Peter asks questions and makes suggestions about people being hurt by the proposal 84 debate (see below).
I know that for me and a number of my colleagues, being hurt is not about any of the things he lists. We are hurt because members of the church are saying things like "clergy are too well educated for their own good and they only look at Scripture in order to twist it to suit their own purposes - they have no interest in what Scripture really says" and "[people with liberal theological positions] are deliberately leading the church into sin". For us, this is an attack on the integrity of our ministry and on our own personal integrity. And when you put as many hours into serving the church in ministry and into trying to understand what Scripture is actually saying, to have these kinds of statements levelled at you is incredibly painful. We are not hurt because of the resolution but because of what people who don't like it are saying, with, it seems, no thought that they are talking about real human beings who are following God's calling in their lives in the best way they can. And there are also those who are gay and lesbian who have been seeing a movement back from the care that people were taking in 97 to talk about how people express their sexual orientation to blanket statements about particular sexual orientations being sinful. Judy > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, 20 October 2003 6:53 AM > To: List Insights > Subject: Replying to Andrew > > Hi all, > I found your last email confusing Andrew. I'm not sure what you are > trying to get at. However, let me see if I can make myself a little more > explicit. > What do people mean when they say they are hurting about UCA Assembly > resolution 84? Nothing has changed, so why are people claiming to hurt? > It has to be from within that they are hurting. What is the nature of > their hurt? Is it the sort of hurt that comes from not getting your own > way in things? I confess, I am not hurting. My mind is active and > seeking to find a way through the division that has surfaced consequent to > this resolution being made public. > I suspect that for some the hurt is internal and comes from the perception > of being associated with a church that does not take the Bible literally. > What if the Bible isn't the authority that I have imagined it to be? > Where does that leave me? But what if they are wrong and I am associated > with such a church; what will others think of me? > For some it will surely be the feelings of hurt that arise when we feel we > have been excluded from the fellowship for reasons that appear to be > beyond our control. > In both cases people are being led by their feelings and are either > refusing or finding it impossible to understand the feelings of others. > To recognise our own feelings is essential, but to be led by them is > disastrous. I believe it is the path to hell. (There's an opening for > someone) Read Anthony de Mello's "Awareness". > While Jesus seems to be in touch with his own feelings he is also very > aware of the feelings of others. But he doesn't ask us to feel good or > even do those things that will make us feel good. He asks us to love our > enemies, do good to those who persecute us and follow him on the way that > leads to a cross. That is quite clearly not about being led by our > feelings. > In a world where a half of the population lives in abject poverty > (existing on the equivalent of $2 a day or less but with no certainty of a > meal the next day) I believe our argument about whether the Bible is > literally true is an indulgence we cannot afford. I could say that much > more strongly but will desist for the moment. > However you regard the Bible it still says that what we do to others is > what we are doing to God and that our first priority is to care for the > oppressed and downtrodden. The call for justice reverberates through both > Old and New Testaments. That includes acceptance of those who are > different from us and caring for those who are hurting. This is much more > important than having some mythical church that is pure and unadulterated. > If we in the church want to be recognised as Christians, let us love one > another for that is the only hallmark that God will recognise. > Peter. > Peter & Jan Elliott > 26 Crowe Place > Cootamundra NSW 2590 > Phone: 02 6942 1212 >
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