Bishop Mark Webb
324 University Avenue 3rd
Floor
Syracuse, NY 13210
Dear Bishop Webb,
It was a pleasure to meet you at the last prayer service at
University Church in August. We spoke
outside the church discovering our connections to the Wyoming Conference. My husband was a minister in that
conference. It was very gracious of you
to lead us in prayer before you met with my minister, Rev. Stephen Heiss.
I am a 76 year old woman who
has been a member of the United Methodist Church since I was 12. I never felt that I had to absolutely believe
a certain set of rules to be accepted.
It was simple. Believe in God and
follow Jesus teachings. Because of many
wonderful people I have met along the way, I realized that God pretty much
wants us to work things through for ourselves.
The Bible constantly tells us in so many ways that it is not for us to
judge others, that we are to examine our own lives for what’s missing and not
try to find what others may be lacking.
We are to be compassionate, kind, loving and accepting of others without
judgment. This is a work in progress for
most of us, but I’m afraid that our United Methodist Church has been left
behind. I don’t see searching. I don’t see seeking. I don’t see unconditional love. I see us telling people that they are
unworthy. Where is that in the gospel? Isn’t the gospel supposed to be good
news? Aren’t we supposed to be telling
them that? The “good news of Jesus
Christ”? Why would they want to be part
of something that denigrates people?
We are light years away from
the society that Jesus ministered to, in terms of science and biology. Our Tabernacle church has looked for
understanding on the issue of homosexuality for years. We have had classes and read books. We have had discussions. One class that really helped me open my eyes
to the reality of it all was one in which a mother of a gay male told us what
he said to her. He said, “Why would I
choose to be gay? I want to be like
everybody else.” Before that I didn’t
judge, but I didn’t really get it. After
that I did.
It’s time that our United
Methodist Church stood up to the real meaning of the gospel and to our
motto, “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open
Doors”. That is a powerful projection of
who we ought to be and the direction we should be going in, which is all
inclusive.
I know that you have only so
much power in this situation before your job, career and rest of your life
could also be greatly altered. What is
the price that you are willing to pay in order to follow Jesus? Only you can answer that. Is there a way to save both you and
Steve? Can you in your heart condemn him
for what he is doing and serve him up to the powers that be? Can you just
dismiss him with a wink and say don’t do it any more? Or can you also take a stand for justice and
work in the direction of changing our United Methodist Church’s stand on
homosexuality? I think you know what I
hope.
Jesus came to free us from
the laws that bog us down and keep us from being the kind of people he knew we
could be.
Jesus broke the rules all the time!
Sincerely,
Betty A. Stanton
Enc: Editorial from the Press and Sun-Bulletin,
September 16, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment