The pandemic is not only still with us, it is currently surging in areas of the country which, until recently, were not seriously impacted. And while churches in many states are just now resuming in-person, indoors worship, the future of our congregational ministries can still seem precarious and uncertain.

While we never want to minimize the importance of believers’ being able to experience Christian worship and fellowship in each other’s physical presence, we do need, now more than ever, to pay attention to the online presence of our ministries.

I recently came across an article by Chuck Lawless, from the Billy Graham School of World Missions, on the “Signs of a Bad Church Website.” This is a summary of his article in my own words.

1. The church does not even have a website!  This is just not an option anymore—especially with online ministries becoming essential due to the pandemic. Remember: This health crisis could last a while. Yet I am still finding LCMC and NALC churches which have no website!

2. The website is inadequate.  These are websites I bring up on my laptop and think, “Why did they even bother?” A totally inadequate and poorly designed website gives a poor initial impression to any potential visitor who is “checking you out” online.

3. Your website has no contact information.  It should include the pastor’s name, church email address, and phone number. 

4. The website has no information about your worship services.

5. The information on your website is not updated and even includes event dates that have already taken place! This is the most common issue I have found while checking on hundreds of Lutheran church websites. Lenten worship service information is not helpful when it is still on your site in July!

6. Spelling or grammatical errors are common. Find a volunteer who will proofread, beforehand, any information the pastor or administrator/secretary is about to post on your website.

7. No driving directions are provided.  Not everyone uses Google Maps. Brief, written directions to your location will be helpful.

8. No recorded or streamed sermons are available. As long as there is public anxiety about gathering indoors for worship, this is extremely important.

9. Childcare information is not provided. If you provide childcare during worship, mention that fact. Nesting stage, potential first-time visitors want to know.

10. A brief summary of your congregation’s core beliefs.  Be sure to avoid terms that might be meaningless or confusing to the unchurched. LCMC and NALC congregations have the option of using a summary of the core beliefs from their national church websites. But don’t hesitate to add your own, more personal “mission statement” as an introduction to any list of your national church’s core beliefs.

Lutheran CORE’s editor, Kim Smith, designed and maintains Lutheran CORE’s website. She can be reached at lcorewebmail@gmail.com.

A RESPONSE TO AND EVALUATION OF RECONCILING SCRIPTURE FOR LUTHERANS

Reconciling Scripture for Lutherans: Sexuality and Gender Identity is a booklet distributed by ReconcilingWorks to give a Biblical basis for affirming the LGBTQ+ lifestyle and for fully welcoming LGBTQ+ people into the life of the church, including as rostered leaders of the church. The booklet is divided into three parts. A short introduction discusses what the authors present as a Lutheran way of interpreting Scripture. The booklet then covers eight Bible passages, which it describes as the “clobber passages” that have been “used to exclude LGBTQ+ people from the body of Christ,” and eight passages which it claims “offer inclusive and expansive understandings of the nature of God’s welcome” (page 7).

In this article I will cover two things –

First, the way in which the clear and obvious meaning of Scripture is set aside in order to get Scripture to support the LGBTQ+ perspective.

Second, the way in which the booklet never adequately addresses the fact that whenever the Bible speaks of same-sex sexual behavior, it always speaks against it.

First, the setting aside of the clear and obvious meaning of Scripture in order to get Scripture to support the LGBTQ+ perspective.

The authors begin by praising Martin Luther for rejecting allegorical and metaphorical methods of interpretation, and instead insisting “that Scripture should not be interpreted to say more than what it meant to its original hearers, writers, and readers.” Our duty is to explore “what Scripture would have meant to its original hearers in its historical context” (page 10). And yet there are multiple times when the authors twist and/or stretch the plain and obvious meaning and message of the Bible in order to get the Bible to support their agenda.

The First of the Passages Used to Exclude is from Genesis 1, which clearly states that God created humanity male and female and then said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 1: 28). The traditional view of human sexuality is based upon the Biblical account of the creation of humanity as male and female. This view is supported by no less an authority than Jesus himself, who quoted this passage in Matthew 19: 4. Because God made humanity male and female, they were able to multiply and fill the earth.

And yet look at what the authors have done. They argue that just as there is not only land and sea, but also things in between such as swamps, estuaries, and reefs, and not just day and night, but also times in between such as dusk and dawn, so the Biblical account of creation could be interpreted as endorsing not just two sexes – male and female – but also a wide variety of gender identities (page 16). They also say, “We may read the description of human beings as male or female in this verse in the same way we read the description of God as Alpha and Omega – as a summary of every point along spectrum, rather than as two distinct boxes” (page 16).

