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Why We Welcome and Affirm Gay and Lesbian People from Terry Kyllo on Vimeo.

How the Heart of the Christian Tradition Calls us to
Welcome and Affirm Everyone Including
Gay and Lesbian People

Location:
The Depot Arts Center
Date:
October 20, 2010
Schedule:
Presentation 7:00 PM Conversations 8:00 PM Wrap Up 8:30 PM

The Bible has a lot to say about sexuality, much of which we would find to be odd and even unethical. People often respond to this in two ways. Some people over-simplify what the various writers have written and loudly announce that they are the only ones who under- stand “Biblical Family Values.” The tendency here is to use a few verses from the Bible to proclaim that homosexual relationships are by definition wrong.

Others say that if the Bible has such odd things written in it, how can it be relevant to any discussion? The tendency here is to instinctively feel that our society needs to affirm gay and lesbian people and that many who feel differently only do so out of hard-heartedness.
Celebration Lutheran takes a third approach: We see in the scriptures a God who works to move us from exclusion to inclusion, from slavery to mutual relation- ship, and from hatred to compassion. For Lutherans, scripture, tradition, and reason work together in ethical reflection. We invite you to hear why we are called to welcome and affirm gay and lesbian people, and that we do so not in spite of, but from the very heart of our faith tradition.

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I intend to write a few more parables about heaven and hell with my friend Andy and publish them sometime in audio and book form.

I feel that the way we talk about heaven and hell in the street theology of America deforms us in powerful ways. In this street theology we have basically said that there are only two positions.

1) Hell is real and lots of people are in it.

2) God lets everyone into heaven no matter what damage they have done to others.

The problem with the first, often considered “conservative”, is that it says that some people are throw-away people to God. This means that we can throw people away too. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and God “allows” them to burn in eternal torture.  Sweet!

The problem with the second, often considered “liberal”, is that God then becomes an accessory to every crime, hurtful act, and atrocity that have every taken place. This means that we are called to be permissive when people destroy us, others, or themselves. Jesus confronted evil in his day, how can God not do the same?

Of course there is a third option:  God is reconciling all people to each other and to God (Colossians 1:20) and will not stop until this reconciliation is complete. We are accountable for what we do and we will need healing and transformation from the effects of our actions. We have broken relationships with others and those relationships will need mending.  This option leads us to see that we are called to participate in the reconciling work of God in the world. There are no “throw-away” people. And we are not throw away people either!

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2On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

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Reflection on Christ The King Sunday

By Terry Kyllo

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