Ready or not? Divided or united?

On maybe the most controversial issue facing the denomination, the General Assembly was both divided and united.

The body voted by a two-thirds majority late Thursday night to make the minority report part of the majority report of the Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage, then decided by a narrow majority of only 24 votes to answer all other questions put before it, including a recommendation to approve a new definition of marriage, with that action (an action which means no specific action one way or another). The reports now go to sessions and presbyteries for their study.

These decisions demonstrate two things: The church is united in its desire to continue to study, discuss and wrestle with the issue of civil union and Christian marriage, but divided in its readiness to make a substantive change in that understanding.



And I'm torn by that dichotomy. On one hand, I understand the biblical perspective that sees marriage as between a man and woman, relying on the Genesis story of creation as a starting point of that understanding. On the other hand, I accept what we moderns now understand about human sexuality and the desire of human beings to live in covenant relationship one to another. On one hand, as the minority report notes, some see the biblical authors as captives of limited cultural perspectives prevalent in societies deformed by patriarchy and other injustices. On the other hand, as the majority report notes, we study Scripture so that we might follow the Word of God incarnate in our changing world.

Lost in all of this is what the General Assembly did do. It approved a change in the Book of Order to alter the language on ordination, removing the fidelity/chastity clause. That change now goes to the presbyteries for their approval or disapproval. It was on this item that there was considerable passionate, heartfelt debate that I felt was cathartic and set the stage for the assembly's action on the civil union and marriage reports.

I believe we are moving to a different understanding of who we are as sexual beings, and that on the issue of who can serve God and the church, we as flawed people will set no flaw above another that would exclude any from that service.