June 9, 2024

Who is in and Who is out?

 

Who is in and who is out? We are family!

I open this reflection with a direct quote from sermon seeds, a ucc online resource because it sums up all that is happening so well…

                               “This scene from the early part of Jesus’ ministry, right after he has chosen his twelve apostles, feels almost as chaotic to read about as it must have seemed to those gathered around Jesus. It might be helpful to get a sense of how the Gospel of Mark itself feels–it’s no leisurely story with nice, long sermons and extended conversations (think the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and the woman at the well, or Nicodemus, in John). The Marcan Jesus is on the move constantly, like a man on a mission with little time to spare and even less patience with people who like to criticize everything he does.

We’re only in the third chapter of Mark now, but a quick read of those first chapters is exhausting: Jesus has gone from his hometown to the wilderness to Galilee to the sea to Capernaum to a house to a deserted place and back out to the towns of Galilee (in just the first chapter) and then back to Capernaum and home, and then to the sea, and to Levi’s house, through the grain fields and to the synagogue, and then back to the sea, into a boat, before heading up the mountain where he gathers those twelve apostles around him, and then, finally, he goes home.

Imagine all this travel with desperate crowds around him (people “from every quarter,” 1:45), clinging to him, begging for healing, begging to be released from the demons that had hold of them, and then picture a group of carping critics picking at everything he did–breaking the rules about healing on the Sabbath, eating with tax collectors and sinners, and not fasting as they should. In other words, finding it more lawful to meet human need than to let human suffering go on unnecessarily: Jesus understood the heart of God’s Law.

Of course, we can understand that the crowds couldn’t help themselves: who among us would not do whatever it took to get our sick child, for example, to a healer who was doing the amazing things being attributed to Jesus? Still, it’s poignant to see how Jesus couldn’t even go home and have a meal in peace (a practice with much greater significance in that culture than we allow in our own).

In chapter two, people dig through his roof and drop a paralyzed person right next to him, hoping for a cure, and after admiring their faith and handling the criticism of the scribes when he forgives the man’s sins, Jesus tells the man to get up and walk. That healing amazes the crowd, of course, and makes Jesus even more sought-after, but it really gets the attention of the powers that be, which explains why they’re back again, all the way from Jerusalem, here in the third chapter, as Jesus tries once more to go into a house for a break from all this activity.

The problems with crowd control persist, so much so that Jesus can’t even have supper with his friends, his disciples. But he isn’t surrounded only by people who were willing to admit their brokenness and their need, along with those institutional critics who, we suspect by this time, are looking to find fault with Jesus rather than to affirm the wonderful thing God is doing in him. The growing crowd also includes, of all people, the family of Jesus: his mother and his brothers, who can’t even get inside the house and talk to him face to face.”[1]

That brings the next part of the text…Jesus’ family. We do not know exactly what prompted Jesus’ mother and brothers to come and well, give him a talking too…but it may have been the stirring up of the crowds…it may have been the exorcisms… Jesus was changing the conversation around sin and heaven and well it scared some people and his family might have been just scared for him too. It may have been they felt he needed a break…we just don’t know.

But here in the midst of bickering and crowds and confusion and family trying to push in and other people probably yelling hey we were here first.  Your wrong about Jesus no your wrong about Jesus …Jesus heal me. Jesus teach me …in the middle of that confusion some one pauses and says hey Jesus your family is here…Jesus paused looked around him and said you are my family.  Right here, right now, you are my family ….” whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and mother.”

“the text reveals the startling truth that even Jesus had family problems. The dynamics that happen within familial relationships are part of the human condition. Evidence of this can even be found within the gospel passage highlighted this week. Family may be defined by blood lines of ancestry, secured by formal and informal adoption, or expanded to include ties voluntarily bound to be like family. “You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family” as an expression gets disproven by groups of people in small and large units as well as the biblical witness.”

“The family of Jesus–his mother and brothers–make their way through much of the crowd to reach the outside door of the house where Jesus was sitting. Scholars note that even such a small detail is significant: Judith Hoch Wray says that “house” is the “key word” here, and the understanding of who is on the inside and who is on the outside is central to the meaning of this passage .”[2]

Who is inside and who is outside of the “house?” Who is inside or outside of the church.  That is a question that comes at me from so many ways.  It stirs me up.  It upsets me.  It brings pain and joy and understanding and confusion all at once.

I recall a time when I was paying a bit more attention to this..  Maybe because it is Pride month…I don’t know…I think it started on face book someone asked what is cis gender?  They wanted to know what it meant.

