September 17, 2013
Bishop
Mark Webb
324
University Avenue, 3rd Floor
Syracuse,
NY 13210
Dear
Bishop Webb:
Grace
and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Love made flesh. It took me several days to compose this
letter for there is so much I could say, so many stories I could share. I needed
to take a few moments to sort my thoughts, discern my heart, and commune with
the Spirit. It was in that time of
prayer and conversation with God that I finally found focus.
My call to ordained ministry is completely
centered on serving the community of faith, one that strives to reflect the
walk of Jesus in its everyday mission and ministry. I received my call to ordained ministry at
the age of five, while in vacation bible school where we were studying the book
of Acts. My teacher that day was telling
us the story of Peter and Cornelius—and shared with us Peter’s revelation, “I
now know that God truly shows no partiality…” and I knew. I knew without doubt that I was going to be a
pastor and I was going to serve a church with no partiality. I was just five so I didn’t realize how much
work that would take. I didn’t know about the racial injustices, the gender
injustices, the economic injustices, the orientation injustices and others
occurring in the church. At five all I
saw was a community of people who loved one another the way that God loves us.
My
call has not changed. Learning about the
church’s sins of exclusion and segregation only strengthened the pull on my
life to create inclusion and welcome. It
burns within me, the desire to declare with Peter’s boldness, “I now know that
God’s church truly shows no partiality.” I believe the United Methodist Church
can be that community of faith. We can
be that people where all are welcomed, where minds, hearts and doors are truly
open. We can embody the Christ who came
to proclaim “good news to the poor, release to captives, …to let the oppressed
go free.”
Currently
the United Methodist Church doesn’t want me to follow my calling. I can serve the community of faith, but with
stipulations. I am not permitted to lead the church into the vision of no
partiality. I am instructed to leave
some oppressed, some captive. In a state
where marriage is a right for all couples, I am to deny those rights for some
within their church home. I cannot. I will not abandon my call in favor of
institutional church polity. I burn to
create the church of no partiality. My
heart is not just strangely warmed, it is ignited. I will follow where Jesus leads.
Please,
do the same. Dismiss the complaint against Rev. Steve Heiss. Let’s take another
step toward no partiality.
Your
Sister in Christ,
Teressa
M. Sivers
No comments:
Post a Comment