[Neverthelss] We Rejoice in Hope

The church I call home called a new pastor. Pastor Rachel is a friendly, faith-filled young woman. She preaches beautifully and thoughtfully and speaks with care and kindness to parishioners. She is a new mom to an adorable little boy whom she and her wife dote upon, I'm sure.

It breaks my heart that people are leaving our church because she is going to be our new pastor.

Sitting in our usual seats before worship, I overheard the women who sit behind us talking. These women, shall we say, have a few decades on me. They were speaking softly about our new pastor. The words, "it's not that she's a woman, it's that she's married to a woman." permeated my consciousness My heart sank. The woman continued, "I don't know why that matters at all. Who you're married to doesn't have anything to do with how good of a pastor you are. Or whether or not you're qualified to be a pastor. And she's a good pastor." The ladies all seemed to agree that sexuality has nothing to do with spirituality...and that Jesus' commandment of love overruled any interpretation of certain verses of scripture that are picked out from among others to argue against pastors who happen to be gay ... or women ... or divorced ... and the list goes on. And that the Bible is not a pick-a-verse-or-two-that-justifies-your-viewpoint type of thing, it's something to be read and experienced through the lenses of language, history, culture, and the audience to which it was written, among other things. It was refreshing to hear. 

My heart may be broken at the loss of these members of the Body of Christ that is OSLC Thomaston, nevertheless it also rejoices in hope that, as we move forward we will grow and thrive, always leaving a place at the table for those who choose to return.