But what does the Bible say? What is the clear meaning and message of Scripture? In Genesis 1: 27 it says, “Male and female he created them.” And then in the next verse, in verse 28, it says, “God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’” It is because humans are male and female that they are able to multiply. In Matthew 19: 4-5 Jesus said, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” The words “for this reason” at the beginning of verse 5 mean that there is a connection between verse 4 and verse 5. It is because God made humans male and female that two people—one male and one female—are able to become one flesh. Any other interpretation—such as that the Bible is advocating for a wide variety and broad spectrum of sexual and gender identities—is reading in rather than listening to the plain, clear, and obvious message of Scripture.

The Second of the Passages Used to Exclude is from the second creation story found in Genesis 2. The authors state, “This coming together of Adam and Eve as man and woman has been used as a proof text in the argument against same-gender relationships.” The authors are correct when they say that Christians who hold to a traditional view believe that “true unity in relationships can only be achieved by male-female pairs whose differences complement each other, essentially making one whole out of two halves” (page 19).

What is odd is what the authors say in the next several sentences. They argue that the use of the language “one flesh” in both Genesis 2 and Matthew 19 recognizes a desired “sameness.” “If Adam was searching for a partner who had significant differences, or even complimentary (sic) differences, he might have chosen one of the animals whom God brought to him earlier in the chapter . . . . But rather than choosing something entirely different from himself, Adam speaks reverently about the similarities he and Eve share . . . . The characteristics that Adam was looking for in a mate had more to do with similarity and the ability to share life with someone like himself than it had to do with making up for some kind of lack in either partner” (page 19).

It is because of their bias to find support for same-sex relationships that the authors allow for only two options—the sameness of Adam and Eve, and the great differences between Adam and one of the animals. They do not allow for a third possibility—the similarities and differences, or what could be called the complementary differences, of male and female, which are able to become one flesh, and which are then able to multiply and fill the earth.

The authors also ignore the clear and obvious way in which the Biblical text connects verse 23 of Genesis 2, which speaks of the creation of two sexes, male and female, with verse 24, which speaks of two becoming one flesh. Verse 24 begins with the words “therefore” or “for this reason.” It is because male and female are two separate sexes (verse 23) that they are able to become one flesh (verse 24).

The Third of the Passages Used to Exclude is Genesis 19. I believe that the authors have made a clear and compelling case that homosexual behavior is not the sole reason for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Rather the Scriptures are very clear that many other sinful behaviors also are the issue, including pride, greed, and uncharity (page 23). Those who wish to build a case that the Bible consistently rejects same-sex sexual behavior need to refer also to other passages of Scripture and not just the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.

The Fourth of the Passages Used to Exclude – from Leviticus 18 and 20 – I will deal with these in the second part of this article.

The Fifth of the Passages Used to Exclude is Deuteronomy 22: 5, “A woman shall not wear a man’s apparel, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment.” The authors give two reasons why this verse should not be used as an argument against cross dressing. First, they say that some scholars believe that wearing the clothing of another gender was a common part of the cultic rituals for many of the civilizations surrounding Israel. Therefore, this prohibition essentially added another layer of protection against any kind of worship of other gods (page 27). I do not know enough about the worship life of the nations surrounding Israel at that time to be able to comment on this first argument. However, there is a major flaw in their second argument. The authors refer to the writings of a Jewish rabbi who suggested that the words used for “a man’s apparel” actually refer to armor and weapons. In an effort to minimize the loss of women who would be capable of childbearing, women were not to dress as men and go into battle (pages 27-28). The problem with that interpretation is that the verse not only forbids women to dress as men, it also tells men not to dress as women.

The Sixth of the Passages Used to Exclude is Deuteronomy 23: 1 – “No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.” Along with the authors I feel compassion for a man who has been forcibly castrated—either as a form of punishment (page 29) or in order to make him into a eunuch so that he would be able to care for the king’s wives or to watch over the royal treasury (page 30). I can understand the point of the authors that maybe this verse was included in order to keep “the Hebrew people from using castration as a punishment because it would essentially disconnect the offender from society as a whole, which, in that time and place, would have been almost as effective as a death sentence” (pages 29-30). I give thanks for the later inclusion of those who had been forcibly castrated in exile (see my consideration of the Third of the Passages Used to Welcome – Isaiah 56), and I give thanks that Philip reached out to and baptized the Ethiopian eunuch (see my consideration of the Fifth of the Passages Used to Welcome – Acts 8). But, as I will say in my consideration of those two passages, they do not give Biblical support for transgenderism as a sex change process which is intentionally and voluntarily chosen.

