The vote this summer will be in 4 parts, and one of them involves gay clergy in a committed relationship to fulfil the Lutheran requirement of fidelity. Find it here: http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=7976&key=63616574 )

I also know that if (and when) I meet a girl I wish to marry, my ELCA pastor will be happy to marry us. Using the Lutheran marriage ceremony. In a church, if I/we wish. This, despite the fact that the doctrinal history of the Lutheran church, dating back to Martin Luther himself, declares that marriage is not an institution of the church, but rather of the state. Oh, if only the church would lead on this, instead of following.

Rev2bebt, I was hoping you’d get flushed out of the bushes for this one! It does my heart equally good to know that folk like you are serving as spiritual/ethical guides to communities of well-intentioned folk. Thank you for the finer detail on the PCUSA’s position.

Thank you, Dana, for the color commentary on the United Methodist position and the link. Thanks very much for the link to your interview in Bay Windows: fascinating!

Last and very much not least: St, a continued thanks for your readership. Whether or not you pass this post or stuff in it on to your family, I’m glad you have more places to go for info and support (these links in this post, plus the further info from the other readers). Whenever I try to really, truly, put my heart in the place of people who, in good faith and with no personal rancor, believe that homosexuality is not just outside, but actively contrary to what they believe most dear, I just think: wow. I can’t figure how hard it would be to work one’s way from that spot to a place that finds theological support for openness and compassion and understanding in this area. Clearly many denominations do; others dont; others still are soul-searching on a very broad scale. But I think the best consciousness-raising work here will have to come from community members in their sphere — if not family members or friends or fellow congregants, then fellow practicing Christians, ideally leadership.

Probably more information than you ever wanted to know, but I’m a compulsive stickler for details!

I heard a presentation yesterday on the PCUSA’s arguments over ordaining “clergy who engage in same-sex practices”, a debate which is currently ongoing. A few interesting things came up: 1) the vote was very close this time, close enough that it is entirely probable that at their next General Assembly, the vote will go the other way. 2) the language used in their Book of Confessions requires “fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness”, but does not explicitly define marriage. No one seems sure as to where this leaves Presbyterian clergy in MA, CT, VT or IA. 3) these rules are based on the Heidelberg Catechism… or rather, a translation of it, done in the late 60s. Recently, the translators confessed that they purposely inserted language that was not in the original, so that the catechism would specifically condemn homosexuality. Interesting argument, when we’re suddenly not talking about the Will of God, but the Will of Translator. I haven’t gotten the citations for any of this yet, but I do hope to in the next couple of days.

Finally, it could also be mentioned that the Catholic Church reserves the right not to marry those who have previously been divorced. Funny, I don’t hear anyone arguing that divorce should not be legal…

In contrast, I’ll point to an interview I serendipitously did with UM Bishop Melvin Talbert a couple of weeks ago for Bay Windows. Bishop Talbert has spoken out strongly in favor of LGBT rights within the church. He was recently honored by Cambridge Welcoming Ministries, an LGBT-supporting UM church in the Boston area. (I’m going to post it at Mombian next week; haven’t gotten around to it yet. And no, I’m not Methodist. I’ll report on any denomination, though.)