teachings of Jesus. We must examine prayerfully the words of Jesus and discern what Christ had to say when laws of his time and the love of God were in conflict. In this spirit, as I learned of some of the proceedings of the Schaefer trial, understood the words of the witnesses – including those of Rev. Schaefer and his son Tim – and heard Rev. Schaefer’s struggle in his discernment of his decision in 2007, my thoughts immediately went to the questions raised by Jesus, “Think of it this way: if your [child] asked you for bread, would you give a stone? Of course not—you would give a loaf of bread. If your [child] asked for a fish, would you give a snake? No, to be sure, you would give a fish—the best fish you could find. (Matthew 7:9-10, The Voice). As faithful Christians, in our interpretation of the biblical message can we be historical and literal on some parts of the Bible, and cultural and contextual on other parts of the Bible? Realizing that we may, as a church, stand on both sides of the decision and the outcome of this trial, in the midst of our pain and sadness, anger and frustration, may we turn to God and pray using the words of the Psalmist, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1). There are differing interpretations on how we should handle same gender issues, and as a Bishop of the United Methodist Church, I am committed to uphold the Discipline of the church with integrity. Friends in Christ, I share these thoughts with you as a fellow Christian, knowing that some of you may not be where I am on this issue or other issues. May I request you to communicate with me if you have any questions so we may be in further dialogue? Let us continue to be in dialogue with one another about these issues. I know there is much pain around this trial, so if you have questions or need to discuss these issues, your district superintendents and I will make ourselves available to you. Please call our offices, and we will do our best to respond to you as quickly as possible. Let us all continue to pray for perseverance and for justice to prevail for all of God’s children everywhere. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for the One who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23). My continuing hope is that, irrespective of our differences, our words and our actions will always reflect Christ-like love and grace to one another and to the world, especially to all who seek a safe, welcoming home in our United Methodist churches. Please join me in prayer for Rev. Frank Schaefer, his family, his congregation and all parties involved in the trial. Please also pray for our beloved United Methodist Church. May the Holy Spirit guide us through these painful times. In Christ’s love, Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 18:42:05 +0000