"Welcoming Congregations"??

As we proceed towards the Nov. 4th election, in which we Californians will vote on whether to pass an amendment to the State Constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, those opposed to this are in high gear. Surprisingly enough, some of the leaders of the opposition are Protestant ministers here on the Central Coast. They have formed a couple of organizations. I think the latest one is called "Welcoming Congregations." Our primary newspaper here on the Central Coast published a letter by them a couple of Saturdays ago that urged people on the Central Coast to vote against this amendment for a variety of reasons. I wrote several letters in response, but it took a half a day before I felt one was ready and appropriate to be published in the Tribune. Not surprisingly, but sadly - the Tribune chose not to print it. Nor did they print any other letters from pastors in response to this letter signed by a number of reverends. So either no one but me sent in a letter, or the Tribune chose to not publish any of them. So here is my letter:

So now we have "Welcoming Congregations" and I suppose Non Welcoming Ones?

Oh I understand the tension - believe me. Those of us who have lived here for many years, and who have volunteered in our kids' schools, coached sports, hung out at local coffee shops, built relationships with our neighbors and fellow congregants.... who wants to possibly bring an end to what took so long to build? Who wants to add conflict to what already exists in this strife filled nation and world?

Through these community venues, straight and gay folk have volunteered, coached, and cheered together. For some of us who have pastored here for a while, the longer we live here, the more we pray and care for many outside our congregations.

I guess it boils down to how we see Jesus doesn't it.  On the one hand we know from the gospel accounts of His life and ministry that He often mixed with people that caused the religious leaders to raise their eyebrows. One of the criticisms they threw at him was that he was a "friend of tax gatherers and sinners." Jesus's disciples were shocked when they saw him ahving a lengthy conversation with not only a woman, and not only a non Jewish woman, but a sexually immoral non Jewish woman. This is one of many illustrations that He truly "came not to condemn, but to save."

On the other hand, He didn't push her sins under the rug and blame it on her "sexual orientation." You can read the story in John chapter four. The clear testimony in scripture is that whomever came to Jesus and sought to know and follow Him, had to eventually take responsibility for whatever it was in their lives that kept them from being able to be in relationship with a holy God. There are no exceptions to this.

Let's face it folks - few of us who have lived in this increasingly sexually screwed up world have escaped unscathed. Most of us come to whatever congregations with some degree of sexual brokenness. Biblically sexual sin is sexual sin. There are many variations of it. There are many reasons for it. None of the variations are worse than the other. None are beyond God's amazing grace.

I would hope all the churches on the Central Coast would welcome anyone, and I'm confident most would. The question is: Will we allow Jesus to deal with our brokenness and sin? Or will we pretend like it isn't there, or blame it on something or someone else?

Randy Nash

Pastor - Los Osos Christian Fellowship