Martyrs

The UMC is not a church. It is a system. While Reconciling UMs rely on scripture and the theology behind those words, our adversaries rely on laws - and they make up new laws at their whim.

This system does not allow life for LGBT people. The system crushes us.

Besides the abuse of laws against us, there are people who warn us not to make noise as we receive new beatings. If we make noise, we will get a double dose. Our "friends" will say it was our own fault.

We witness in good faith. We are confident in our place, but it is confusing to learn and re-learn that the voters do not care about us as people or as Christians and they do not care that they wound the Church.

They do not care. It is beyond our comprehesion. As we hear eloquent speeches based in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we cannot stop ourselves from feeling hope. As we hear gay-bashing speeches or "kinder, gentler" bigotry in coded language, we cannot believe that those weak, hateful positions will prevail.

Then, we lose. We lose the vote. We lose our place as clergy and now as lay people. We lose confidence in our leaders. We are instantly invisible as delegates are invited by the leaders to do some stretching exercises.

When I was in seminary, "friends" advised that things weren't so bad for gay folks. "Just don't tell them you are gay." "You cannot expect change in our lifetime."   I was advised not to push for equality. Find a way to survive without opening yourself for mistreatment.

Then to wash their hands of the mess, they would say, "don't martyr yourself".

What is that? All I can do is try to be a faithful disciple. I have benefitted from so many who have gone before me. If other people beat me up, that is their sin, not mine.

"Don't be a martyr"...  I guess it made the speaker feel better...

Then I looked up the word... Martyr- it means "witness".

We are the witnesses. Thanks be to God for the hundreds of saints who have come to Fort Worth to witness. Thanks be to God for the saints who have participated as delegates and for the volunteers who have supported them in their ministry in countless ways.

Whatever is next, we have served well. We do not deserve our beatings, but we will be counted among the martyrs as we have endured the the struggle and still offer the Gospel teaching of Jesus.

To all who have fought the good fight in any setting...

"You are a letter of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God. Written not on stone, but on tablets of human hearts."  2Cor 3:3

I am sorry for this most recent lesson about the UMC,

I am sorry for the pain,

Sue Laurie

Comments

[John Oda]

Sue, thank you so much for your words and for your witness; for your heart and for your spirit. The system may try to crush you but the people (with God's presence) will sustain you. You continue to be a great inspiration for me. Peace of Christ be with you always.

[Tim Lowe, Elgin IL]

"The UMC is not a church. It is a system."

Amen, sister. A-MEN.

[Jenn]

witness. Huh. Yep, that's exactly right.
Thank you, Sue. I'm grateful for these words.

[Julie A. Arms]

Sue,
Thanks be to God for you! I am proud to be present as a witness. To work for and with you. To continue to do so, today, tomorrow, the next day, and into the future for however long it takes. May it not take longer than 2012.
Julie

[Ronna Case]

I am in deep mourning and also in deep solidarity with the other wounded. It is God who supplies and supports, not the system called UMC. I hope there will be candlelight vigils and other signs in every city "at home" where United Methodist live with a different Good News. God bless all who find ways to get into the front-lines today and in the months to come.

[Alan Richard]

Sue, you speak truth. Last night, when RMN challenged me to drop everything and head to Ft. Worth, I felt the pull to do that. Ultimately, my sense of obligation to my work, and fear that I would lose health coverage if I was absent without prior permission, particularly on a day when I was supposed to do a training, kept me in Houston. I am conscious, however, that this decision was not a faithful one. Those of you who are in Ft. Worth and doing the die-in this morning are the faithful ones. You are the church.

I have a lot to reflect on now. In order to rejoin my brothers and sisters in the church, I am beginning to think I need to transform my relationship with my jobs, and explain to my employers that I cannot guarantee my presence at work when things like this are happening. And in order to rejoin my brothers and sisters in the church, I am convinced that I must leave behind my membership in the United Methodist Church system.

[will]

Sue et al,

Thanks for your work and your witness to the general conference on the behalf of those who can't be there to stand in solidarity with you all. In the midst of great suffering, I know that God is with us all and loves and cares for us. Sometimes God works through the church and other times God must work inspite of the Church. May God's Spirit continue to sustain you all and RMN.

God's peace even in the midst of strife,
Will