Michael Rinehart is a bishop in the branch of the Lutheran Church that recently allowed local churches decide if they will call a gay pastor. His district includes Houston, where he lives. He read email from an angry member concerning the gay issue -- at the same time his wife is reading through letters from her recently deceased father. That certainly put things in perspective. Rinehart shares some thoughts.
Ultimatums are about control. Pastors should not neglect what is right when threatened with losing a member. Refuse to be drawn into an ultimatum and they won't be used anymore.
The old line that "It's in the bible, that settles it" only shows how ignorant many Christians are of the bible. There are many things in the bible that Christians most definitely do not believe and they make no distinction why one and not the other. Also in Leviticus is a prohibition to eating shrimp.
Going through a dead family member's things is hard. It is hard to let go. That is true for many people. The world has changed. The "hyper-patriotic, euphoric" post-WWII is gone. Some people grieve the loss. Some times people need time to assimilate changes. Sometimes the reaction to change is fear. Alas, people are rarely clear exactly what it is they fear.
Families stay together because love unites us more than issues divide us.
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