Reader's Viewpoints

What do YOU think?

The Hoosier United Methodist News welcomes all letters to the editor. In order to be considered for publication, letters must be signed and should include the name of your local church along with a daytime phone number for verification purposes. All letters may be subject to editing for clarity or length. Deadline for each upcoming issue is the 15th of the month.

Our wish is to provide a forum wherein all voices and points of view have an equal opportunity to be heard.

Send to Editor, Hoosier UM News, 1100 W. 42nd St., Suite 210, Indianapolis, IN. 46208; fax: 317.924.4859; e-mail: Editor

Less-than-loving views on those 'just like you'

RE: Viewpoint "LBGT supporter â€¦" in June edition

The couple who wrote in claimed "to love and nurture a people, race, color, creed, etc.," as well as, "to nurture and pray for healing for people in these sins." They then proceeded to attack not only gays and lesbians but other religions as well â€¦ all in the name of "love."

I would guess that he doesn't know any gays or lesbians personally. If he did, he would never draw the conclusion that we are pedophiles or simply out to destroy mainstream America. We are not the enemy; we are just like you. We pay our taxes, obey the same laws, commit to a partner, work, fall in love, raise children, laugh, grieve, worship and live and die just like you do. We are teachers, doctors, bankers, entrepreneurs and everything in between.

The difference is not in how we live or love; the only difference is in who we live with and love.

I can't help but wonder what Jesus would say about some of the less-than-loving views that I have seen expressed in this newspaper. I somehow doubt he'd be pleased. I am especially curious to know what Jesus would say about some of the judgments that have been leveled "in his name" specifically against gays and lesbians, given that he felt no need to ever personally say a single word about homosexuality.

I am proud to belong to Indiana's first Reconciling congregation.

That may not mean much to the Methodist denomination, who doesn't even officially recognize the Reconciling movement, and whose Discipline still states that "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching." But it means the world to all of Central UMC's members. It means that we who are gay and lesbian have a place to worship God in peace and without condemnation, side by side with families, older folk, children, other gays and lesbians and even plenty of garden-variety straight people. No congregation member's sexual orientation has ever been an issue - straight or gay. After all, we are at church to worship God.

Think before beginning a diatribe against someone different from you, whether it be color, race, belief or even sexual orientation. It is not just a "race issue," or a "cultural issue," or even a "gay issue." There is a person who feels love and pain just as deeply as you do right below the surface of your commentary - someone who just might be your neighbor or your child, or maybe even your friend if you give them the chance.

I have never doubted for a moment that I was a beloved child of God or that I was as deserving of God's blessings as anyone else who believes. I'm not ashamed to be a lesbian. I'm not ashamed to be a Christian. I'm not ashamed to share my faith or my love. I cannot however, given some of the things I've read, heard and seen, always truly say that I'm not ashamed to be a Methodist.

Julie Barrett
Worship Chairperson,
Lay Member North Indiana Conference
Central UMC, South Bend

Rejoice or mourn for McVeigh?

After Timothy McVeigh's execution [should] you and I rejoice or mourn, laugh or cry? Whatever we do will reveal something about us and our beliefs. As a believer in God I asked why he allowed [this tragedy] to happen . . Did God answer me? I thought I heard that still small voice say, "Because you needed to learn something once, or again." â€¦ .

In the Oklahoma City tragedy the State needed to learn that the killing of one man or 58 will not stop violence; and terrorism against a government is a symptom of causes beyond those of one man.

What should the Church have learned from Oklahoma City? A national tragedy implies that the Church has failed to be the light of the world, and the Church should never rejoice over the taking of a human life â€¦ . When God allows tragedies to a people, it is not only caused by a few who sin, but by many who share responsibility.

Are we not cultivating a culture of violence and death in the United States, seeking death as a solution to the ills of life? I say, "God forbid!" â€¦ .

Instead of rejoicing we ought to be mourning; instead of feeling good we ought to be feeling guilty. Do we realize that every time we kill a human being we are crucifying Jesus Christ who died for all? And we have forgotten the old adage, "There but by the grace of God go I."

