Yes, generations of born-and-bred
Methodists! Therefore, when our daughters were born, we had them baptized and,
later, confirmed to become, as the Baptismal Covenant states, “a member of
Christ’s Holy church,” supported by the congregation pledging “to so order our
lives after the example of Christ, that surrounded by steadfast love, you may
be established in the faith and confirmed and strengthened in the way that
leads to eternal life.”
We say yes to that covenant to
recognize and accept our daughter Traci and other people like her as members of
Christ’s Holy Church, also stating that we will so order our lives as set forth
in the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, this very same radical Jesus who
hung out with all manner of society, accepting, inviting, including all—not just those who had His skin
color, were of His tribe, His race, His social standing, or His gender, but all
those who met His expectations. He, being God, reached into the lives of all
and anyone so that they could be led to Life Eternal.
Well, for years that went smoothly for
Traci. All through her school years she was an outstanding leader both at
school and her church. She was always the speaker for youth Sundays and
participated in conference youth events. She continued her active involvement
in whatever congregation we served.
In graduate school she underwent the
arduous task and self-examination of her own unique personhood and came into a
complete and full understanding of her sexual identity. It was arduous in that
this is a psycho-social journey, and little did she know that she would enter
into a spiritual wilderness due to the exile of non-acceptance by the church
she had served, loved, and called the United Methodist Church. This
denomination no longer stood by and upheld the very words of its own Baptismal
Covenant that had been so generously and lovingly applied to her when she was considered
a young heterosexual. Traci was no longer welcomed into the fullness of life
and community in the UMC, which uses as its motto ”Open Hearts, Open Minds,
Open Doors”—but not to homosexuals like my daughter.
Being raised in the traditional
church, she searched for a faith community and found acceptance and welcome in
the Universalist Unitarian Church. After moving to New Mexico she felt a strong
heart desire to return to the UMC and has tried to “fit into” several
congregations, to no avail. She is in the process of adopting a very young
foster child and wants very much to bring him up in a nurturing, welcoming
church just as she experienced through her childhood.
As New Mexico does not have any UMC
Reconciling Congregations, she has had to turn to the Episcopal church for this
integration and support.
Christ’s Holy Church! Please tell
Traci what is “holy” about not accepting people exactly as God created them to
be and stand by her and wipe her tears when she is being judged by human
standards and not God’s, for God Is Love! As it says in Romans 8:37-39, “nothing
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Hear these words from “O Holy Night”: Truly
He taught us to love one another, and in His name all oppression shall cease.
So who are we to cause this separation
between ourselves and those who do not meet our preconceived standards?
These sons and daughters are watching
our actions, and they are hoping to fully experience “open hearts and open
minds” that offer “open doors” of inclusion and welcome to all of God’s
children, regardless. . . .
And God is watching and waiting also. Watching
and waiting for our daughter, Traci, a child of God, who is of sacred worth.