The Seventh and Eighth of the Passages Used to Exclude – from Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, and 1 Timothy 1 – I will deal with these in the second part of this article.  

It should be clear and obvious that in their consideration of the Passages Used to Exclude the authors are not taking seriously the clear and obvious meaning of a text, but instead are using a text for their own pre-determined purposes in order to find Biblical support for the LGBTQ+ agenda. The same is also true of the Passages Used to Welcome.

The First of the Passages Used to Welcome is the book of Ruth. The authors are absolutely correct when they say that “Ruth shows great loyalty to Naomi, both in word and in action, and for it she is rewarded with a husband and a place among the chosen people of Israel” (page 42). The authors say it so well in their claim that “Ruth’s story gives us some of the most beautiful commitment poetry in the Bible” (page 42). The fact that Ruth, a foreigner, became a “part of the chosen people of Israel and a member of the lineage of Christ” (page 42) does show that “God works through outsiders to continue to bring the whole world to restoration and reconciliation” (pages 42-43). But there is no way that one can legitimately argue that the book of Ruth is intended to support the LGBTQ+ agenda and the concept of same-sex sexual behavior. The only sexual relationships mentioned in the book of Ruth are opposite-sex sexual relationships—between Elimelech and Naomi, their two sons Mahlon and Chilion and their Moabite wives Orpah and Ruth, and Ruth and Boaz. In trying to get this story to support the LGBTQ+ agenda and same-sex sexual behavior the authors have violated the method of interpretation which they have praised Martin Luther for—not trying to get Scripture to say “more than what it meant to its original hearers, writers, and readers” (page 10).

As part of their discussion of this First of the Passages Used to Welcome, the authors also mention Jesus’ actively reaching out to people on the edges of society, including Samaritans and tax collectors (page 42). But again, there is no way that one could argue that in taking these actions Jesus was advocating for the LGBTQ+ agenda and same-sex sexual behavior. In the same way, I do not believe that Jesus was advocating for same-sex sexual behavior in Luke 4 when he spoke of how Elijah was sent to the widow at Zarephath in Sidon and how during the time of the prophet Elisha, only Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of his leprosy. The authors are violating the integrity of Scripture by trying to get Scripture to say something far different from what it meant to the original hearers, writers, and readers.

The Second of the Passages Used to Welcome is Psalm 139. The authors quote verses 13 and 14: “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” These verses remind me of Jeremiah 1: 5, where God said to the prophet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.”

The authors are absolutely right when they say that the verses from Psalm 139 show that “God already knows us completely, and loves us unconditionally” (page 44). They are also correct when they say that we “learn and grow and continue to change throughout our entire lives” (page 45). They are accurate in their statement that “sometimes we require or choose to do things that help make us more whole and more healthy, like getting fitted for glasses, or taking medication for depression, or having our appendix out” (page 45). So far I would agree with them. But then they go on to say that “for transgender people, these changes may include things like name and pronoun changes, hormone therapy, or gender-confirmation surgery” (page 45). They are speaking as if gender-confirmation or gender-reassignment surgery was no more than getting fitted for glasses or having your appendix taken out.

What the trans-affirming community is saying is that the “real” self is the self with the new name and the new gender identity. According to the trans-affirming community, as God was forming my inward parts and knitting me together in my mother’s womb, God knew that the name I would be given at my birth would not be my real name and the gender with which I would be born would not be my real gender. There is a total lack of Biblical support for the idea that my “real” self (which is also known to God) is something other than what God formed me in my mother’s womb to be. Psalm 139 does not support what the trans-affirming community is trying to get it to support.

I will consider together the Third and Fifth of the Passages Used to Welcome. The Fifth of the Passages Used to Welcome is the story in Acts 8 of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Along with the authors I grieve over the thought that this person who was seeking to be in relationship with God might not have been allowed into the temple in Jerusalem. Along with the authors I rejoice that a follower of Jesus (Philip) realized “the real-life implications of a Gospel that is meant for all people” (page 54). The Ethiopian eunuch was asking, “Can my being a eunuch and an ethnic and racial outsider keep me from being baptized?” Along with the authors I am glad that Philip answered with a resounding, “Of course not.” But the baptism and inclusion of someone who was probably forcibly castrated does not provide Biblical support for voluntarily choosing gender-confirmation or gender-reassignment surgery.  

The same thing is true of the Third of the Passages Used to Welcome – Isaiah 56, which embraces those who had been forcibly castrated in exile. This passage also does not provide Biblical support for a sex change process which is intentionally and voluntarily chosen.

