{"id":1023,"date":"2017-04-30T16:58:28","date_gmt":"2017-04-30T16:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2017\/04\/30\/on-april-4th-several-of-us-went-to-the-university\/"},"modified":"2020-02-15T19:04:51","modified_gmt":"2020-02-15T19:04:51","slug":"on-april-4th-several-of-us-went-to-the-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2017\/04\/30\/on-april-4th-several-of-us-went-to-the-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Untitled"},"content":{"rendered":"

On
\nApril 4th<\/sup> several of us went to the University of Albany
\nto hear Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. \u00a0Very early
\nin the evening she explained that she likes to be up and moving, and
\nshe started wandering around the room while speaking. \u00a0The wandering
\nwasn’t random. \u00a0She systematically worked her way around the entire
\nroom, stopping at every row of every aisle, and walking across any
\nfront row entirely. \u00a0While talking coherently. she allowed every
\nperson who reasonably could do so to touch her. \u00a0She just offered her
\nhand, and people in the outside 3-4 seats were able to physically
\nconnect with her.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

She
\nwas clear from the outset that this is her preferred way of engaging,
\nbut I was also aware that it was a remarkable way to fulfill the
\nneeds of those who come to hear her speak. \u00a0She is the third woman
\nappointed to the Supreme Court, and the first Hispanic\/Latinx. \u00a0She
\nis an inspiration to an enormous percentage of the population, and
\nher choice to let people touch her seemed like a way to take that
\ninspiration role seriously. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In
\nall the wisdom Justice Sotomayor has, knowing the importance of touch
\nseems like part of it, as does taking seriously the role of being a
\nbearer of hope. \u00a0She offered her hand as a beacon, letting her touch
\ndefy some of the brokenness of the world.<\/p>\n

–
\n– – –<\/p>\n

The
\nfirst gospel lesson today also centers on the power touch. \u00a0Two
\nwomen, in very different life stages are transformed by it. \u00a0The two
\nstories, told together, are intended to reflect on each other and
\nenhance the meaning of each other. \u00a0The young girl was 12, the
\nanticipated age of maturity. \u00a0The woman had suffered for 12 years,
\nemphasized as long enough for a baby to reach maturity. \u00a0The young
\ngirl was believed dead. \u00a0The woman’s was in a living death of
\nisolation, poverty, and extinguished hope.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The
\nyoung girl wasn’t able to speak for herself, so her loving father
\nbegged for Jesus’s help. \u00a0The woman
\nwasn’t to touch anyone, and anything she sat on or laid down on (as
\nwell as her touch) would make others unclean. \u00a0This should have
\nimpeded her capacity to speak for herself too. \u00a0The story seems to
\nsuggest that she doesn’t have family to care for her, because they
\nrefer to her dissipated wealth as her own. \u00a0No one could do it for
\nher. \u00a0She definitely wasn’t supposed to spend time in tight crowds.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

(Two
\nthoughts about this. \u00a0As damaging as such a life would be for a
\nperson, I think it makes some sense in context. \u00a0The ancient Jews
\nbelieved that blood was the life force in a body, that’s what made it
\nsacred. \u00a0They would be understandably concerned about continual
\nbloodflow. \u00a0Secondly, in an era before germ theory or antibiotics
\nabout all people knew for sure about medicine was that you could get
\nsick from sick people. \u00a0In order to care for the community, you kept
\npeople from passing along illness. \u00a0It is awful for the individuals,
\nbut better than letting the whole community die. \u00a0I don’t want this
\nstory to be heard as implicating ancient Jewish society as unloving.
\nIt seems to me they were doing the best they could.)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThis woman, whose 12 years of
\nlife had been without human touch or connection, as well as without
\nwithout successful treatment, and was now without resources because
\nshe’d tried to fix it; broke the rules. \u00a0She moved in a tight crowd,
\ntouching others as she went. \u00a0She sought, intentionally, to touch
\nJesus, EVEN THOUGH her touch would make him ritually unclean. \u00a0Some
\nscholars suggest that such an action made her eligible to be stoned.
\nNo one could speak for her, the laws made it impossible for her to
\nspeak for herself, so she broke the laws, taking a huge risk, seeking
\nlife again. \u00a0She reached out to touch Jesus, not knowing what
\nwould happen next, if she’d be healed or stoned, accepted or
\nviolently rejected.<\/p>\n

\n– – –\n<\/p>\n

\nOn Tuesday the Judicial Council
\nof The United Methodist Church met in Newark, New Jersey to hear oral
\narguments about the election of Bishop Karen Oliveto. \u00a0Bishop Oliveto
\nwas elected this past July by the Western Jurisdiction of the United
\nMethodist Church in an unanimous vote that was uncontested. \u00a0She’s a
\ngifted spiritual leader, a joy-filled human being, a natural church
\nleader, and a living example of grace. \u00a0The issue is very simple:
\nKaren is married to Robin, and both Karen and Robin are women. \u00a0The
\nWestern Jurisdiction knew this when they elected her, Karen’s
\ndecision to run happened after the Pulse Nightclub massacre. \u00a0She was
\nreminded of all of the violence done to the LGBTQIA1<\/sup><\/a>
\ncommunity, and thought it was important to use her ministry to
\nvisibly change some of the narrative (in the church and the world.)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

