Pastor’s Corner – October 6, 2024
Mark 10:2-16
About twenty years ago, I recall a session meeting at Palisades Presbyterian Church in NY where we discussed same-sex marriage and what the church polity allowed. The discussion came about because a request to officiate same-sex marriage came from our church members. It was not considered legal at the time, and I risked being defrocked from the church, PCUSA. The session approved and I officiated the wedding, anyway. Our nation has struggled with full inclusion of marriage equality for LGBTQ for many years now. I remember when I arrived in California in 2008 in the middle of a heated debate and campaign for proposition 8 that caused a set back and renewal effort for marriage equality. In our own denomination, you may recall and remember how we moved from defining marriage as between a man and woman to more inclusive language of two people. The journey toward marriage equality was long and not easy and many battles were fought over the years. Next year will mark the tenth anniversary of full marriage equality with the Supreme Court landmark decision 5-4 in Obergefell v Hodges, makingmarriage equality the law of the land and granting same-sex marriage couples in all 50 states the right to full equal recognition under the law.
The lectionary reading for this Sunday is about marriage and law. Jesus doesn’t shy away from his own generational challenge concerning marriage and law, and his sense for justice. I believe the Spirit of God is moving through our congregation as we prepare and celebrate becoming a More Light Presbyterian congregation. Just because marriage quality is now in the books, our society and culture has not always accepted the LGBTQ inclusion. There is still much to do and there are many ways in which, as a faith community that values all people, especially those who are marginalized, we must show solidarity and center the most vulnerable among us as a way of justice. This is what the gospel of Jesus teaches us. Come, let us worship God this coming Sunday and share stories of our celebration; the joy of God’s inclusive love for us, solidarity with our human suffering through Jesus Christ and our hope for our world. Amen.
Pastor Dae