As I write this, Beth is at an evangelism committee meeting for First United Methodist Church of Germantown. She got up early this morning so she could put in some miles towards her training for a January 2005 marathon. I took our dog to obedience class and hope to make some progress cleaning up the house.
Meanwhile, we have received well over 1000 emails from all over the world. We know that people are weeping, outraged, hurting, even despairing. We have not even scratched the surface in terms of responding to this outpouring, as we are still taking it all in.
But please know that there is still love and laughter and joy in our lives. Beth still loves God. Beth still loves the United Methodist Church. Beth still reads her Bible daily, has a relationship with Jesus Christ, and seeks to be obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in her life and ministry. We will continue to follow the path that is set before us to the best of our ability.
The Gospel reading at our covenant ceremony was Matthew 5:1-16 -- the Beatitudes. On that special day, my pastor reminded us that the only command included in that entire text was "Rejoice and be glad!" These are the commitments that have brought us to this point. These are the commitments that will carry us forward in faith and discipleship.
Meanwhile, God will continue to call qualifed lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Christians to the work of ministry in the United Methodist Church as well as many other denominations. The work of the Spirit will continue to transform lives.
Still, we know that many of you were not able to be with us in person to witness the grace and power of the Holy Spirit at work in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. And you are not here with us to read the hundreds and thousands of supportive greetings that have flooded our inboxes.
If you attended the trial, let me invite you to email me with some of your reflections on the experience. I want to begin compiling them on this website so that the broader community can be encouraged by the powerful movement of the Spirit that we witnessed together.
Please pray for Beth's continued wisdom and discernment as to what God would have her do. She needs to decide what she will do about the appeal process and will also be negotiating this transition with her United Methodist clergy colleagues in this area.
Consider reaching out to others in your community who may be hurting because of what happened at the trial. Hundreds of people have reached out to us and we have a strong circle of support through our family, First United Methodist Church of Germantown, Tabernacle United Church, and other friends and colleagues around the region and around the country. Not everyone has such incredible support to lean on.
Chris |
