May 31, 2019
I was speaking with a dear friend of mine recently who grew
up in the Episcopal Church and was very active in her local congregation when
dialogue around LGBTQ issues reached a breaking point. We were talking about
how uncomfortable these conversations can be and she freely admitted that she
stuck her head in the sand, like an ostrich, trusting that the leadership would
make the right decision. When the
decision was made and she pulled her head up out of the sand, she discovered
that her congregation had chosen the more conservative Anglican Communion. Her
own faith journey had led her to a place where she believed in God’s radical
inclusion of all people through Jesus Christ and she found herself without a
church home.
I share this story because I have this deep sense that many
of us just want to stick our heads in the sand, trusting in the leadership of
the church. Many of us would rather take a “wait and see” stance instead of
doing the difficult work of wrestling with the breadth of scripture and listening
closely for the voice of God. Many of us would prefer simple answers and a
clear path forward.
But following Jesus has never been simple. Jesus routinely
takes us places we would rather not go and calls us to a faith that can move
mountains. Jesus calls us to leave our nets and the comforts of home and follow
him.
Over the next few months I hope to share news and stories
that will help us ask difficult questions, confront our fears, and grow in our
knowledge and love of God as we seek to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ
in today’s world.