The Fourth of the Passages Used to Welcome is from Matthew 22. Jesus is asked, “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He replies, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22: 37-39, Mark 12: 30-31). The authors ask whether the prohibitions in Leviticus 18 and 20 against sex with animals, sex with “a man as with a woman,” and sex during a woman’s menstrual cycle show love (verse 51). Their answer is that the ancient Israelites were like other ancient cultures in believing that the amount of semen was limited. Sex with animals, same-gender sexual activity between men, and sex during a woman’s menstrual cycle would have “wasted” an opportunity to have a child. “Depriving a wife of children . . . would not have been an act of love” (page 51). However, the Bible does not base its prohibition against sex with animals and same-sex sexual behavior between men upon a limited amount of semen. Rather it is based upon creation. The one whom Adam was to become one flesh with was the one concerning whom Adam said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2: 23). The one whom Adam was to become one flesh with was not one of the animals, from which he was very different, but a human, with whom he shared both similarities and differences—a human of the opposite sex.  

The Sixth of the Passages Used to Welcome is the story of Peter and Cornelius, as found in Acts 10 and 11. Along with the authors, I am struck with how difficult it must have been for Peter to go to Cornelius’ house. I am glad that Peter paid attention to what the Spirit was doing, even when the Spirit was doing some “scary and life-changing things” (page 56). But there is a basic problem in claiming that the Gentile outreach of the early church supports the LGBTQ+ agenda and same-sex sexual behavior. Outreach beyond the Jewish community was fully in line with the words of Jesus to the disciples in Acts 1: 8 – “You will be my witnesses in . . . Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” And in the New Testament there is a clear change in attitude towards the Old Testament dietary laws. “The law was our disciplinarian until Christ came.” (Galatians 3: 24) But there is no way that there is a similar change in attitude in the New Testament towards same-sex sexual behavior. Rather, as we will see in the second main section of this paper, every time the Bible speaks about same-sex sexual behavior, it speaks against it.

One wonders why—with their prime method of interpretation being a hermeneutic of inclusion rather than what the passage meant to its original readers, writers, and hearers—the authors did not include the Jerusalem conference in Acts 15 as one of the passages used to welcome. If some of the other passages which they use are supposed to support same-sex sexual behavior, then why could we not say that the decision to include Gentiles within the church without their first having to become Jews also supports same-sex sexual behavior?

The Seventh of the Passages Used to Welcome is 1 Corinthians 12, where the apostle Paul describes the church as being like a body. I agree with the authors that Paul is saying that every part of the body is important, and that when one part of the body is hurting, the whole body is hurting. The problem is that the authors then use these statements to build their case in favor of the LGBTQ+ agenda and same-sex sexual behavior.

Certainly, every part of the body is important. Certainly, the pain felt by anyone needs to affect everyone. As people who have experienced the love of Christ, we need to feel compassion for all people, regardless of their sexuality and gender identity. We need to speak the truth in love, but we need to speak the truth. How can we use this part of one of Paul’s letters to argue in favor of something that Paul so clearly writes against in other parts of his letters? Again, the authors are violating their own principle of interpretation by trying to get a passage of Scripture to say something very different from what it was meant to say by its original writer to its original hearers and readers.

Having covered several examples of the amazing way in which the authors set aside the clear and obvious meaning of Scripture in order to get Scripture to support the LGBTQ+ perspective, I will now turn to the second main section of this article –

The way in which the booklet never adequately addresses the fact that whenever the Bible speaks about same-sex sexual behavior, it always speaks against it.

Here I will address the Fourth, Seventh, and Eighth of the Passages Used to Exclude. All of these passages are very clear in their rejection of same-sex sexual behavior. The authors of Reconciling Scripture are never able to develop a convincing argument to dismiss, discredit, reinterpret, or explain away this rejection. One of the things that for me is amazing about their treatment of the Fourth Passage is that they do not even really try.

The Fourth of the Passages Used to Exclude is from Leviticus 18 and 20. Leviticus 18: 22 clearly says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman.” This prohibition is then repeated in Leviticus 20: 13. (Please note that I have corrected the typo in the booklet, which has “like” rather than “lie” in its quotation of both verses.)

What could be clearer than that? And yet the authors never really deal with that very clear prohibition. Nor do they come up with a convincing argument to explain it away. Instead they state that “Jesus’ relationship with the Mosaic law is complex” (page 25).

