Comments on: Shattered Fellowship

By: John Henry

John Henry — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 20:58:02 +0000

You and your fellow UMC members have my prayers for peace and guidance.
For what it’s worth, I think it’s very important to distinguish between people and their sins. Accepting all people does not mean condoning their sins.
Adulterers, fornicators, racists, pedophiles, and murderers are all welcome at the table, but if they won’t repent it won’t do them much good. Sometimes repentance is a long and difficult journey, but we don’t do people any favors by telling them they have nothing to repent of.
That doesn’t mean Christians can’t be friends with unrepentant sinners. My guess is that everyone who shares my gaming table commits sexual sins on a regular basis and doesn’t see anything wrong in them. I still love them and want to hang out with them, and I hope that they will find peace in Christ. But if the subject comes up, I’m never going to tell them that there’s nothing wrong with their sins because that would be a grave disservice to them.

By: Peter Martin

Peter Martin — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 01:11:35 +0000

Thanks, everyone. This has been a miserable process, but I have to believe God will redeem this somehow.

By: Derek Knutsen-Frey

Derek Knutsen-Frey — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 23:56:50 +0000

Peter, as a long time gamer (including a Booter) and a member of the LGBT community, I would love to sit with you at a table to game any day. Your essay is as deeply felt as it is deeply thought out. And I could not appreciate it more.

There are times when my husband and I feel unwelcome at a gaming table. And it is people who are more anti-LGBT bent, due to their Christian beliefs, that make us feel that way. Then there are Christian gamers who couldn’t care that we are gay and we have a blast.

With that said, I am sad that your faith community is going through this. It is not only stressful, but near soul tearing when the people you call brothers and sisters in your faith have fundamental differences that could turn them away. I have been through similar experiences myself. And it is something I do not wish on anyone. I only can hope you and the people who are meant to walk with you get on the other side of this as unharmed as possible. Then you can walk together in your faith and become stronger for it.

I will raise smoke and prayers for you and your community. Be well.

Side note: I know I have been on, at least, one of your podcasts. So you can count Eclectic Heathen in the list of faiths. ;)

By: Doug Hagler (Underhill)

Doug Hagler (Underhill) — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 23:31:43 +0000

Watching the UMC go through this now, on a larger scale, brings back the situation in the PCUSA a couple of years ago, and for at least 30 solid years before that. Our deliberation ultimately broke in the other direction, leading to hundreds (maybe thousands) of PCUSA clergy, members, and congregations to eject themselves rather than stay in community. It was a lot of pain, and still is, though in some ways we’re finally moving forward.

Just…empathy. I haven’t been there, but I sure was someplace similar, arguing on the floor of Presbytery and writing and engaging in public debates. There seems to be no way through without pain, but man, the Traditionalist plan just looks horrible.

Thank you for writing this.

By: Steve Blunden

Steve Blunden — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:00:42 +0000

As a former Baptist, I feel it’s fair to say that all “traditional” denominations are being seriously shaken. (Btw. I’m now part of Vineyard. )