May 20, 2012 was not Pentecost Sunday. May 27, 2012 was. May 27 was also Memorial Day weekend and Woodland Christian Church in Longview, Texas likes our high holy days to be well attended. So we just moved Pentecost up a week. Because that’s how we roll. We (basically) follow the lectionary and we sing the doxology but we are far from dyed-in-the-wool liturgical. So moving Pentecost up works for us.
May 20, 2012 was also the day of a very important vote in the life of our church. Not realizing it while scheduling everything in the month of May (do you have any idea how much stuff goes on just in May alone?!), Pentecost Sunday and the Sunday that we voted on whether or not to amend our constitution to become officially Open and Affirming fell on the same day.
Without being dramatic with the suspense, I’ll simply tell you: the vote passed with more than the 2/3rds congregational vote required to amend the constitution. The vote is historic. We are the first church in East Texas to officially declare themselves to be Open and Affirming (there may be a very select few other congregations who might fit the bill, but the denominational requirements differ or do not require a congregational vote of this nature, perhaps). We are the 5th Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) church in Texas to declare O&A and the 20th in the South Central Conference (comprised of several states, including Texas) of the United Churches of Christ to do so (we are part of the 25% of that conference who now declare ONA).
The same day of our vote, historic First Presbyterian Church in downtown Longview voted by almost the same percentage as our vote to leave the Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA) in protest over the denomination allowing the ordination of non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy. But that vote is just more of the same in East Texas. Why it makes news is confusing since it’s just part of the stale, old wind that’s been blowing around for years (in East Texas and the church). It’s part of the same tired arguments about taking a stand against the homosexual agenda or bowing to culture or holiness or purity or whatever other excuse we make to marginalize groups of people. But there is a fresh Wind blowing. The Holy Spirit is moving…even amid and among the tired, stale winds that threaten to calm the fierce movement of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit, well, She’s never been known to back down or settle down.
Here’s what’s most surprising about that historic vote Sunday. It didn’t feel historic. Not for me (Maybe others will comment about how it felt for them). It didn't feel life changing. I heard no rushing mighty wind. I saw no flames of fire flickering and dancing unexpectedly in the room. I felt no breeze. I heard no strange languages. I honestly felt relief. Relief that we can finally put this issue that is contentious in Christendom today exactly where it belongs—in the past. Relief that we as a church can finally be honest and proud of who we are because individuals in our body had the courage to say “enough of this wrangling over words and statements…let’s be clear and let’s do this because these people we are talking about are our family!” And we did.
The Earth did not move. There was no crowd outside stopping in their tracks asking “what meaneth this?” Actually, some just clapped and then we went to lunch (or a board meeting)! Just like every Sunday. Because what we voted on wasn’t to fundamentally change anything about our church. It was just to tell people who we are—who God has fit us together to be.
But that lack of amazing fanfare doesn’t fool me at all…this was a work of God’s Spirit and it was mighty indeed. The Wind blowing through our church on Sunday morning isn’t finished blowing. People will take notice of this. They may talk about it. And even in churches and groups where people gather to criticize our church’s stance, there may be some gay or lesbian in the closet listening…some young questioning teen or some straight teen who just can’t get their head around why the church won’t fully include their gay friends. And they’ll hear the message the Spirit of God was saying at Woodland Christian Church on Sunday: “Don’t remember the former things or think about the past. I’m doing a new thing—it’s springing up now, can’t you see it? I am making a road in the wilderness and streams in the desert to give drink to my people, the people I formed for myself so that they will declare my praise. Hey! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters! And you who are flat broke, come buy and eat the wine and the milk that are free…” (my paraphrase from Isa. 43 and Isa. 55)
Don’t be mistaken, justice isn’t always established by far reaching legislation and legal mandates. Sometimes it is established in meekness. Sometimes it doesn’t come at a great denominational meeting in a big city with lots of delegates speaking for lots of people…Sometimes it is established in a small corner of the world in a little church in East Texas. Justice doesn’t always fix every problem, sometimes it raises our awareness of other problems and drives us to do something about them too! Sometimes a few people in an upper room get a breath of Wind and are set on fire to leave those four walls and go change the world—one moment of justice, one act of mercy, one statement of grace at a time.
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| Ms. Nancy, the "kitchen queen" at Woodland! |
I could not begin to say it any better than my dear friend, Ms.Nancy, the “kitchen queen” at our church, said it:
“We are starting a new chapter in the life of Woodland Church. There should not be,nor should there ever have been any ‘us’ and ‘them.’ We are all children of God. Let’s move forward as ‘we’ and ‘our church.’ After much prayer and personal soul searching,I am certain we took the right path. Let us all work together to build ‘our’ church, and be open to being led by Him in whatever plan he has for our future. Welcome to all my precious friends…!!”
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