They are correct when they say that Jesus made some of the commandments even more demanding (as in the Sermon on the Mount), on several occasions did not observe the sabbath commandment, and saved a woman who had been caught in adultery from being stoned. But Jesus never arbitrarily violated the letter of the moral law merely by stating that that prohibition was not valid anymore. When he acted contrary to the sabbath commandment, he always had a specific, life preserving purpose for doing so. Also, as in the time when he defended the disciples, who were being criticized for plucking some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them on the sabbath, Jesus cited Biblical precedent. He told of how David and his companions ate the Bread of the Presence, “which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat” (Luke 6: 4). Unlike Jesus, the authors are not able to and do not provide any Biblical precedent for their rejecting the prohibitions against same-sex behavior in Leviticus 18 and 20.

In the same way there is no way that you could say that Jesus’ challenging the crowd, refusing to condemn the woman, and sending her on her way (page 26) is an adequate argument for rejecting the very clear prohibitions in Leviticus 18 and 20. In Jesus’ saying, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11), he was saying that the woman—as well as the man with whom she had been committing adultery—had both been sinning.

I would certainly agree with the authors that the Bible does not support modern-day violence against men who have sex with other men (page 26). It certainly also does not support modern-day violence against women who have sex with other women, men and women with gender dysphoria, and so on. But I would also want to say that the authors have done nothing to counter the clear prohibitions against same-sex sexual behavior in Leviticus.

Nor have they done an adequate job at explaining away the clear statements from Paul against same-sex sexual behavior in the Seventh of the Passages Used to Exclude – from Romans 1. In Romans 1: 26-27 Paul says, “Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another.”

Unlike the way in which the authors really did not deal with the Fourth Passage (from Leviticus), at least they try to find a way to explain away the clear meaning of the Seventh Passage. First, they try to discredit the Seventh Passage by saying that “Paul, like every other writer of his time, did not have a concept of ‘sexual orientation’ as we have today” (page 32). Therefore, they would argue, Paul did not understand that for some people it feels “natural” to be sexually attracted to someone of the same sex. But here Paul is not talking about what feels natural to me. Rather, starting with verse 20, he is talking about creation. He is talking about the natural orders of creation—the fact that God created humanity male and female. And besides, just because certain desires and attractions feel natural to me, that does not mean that they are right. It would be a very scary approach to ethics to say that if it feels natural or desirable to me, then it must be acceptable. One would never want to say that, if it feels natural or desirable to engage in pedophilia, rape, or adultery, then it must be OK.

Second, the authors argue that Paul is not speaking against same-sex sexual behavior per se, but same-sex sexual behavior within the context of idol worship. Again, that kind of interpretation has to be read in. It is not what the passage says. It is not the conclusion that a person would come to through what the authors call “the Plain Reading of Scripture.”

And then there is another line of argument that has been used by others against a traditional interpretation of this passage, which the authors of this booklet do not use. Some say that Paul is not talking here about loving, committed, consensual, same-sex sexual behavior between two adults, but instead is speaking against abusive, same-sex sexual behavior, such as between an adult and a child. The problem with that interpretation is the clear consensual language that Paul is using. “The men . . . were consumed with passion for one another” (verse 27).

The Eighth of the Passages Used to Exclude are 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10. These two verses make use of two words in Greek which are the issue here – malakoi, which literally means “soft ones” (page 35), and arsenokoitai, which is a combination of the words “male” and “bed” (page 36) – men who take other men to bed. The Greek word malakoi has been interpreted to refer to men who take the passive role in a same sex sexual relationship, i.e., who allow themselves to be penetrated.

The authors are among those who try to build a case in favor of same-sex sexual behavior by arguing that what the Bible is speaking against is abusive, same-sex sexual behavior—same-sex sexual behavior where there is an imbalance of power—not against loving, committed, consensual, same-sex sexual behavior. Therefore, they make such statements as the following. In the culture in which Paul was writing, “same-gender sexual activity existed, but long-term, monogamous, same-gender romantic relationships did not . . . . Paul wanted to reaffirm the boundaries of marriage. Although there was same-gender love in Greek and Roman cultures, it was not understood as a long-term relationship or one that could lead to marital fidelity and family” (pages 36-37).

But again, that is not the clear meaning of what is being said. Paul is not saying that it is OKto be among the malakoi and arsenokoitai as long as you are involved in loving, committed, consensual, same-sex sexual behavior, but it is not OK if you are involved in abusive, imbalance-of-power, same-sex sexual behavior. Rather he is speaking against all same-sex, sexual behavior. And the fact that in these passages Paul speaks against a number of other kinds of behavior does not eliminate the fact that he speaks against the malakoi and arsenokoitai.