You want justice? The Spirit spoke to me about this execution, and said, "You are angry with sin? I am angry with you!"

Consider that God's justice is only fully seen in the salvation of sinners, not in their destruction. I am not rejoicing; how about you? Let us pray for our churches and our governments and for one another.

Ernest L. Cobbs
clergy member, ret.
North Indiana Conference
Upland, Indiana

Telling the story

I recently received my copy of Carver McGriff's Amazing Grace. This is a wonderful book filled with memories and history. Dr. McGriff and all those he acknowledged are to be congratulated.

There are so many stories to be told and recorded. I hope Amazing Grace will encourage all Hoosier United Methodist Churches to begin to compile their own stories. All too quickly, those who lived some of the history and some of the stories will be gone.

Imagine my delight to see my own name on page 197 and a quote from a letter I'd written some years ago about my experiences at Rivervale. I love to tell the story!

Sheila Beaver Richards
Southeast District Superintendent
Dakotas Conference

P.S. I was nurtured in the faith at Bellaire Methodist Church, Indianapolis

Prayers for Terre Haute

I would like to thank Bishop White and the entire delegation of the South Indiana Annual Conference, for the prayers offered on the last morning of conference for the people of the Terre Haute District, in light of the execution of Timothy McVeigh which was carried out June 11.

When it appeared the execution was going to take place in May, someone from out of this area wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper accusing the people of Terre Haute of carrying out the execution. It is reassuring to know that our brothers and sisters in Christ were praying for us as we dealt with the McVeigh execution and [at this writing] are preparing for another.

I would ask that you continue to remember those of us who live here, as well as those who work for the penitentiary. They are our family, friends, and neighbors, and some are members of area United Methodist Churches. Finally, I would ask that you remember Warden Harley Lappin in your prayers as well, as he deals with the many pressures of his job.

God bless you all, and thank you.

Steven Rundel
Terre Haute District Lay Leader
United Methodist Temple, Terre Haute

Worship content important, but so is style

RE: Viewpoint "Content over style" in May edition

Mr. Foster makes several statements in his piece which bring the temperature of this "burning non-issue" up a notch for me. The first one is that worship style is unimportant and that content is of supreme importance.

Methodism has from the beginning attempted to be a balance of both. Style, to me, is the method in Methodism. It cannot take the place of content, but then neither can content take the place of style. The style is the delivery mechanism for the content, just as a hypodermic is the delivery mechanism to give insulin to a diabetic. Each is useless without the other.

I think that it is possible to become so educated in content that an individual can lose track of the need for creative delivery of that content. A music therapist knows that one of the most powerful ways to reach a person is through music. If it were not so, we could simply deliver the lyrics as liturgy and be done with it.

The music, itself, plays an important part in delivering the Good News. This is true both for long-time Christians and for those who have never known Christ. But like our individual tastes in food, we also each find certain music easier to swallow than others.

It does not serve the Kingdom to say that only the music of our youth or of historical importance or which is rich in theology should be used in worship. That thinking makes the church a closed club which will win few new souls. Some people may well be brought to Christ through intellectual discovery. But I would guess that many more are brought through emotional conviction.

Since John Wesley's warming of the heart, we have been a denomination that recognizes the pain of sin and the joy of salvation. That joy may come through a faith gained as a result of understanding the various atonement theories or models of the Trinity. But for the average person suffering the pains of sin, that faith is more likely to come as a result of a simple message of Gods love and redemptive powers delivered through whatever mechanism allows them to hear that message. Once the fundamental message is received and the conversion experienced, then the growth occurs by digging deeper into the Word and into the rich theological heritage of the Church.

Most of us are reminded of our own spiritual journeys by the music that accompanied us and chances are these people will too. That means that their music will live at least as long as they do. In the meantime, other music styles will enter the church and seem radical. (There are some who still believe no music belongs in the church, or no instruments and certainly not that beast-of-the-devil, the organ!) Content is important, Mr. Foster; but without ears to hear, it will win no converts.

Chris Dare
Cromwell UMC

Last updated on 01/14/2004

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