10 Years

Evangelical, theologically conservative, socially responsible, Jesus freak.

What does that make me?

When it comes to biblical authority and sexual morality, I am right there with the conservative evangelicals.

When it comes to being responsible and fair with our wealth and resources, where the church actually engages problems like the AIDS pandemic, the poor in our communities, the extreme poverty around the world, I am right there with the pregressive liberals.

When it comes to loving Jesus and the church of Jesus Christ, I am right there with all the Jesus freaks.

I am frustrated with the conservative evangelicals because all we seem to ever talk about is how to prevent gay ordination. That's what generates all the money and gets people moving.

I am equally frustrated with the progressive liberals because gay ordination is about the only thing they seem to be talking about too.

When will the church start doing church stuff? You know - evangelism, mission, new church development, denominational transformation, etc. What would happen if we took a hiatus from all the sexuality debates, and all the affinity groups that exist to prevent gay ordination and those that exist to promote gay ordination went away for 10 years, and all the money and energy that goes into keeping these groups going was instead poured into new church development, alleviating extreme poverty, working with the poor and homeless in our communities, and with evangelism.

Why can't we do that? Just 10 years.

And after that if the church still wants to fight about gay ordination, then we can pick it up again.

But can't we get some time so that the church can heal, organize for transformation and renewal? Must we continue to be held captive by the sexuality debates?