The Eighth of the Passages Used to Welcome is Galatians 3. The authors begin that section by saying that Paul’s letter to the Galatians “was meant to help a community of diverse people understand how they might worship God together” (verse 59). Therefore, “in an attempt to bring the diverse Galatians together, Paul points them toward the one thing they all share—an identity in Christ” (page 59).

I was relieved that the authors did not try to argue for the elimination of sexual differences based upon Paul’s statement in Galatians 3: 28 that “there is no longer male and female.” I have known people who have made that kind of argument. Rather Paul’s point is that in terms of salvation there is no one group that has a special “in” over other groups. Paul’s main purpose in writing to the Galatians was not “to help a community of diverse people understand how they might worship God together.” Rather it was to counter false teachers and to bring the people back to an understanding that “a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2: 16).

The authors are right that there is an “inclusive arc that runs throughout scripture . . . beginning in the earliest history of the Hebrew people—set apart from all others with a Law to govern that separation—to the calling in of one outsider after another from Ruth, to the foreigners and the eunuchs of Isaiah, to the tax collectors and Samaritans of the Gospel, to Cornelius the Gentile centurion” (page 60). But the prohibition against same-sex sexual behavior remains throughout Scripture. It is not just part of the Law that governed Israel’s separation in the early days of their existence as a people. Rather it is based upon the creation of humanity as male and female, and it stands throughout the Bible.

The authors end the booklet by advocating for “an acceptance of differences in sexuality and gender identity” (page 60). It should be clear from a reading of this article that the authors are advocating for something that the Bible consistently does not approve.

The authors end by advocating for “a welcome for all” (page 60). The issue is not “a welcome for all.” Jesus told Nicodemus in what has been called the Gospel in a nutshell—the most famous verse in the Bible—“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3: 16). Jesus’ use of the word “everyone” is a “welcome for all” to believe in him and have eternal life.

The issue is not whether there is “a welcome for all.” Rather the issue is what kind of behavior does the Bible accept and what kind does it not accept. It is absolutely essential that those who hold to traditional views of human sexuality address the matter of LGBTQ+ concerns with compassion. We need to stand firm on what the Bible says, but, as the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, we need to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4: 15).

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

For those who are in the Lord, there is freedom.  Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father that those who come in Spirit and truth, and come as worshipers, live in the fullness of the grace and mercy of the Lord.  Be guided not by your own desires, but by the truth of the Lord which has been revealed through the salvation He has prepared in the sight of all people.  Be transformed into His glory now and forever.

Lord, You have revealed the light and the light is the light of every nation.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may now and always walk in the light that Your Spirit shines before the footsteps of the faithful.  Help me to not so much seek to understand as to follow.  Teach me to trust You above all things and walk this life of faith that You have given me.

Come, Holy Spirit, and illumine my heart.  Teach me to abide in You as You abide in me.  Guide me according to Your purposes that I may forever walk in Your counsel.  Lead me in the goodness of Your presence and teach me to listen as You direct, walk as you direct, and live in accordance with all that brings the Father glory.  Teach me to trust You in all of my ways and walk as one for whom the veil has been lifted.  Amen.

“But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.  But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

There are those who come to the Lord with their own expectations, desires, and goals.  As long as you come expecting the Lord to be what you imagine, the veil remains.  The Lord is Lord of all and His ways are so far above our ways that no one is able to comprehend.  Come to the Lord as you are and receive Him as He is.  Live in truth and the truth will be revealed to you that you might live into an eternal life.

Lord, I do not like being treated as someone other than who I am, yet this happens all the time.  Guide me Lord to live into the truth that You are who You are and that You have called me into Your presence.  Lead me Lord according to Your goodness to see that only in You is there hope and an eternal future.  Guide me according to Your goodness to see that in You alone is all hope.

Lord Jesus, even while You walked upon the earth, those around You wanted You to do things their way.  Help me learn how to simply follow.  Guide me in the way I need to go and teach my heart to not continue the rebellion of always wanting things the way I want them.  You alone are Lord and You alone know all that is needed.  Guide me, Lord, that I may be led by You alone into the way of truth.  Amen.

“For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away” (2 Corinthians 3:11-13).

The world says, “Hush.”  Too often we listen to the world.  Do not listen to the world, but to the Word made flesh who has spoken the final answer.  Come then into the glory of the Lord and shout it from the mountaintops.  Be led not by the world, but by the One who has overcome the world.  Be guided in His grace, mercy and love to live into the life to which You have been called.

Lord, through my baptism You have called me to the greater fullness of life lived in You.  In the law of love, which is the greatest law of all, guide my heart and from there my actions to be in accord with Your Word.  Lead me according to the promises You have given and fulfilled.  May my voice ring with the truth of Your saving grace and glorious mercy which You have given to us.

