homosexuality...the moral dilemma of our era.

I was in conversation with a very respected mentor of mine this week and he brought up the issue of homosexuality and what recent Emergent Church leader Tony Jones had to say about it. When this topic comes around I almost go into a fight or flight mode, deciding to either engage this issue head on or simply not discuss it. I was challenged to think through this as a new church leader and theologically engage scripture as well as the cultural situation that we are currently in.
I believe fully in the love of God to cover sin by his grace. How this plays out is uncertain because God holds the only authority to judge his people's sins. With homosexuality, it concerns me how christians think that their God given right is to dispense the will of God on homosexuals and damn them for their 'abomination.' I could defend the homosexual in this instance but that is useless because I see hypocrisy in the judge at this point. A homosexual claiming christianity knows that their is an issue, i'm not sure if it is our responsibility to play God here. However, I do know that we are to discern right and wrong with our christian family, and the truth is that this needs to happen in a more diverse group of thought, rather than right and left wingers forming armies to defend and combat each other. In defending "God" i feel that many christians forfeit the message of God's love as well.
My intent is not to take scripture out of context but a Psalm 103 speaks of God's love better than I can say. "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him." If I'm to faithfully work through this I must heavily rely upon the guidance of the holy spirit in prayer; i must talk with other people about this issue because I don't want to rely solely on my own intellect; i must confront this issue with each person living the homosexual lifestyle because it's easy to point out a sin from a distance but if sin is given a face - if we must deal with this in a relational way, we will look at homosexuality different.

Will the Church please be the Church...

In light of this past election, hearts have been aglow with the passion of politics. I have enjoyed many of these conversations with peers, family members, bloggers and so forth. My observations have made me slightly aggitated, not at republicans or democrats, but at those who call themselves the church. The familiar scenario was a conservative republican standing behind their morally upheld beliefs and faith in their party and the liberal democrat who desired change and social justice, also holding faith in a party-but much more in a man that was identified with. My general observation was that many republicans weren't keen on Sen. McCain and democrats found common ground with President-elect Obama. Whatever. What was annoying was how people placed their best interests (usually taxes) as a poll position to vote and yet masked the abortion issue as the reason God is republican or the relief to the poor by taxing the rich as God's will made known through Obama. Give me a break.

If the church would be the church money would not be the issue. If the church would be the church then our poverish communities would already be receiving aid, and care, and relationship rather than government programs without accountability. If the church would be the church, the sanctity of life would be found in pro-life, anti-war, and pro-salvation (giving life back to the people of God!) Why do republicans make abortion their end all answer and yet agree with the war in Iraq? Is sanctity of life supposed to be upheld only in unborn children, or is sending a soldier into a position to take someone's life also a violation of the sanctity of life? For the love! Are the poor really going to be bailed out now that a democrat is president? I doubt it. If the church would be the church, all of these problems would not be solved. No. If the church would be the church we would be held to a kingdom standard that is commissioned to show life to ALL people and to have faith in a God that is mighty to save, unrestricted to theological formulas and all of our brightest ideas of what God should be or should be doing. God gives us faith so that we may respond purely out of grace and witness to the inbreaking kingdom that this world desperately needs.

This is a rant, but hopefully you see it as a thoughtful and coherent rant. peace.