Sunday, August 16, 2009

For the Rest of the (Evolving) Story...

So, remember my posts about Luther, his sexuality, and my grapplings with it in terms of my ministry and views? I'm sure that you've been on the edge of your seats, wanting to hear more. Or maybe not, because you have a LIFE. Anyway, here's what I wrote about him in my evaluation of each peer. I think it speaks for itself:

Luther: I'll confess that when I first suspected you were gay, my thoughts went something like this, "oh Lord, what are you doing?" In other words, I sensed that I was about to have a crisis of theology/ethics/etc. And I did, but I think I'm on the other side of that now, and you've been a positive force through that journey. Thank you for being so responsive, authentic, proactive, and transparent. Because of those qualities, I was able to see God clearly working in you and through you, and in spite of you (as God does with all of us). Your gifts for ministry are so clear and convincing to me that I feel like the only appropriate response I can make is to affirm your gifts and your calling to ordained ministry, and then get out of God's way. There is still a lot that I struggle with, and will continue to struggle with on the issue of LGBT individuals in ministry, but I'll deal with that over time.

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