Lord Jesus, You have literally gone to hell and back for the sake of those who will come into this loving relationship which You offer.  Guide me today and everyday to live into and by this love which You give.  May I become the person You are creating me to be, doing what is pleasing in the Father’s sight and always, always, following You wherever You lead me.  Amen.

“For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.  For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it” (2 Corinthians 3:9-10).

We know that the law condemns us.  Does that make the law bad?  No, by no means; for without the law we could not know how far we are from the Lord and His ways.  How much greater then is the gift of grace which restores us to walk in the Lord’s presence.  Let us walk then in the glory of the Lord and rejoice in His salvation, for greater is He who is in you than any spirit of this age.

Lord, teach me the surpassing greatness of your grace and mercy.  Help me to learn to obey, but greater still, teach me to love.  Guide me in the way of truth which You have established from the beginning: not me Lord, but You in me.  Guide me according to Your purpose that I would walk with You now and forever.  Lead me according to Your grace in the way You know I need to go.

Lord Jesus, without You none of life would be possible.  O Lord, how I have been hung up on the law and run from the greater glory of Your love and mercy.  Guide me in the way of grace that I would forever abide in You and You abide in me.  Guide me through Your Spirit that I would at all times and in all places be led by You, my rock and my Salvation.  Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 7^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 11 – July 19, 2020

Let us lift our hearts, hands, and voices in prayer to God on behalf of all people.

A brief silence is kept.

 

Holy Father, thank you for stating what we constantly ignore or forget: that every one of us is a weedy field! Thank you for giving us Jesus’ strong, wise words to stand against the “cancel culture” that seeks only to uproot and destroy. Thank you for his patient, grace-filled tending, that alone can “cancel” our sins and heal our flawed lives and broken hearts. Thank you for your promise to gather us in, from every race, kindred, tribe and nation, as your treasured, holy, precious, and redeemed people.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

You are the first and the last; beside you there is no god. Give your Church the faith and courage to proclaim that in Jesus, crucified and raised from the dead for the forgiveness of sins unto eternal life, you have revealed your nature and your heart to the whole world.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Come to the aid of all who suffer abuse, scorn, and deadly violence because they name a crucified Jewish carpenter as the one, true and only God. Grant that their faithful witness and grace under fire should bear radiant witness to that precious truth.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

We look at our congregation, and into our own hearts. We confess that we are fields sown with weeds as well as wheat. Forgive us. Deal mercifully with us. By the grace of your Spirit, help us to bear one another’s faults with patience and gentleness. Remind us that you alone will make us pure, holy, and good, by conforming us to your dear Son.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for our enemies – especially those who hate us because of our faith in Jesus. We pray for all who deny and despise him. We pray for all who do not know him, or who only know a shriveled, distorted image of him. Soften their hearts; enlighten their minds; and fill them with your Spirit, so they may repent and believe in the Good News.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We know there are no perfect rulers or programs – only sinful people in a fallen and death-shadowed world. Therefore, we groan in travail, pleading that you would free us from bondage and futility. We cry out for redemption and righteousness; for healing and wholeness; and for your Sabbath rest, your Shalom. Until then, make us humble, gentle, and wise; and heal the evil we have caused.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Your Son’s parable counseled letting weeds and wheat grow together. Yet for the sake of your people, we must stem the spread of deadly weeds: violence, injustice, and hatred. Therefore, we plead on behalf of those in the military, police, security, intelligence, and first response. Give them wisdom, integrity, and honor, so that by their labors, those they serve may have a measure of justice and safety.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Sickness, sorrow, and adversity take root in every life. We cannot uproot them all, yet we know you desire abundant life for your servants. And so, we are bold to pray for everyone who suffers, and especially for: {List}. Speedily grant them health, hope and comfort; and in the fullness of time, complete in them and in us all, the full and perfect healing that you have promised in Christ Jesus.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We thank you, heavenly Father, for those who have gone before us and are at rest in you. We pray for one another, especially those whose grief runs deep. Teach us to pray confidently, knowing that you have made us your children. Teach us to care and share, encourage and challenge, comfort and forgive, knowing that you will prosper your handiwork. And gather us to yourself as your rich and fruitful harvest in Christ Jesus, so that with all your forgiven sinners, we may abide with you forever.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Receive and graciously answer our prayer, heavenly Father, for the sake of your dear Son; and by the power of your Holy Spirit, give us the strength and will to accomplish whatever you call us to do. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 6^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 10 – July 12, 2020

Let us lift our hearts, hands, and voices in prayer to God on behalf of all people.