“Ryan Ashley Caldwell It’s when the gender you were assigned at birth actually matches the cultural gender expectations for presentation once older. It’s as if you’re saying “yes!” To your assigned at birth gender. (All this assumes a binary system and not a queer identity)”[3]

That is a great description it’s all very scientific…. until…one-person claims “labels used to divide and separate!” I pointed out that here are more terms to help understand and lift up and celebrate our glorious differences.  He didn’t like that too much, the conversation went on until this

“The less united we are as a population (through divisive labels), the more manipulation can occur by the media and the more control can occur by the government. We can no longer be ______Insert name here  (identified by those that know me with my quirks, foibles, etc.), we now have to be known by our labels… race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, citizenship, familial status, disability, veteran, genetic information… and yes, all the above are protected with the only class of people remaining without protection are white males 19-39 years of age unless they’re a religion other than Christian, are married, are disabled, or are a veteran.”[4]

 Well I am assuming, from this post, this young man is white between the ages of 18-39 single, and considers himself Christian.  Yikes …. who is in and who is out?  Who is my family?

June 4th was the Pride flag raising from Hart plaza in Detroit, my hometown…When I was young and in Detroit we could barely have a pride rally for fear of retaliation and now they wave the pride flag with the mayor present and council people present.  It really is amazing to see how far some communities have come and yet…the ACLU is tracking 515 anti LGBTIQQ pieces of legislation across this country..

 A few years ago a minister who is serving in a UCC church shared some pain.  “This last Sunday during my sermon, I revealed that I was transgender and transitioning. (I should begin by saying we are an ONA congregation, and the leadership of the church already knew I was transgender.)

The initial response from the congregation was either positive and supportive, or neutral. I heard nothing that was negative to my face. All day Monday I was in the office and not a word was said to me about my revelation. There was a great deal more silence in my presence than normal from the church staff who are also on council (I know, you bad idea, small congregation, old practices die hard.)

I found out last night that our Council President had called in our Association General Minister to attend our Council Meeting this evening (and did so without consulting with other folks on Council.) Please pray that tonight’s meeting will be civil, that love will prevail, and God’s will be done.”

I reached out to her and she basically said I am treading water right now…It did work out fine but. No one…no one should have to tread water in the United Church of Christ, or any Church for that matter! This is unacceptable and yet it goes on day after day.  Sometimes in more subtle ways…If we hire a gay pastor, they will turn us into a gay church! It’s okay to be a gay Pastor just don’t talk about it. Here is one I got from the LAPD before being approved as a chaplain …please do not evangelize your openly gay agenda??? I am not sure what that would even mean.

To this day there are 64 countries that Criminalize same sex relations. Ther are 40 countries that countries criminalize private, consensual sexual activity between women. There are 12 countries have jurisdictions in which the death penalty is imposed or at least a possibility for private, consensual same-sex sexual activity. At least 6 of these implement the death penalty – Iran, Northern Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen – and the death penalty is a legal possibility in Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, UAE and Uganda. 14 countries criminalise the gender identity and/or expression of transgender people, using so-called ‘cross-dressing’, ‘impersonation’ and ‘disguise’ laws. 

One other note about this week this Sunday they are celebrating Pride in Los Angeles, which incidentally was founded by Christian ministers, Rev. Bob Humphries (founder of the United States Mission), Morris Kight (a founder of the Gay Liberation Front), and Rev. Troy Perry (founder of the Metropolitan Community Church) they  came up with the idea as a way to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings. but before all the festivities today  thousands of people on Bikes rode in after riding all week, 545 miles from San Francisco to los Angeles raising over 11 million dollars for the San Francisco Aids foundation and los Angeles LGBT Center both supplying life saving service.

On the opposite end of that the house republicans passed a bill fr funding vet services and attached to it were bills deny gender affirming care for veterans and a rule saying vet services cannot fly a rainbow flag anywhere on government property.

For generations the LGBTQ community and many others have sought out their own kind, like-minded people and declared them their family, a family of choice, a family of necessity, just as Jesus did in this gospel reading today.  

I saw a wonderful meme yesterday which answers a question so often heard; “when is straight Pride?”  The meme says straight Pride would be equivalent to having soup kitchens for the Poor.

This is why we are an open and affirming congregation and why the ONA movement is crucial. To this day only about a third of UCC churches are intentionally proclaiming to be ONA.

The Gay community is a family! We are a family!  A family of loving and supporting Christians. We Live in a community that needs healing and safe places for all families. I pray we continue to reach out and let everyone know that is just who we are! Amen

[1] http://www.ucc.org/worship_samuel_sermon_seeds_june_10_2018

[2] http://www.ucc.org/worship_samuel_sermon_seeds_june_10_2018

[3] https://www.facebook.com

[4] https://www.facebook.com