A brief silence is kept.

 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the simple images of seeds and soil. Thank you for using what we’re familiar with to point us to deeper truths. Thank you that we don’t need a Ph.D., a corner office, or a million Twitter followers to bear rich fruit, to your glory and for the nourishment of people famished for your healing and life-giving love.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Fill the Church with the Holy Spirit. Make it beautiful with holiness and rich with wisdom. Let your Word take root in it and accomplish that which you purpose. Draw all flesh into its courts; hear their prayers; forgive their sins; and accomplish their salvation.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Grant patience, courage, and gentleness to everyone who is persecuted on account of Jesus; and do not let their witness to you return to you empty. Uproot the stones and weeds from the hearts of their tormentors, so that they may bear the fruits of repentance and be saved.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Deal mercifully with this congregation. Make our words, deliberations, and ministries faithful and fruitful. Uproot the deep-rooted weeds and remove the stubborn stones of sin from the fields of our lives. Break down the hard-trodden paths of worldly customs. Make your Word grow so richly that many hearts may be nourished through our presence in your world.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We praise you for favorable weather and fruitful earth; for the fields and orchards, flocks and herds, streams and seas which nourish us all. Bless farmers and ranchers, fishers and shepherds, gardeners and all whose knowledge and effort helps to protect, preserve, and wisely use the gifts of creation. Help us to be generous stewards of your bounty, sharing with all who are in need.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for this nation, beset by troubles and strife, yet still our beloved country. Reform its laws, purify its speech, instruct its leaders, and soften every heart to see one another as your beloved children, created in your image and redeemed at great cost by your dear Son.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

You intend for us to live in joy and peace; yet in this sin-darkened world, violence, injustice, and evil threaten so many. We pray for those tasked with defending life and liberty. Conform their actions to your will, so all may enjoy the fruits of safety, concord, freedom, and justice.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bring healing and hope to everyone who is afflicted by sorrow, suffering and sin – especially {List}. Lead them out of their darkness into the brightness of your saving love. Grant peace to their hearts and joy to their loved ones, that together they may praise your awesome deeds of salvation.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Thank you, dear Father, for all who have died trusting in you. Lead and guide us, who still walk a road that is stony and desolate, overgrown with the thorns of sin and briers of violence. Refresh us in this wilderness. Give us nourishment for our bodies, hope for our hearts, and your Spirit to abide with us along life’s way. Crown our years with blessing. By the merits of your dear Son, gather us safely to yourself, where with all whom you have redeemed, we may sing with joy forever.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Receive and graciously answer our prayer, heavenly Father, for the sake of your dear Son; and by the power of your Holy Spirit, give us the strength and will to accomplish whatever you call us to do. Amen.

“But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?” (2 Corinthians 3:7-8)

We often settle for less when the Lord is offering more.  If life came through the law, why then the death of Christ?  Life comes through the One who gives life and in Him is all glory.  Do not settle for what is less when the Lord offers the fulness of life.  Live in and into Him through all things and do not live in fear.  He has come to lead us into light and life that we may abide with Him forever.

Lord, teach me these mysteries that I would not settle, as some do,  for a fearful life of constantly trying to live up to the standard of the law.  I fail.  But in You, I can live the life for which You have created me.  Lead me in this new life which does not settle, but continues in the upward path of life into life eternal.  Lead me to see through the traps and snares of this age to hear the upward call of Your grace and mercy.

Thank You Lord Jesus that You have made level the field.  You have carved out the only way to true life.  May I be a willing participant in the salvation You have prepared, walking with You each step of the way where You lead.  Guide me that I may not so much seek to understand everything but rather how to follow You as every promise of the Father becomes a reality of the eternal life You make possible.  Amen.

“Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6).

“By what right do you do these things,” the world asks.  It is not that we are qualified in our own right, or that our abilities, no matter how good they are, are enough.  We have been called by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to walk boldly in the faith He gives.  Let us not be led by this world, but by the One who has overcome the world.

Lord, the faith, in this sense, is simple: trust You above all things.  You have come to save as many as believe and belief is based upon trusting You.  Lead me in the right direction that I would live by Your Spirit which brings light and life into my heart.  Guide me according to Your principles and help me to walk according to the will of the Father and for His glory in all things.

Lord Jesus, for this very thing have You come that all of us who look to You would walk into and toward the new life that You give by faith.  Strengthen my heart and lead me in Your goodness to see that in You alone is all hope.  May I so follow You that in the confidence You give, I may stand firmly and boldly upon Your grace and proclaim Your salvation in an unbelieving world.  Amen.