The
\nUnited Methodist Church is officially a homophobic denomination. \u00a0It
\nintentionally and structurally oppresses the queer community. \u00a0By
\nputting herself forward for election, she offered the possibility of
\ngiving hope to the queer community in the midst of its grief and the
\nmultitudes of harms. \u00a0This particular United Methodist Church, along
\nwith 836 other United Methodist churches and communities, has taken
\nan official stance declaring that we believe that The United
\nMethodist Church is WRONG and that God’s love and the churches doors
\nshould be open to people without consideration of their sexuality or
\ngender identity. \u00a0This church, and 836 others, advocate for the full
\ninclusion of LGBTQIA people in the church and the world. \u00a0The Western
\nJurisdiction agrees, and they elected Bishop Oliveto because of the
\ngifts and graces she has for the episcopacy.\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nDespite the systematic
\noppression of the church, as Kevin has explained in 20 page brief
\n(one of many filed) what they did was legal and appropriate. \u00a0(The
\nfact that the Judicial Council ended up sort of disagreeing doesn’t
\nin any way make me doubt Kevin’s analysis.)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Judicial Council meets twice
\na year, and they always have several items on their docket. \u00a0Two
\nother pieces this April related to the commissioning and ordination
\nof out queer clergy. \u00a0 Unfortunately, while there are MANY in our
\ndenomination who agree with us about God’s love extending to all
\npeople, there are also many willing to engage in witch hunts to
\nprevent the church’s blessing from falling on queer people. The
\nconservatives wanted to invalidate the ordinations of out queer
\nclergy!!!<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

On
\nTuesday, as I woke up, people had already gathered in Newark. \u00a0Bishop
\nOliveto, her wife and her mother, queer clergy from across the
\ndenomination, queer laity, and allies of all sorts were present,
\nvisible, singing, and connecting to each other. \u00a0I watched it on live
\nfeed. \u00a0Tickets were given to two rooms: one the room in which the
\nJudicial Council sat and the arguments would be made, and one for
\noverflow connected via a live stream. \u00a0Laity and allies exchanged
\ntickets with queer clergy so that they could be together, sitting in
\nsolidarity with Bishop Oliveto.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAs I watched the live stream, I
\nsaw the Queer Clergy Caucus2<\/sup><\/a>
\nenter the Judicial Council room, and kneel to pray. \u00a0It took my
\nbreath away. \u00a0It looked like the hemorrhaging woman reaching her hand
\ntoward Jesus. \u00a0That group of beloved and beautiful people of God have
\nstayed in a denomination that has called them names and declared
\ntheir lives \u201cincompatible with Christian teaching.\u201d \u00a0They have
\ncourageously refused to leave, refused to be silent or invisible, and
\ncontinued to ask for the church’s blessing on their whole lives and
\nministries. \u00a0They have reached out to touch Jesus, knowing that the
\nlaws stand in the way, that the crowd will judge them, that the
\ndisciples would try to stop them, and needing to touch Jesus anyway.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThey knelt to pray, to reach out
\nand touch Jesus and hoped the church wouldn’t stop them this time.
\nThey’ve done it before. \u00a0They’ll do it again. \u00a0But every time it is
\nan act of courage. \u00a0So far, every time they reach out, the church has
\nTRIED to stop them. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n– – – –<\/p>\n

\nIn the Gospel, Jesus’s response
\nis grace-filled. \u00a0He calls out the woman (who must have been
\nTERRIFIED), and by doing so publicly he is able acknowledge her
\nhealing and restore her relationship with the community at large.
\nShe was able to touch others again, she was able to connect, she was
\nable to be a part of the whole. \u00a0She was afraid that by touching him
\nshe’d bring him shame, but she took the risk anyway, and instead all
\nthat separated her from the community was lifted from her.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

That’s
\nwhat the queer clergy caucus was hoping the church could replicate.<\/b><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe young girl brought back to
\nlife when Jesus grabbed her hand becomes a metaphor for the life that
\nJesus has to offer, and gave as well the hemorrhaging woman. \u00a0The
\ntouch of Jesus brings life \u2013 and hope \u2013 as well as healing.<\/p>\n

\n – – –<\/p>\n

\nIn our second Gospel lesson,
\npeople are also walking with Jesus, and their lives are also changed
\nby it. \u00a0The story ends with people more alive than when they began.
\nThe theologian John Dominic Crossan3<\/sup><\/a>
\noften says, \u201cEmmaus never happened. \u00a0Emmaus always happens.\u201d
\nThat is, he doesn’t think that it is a story reflecting actual
\nhistorical events, but instead reflecting deep Christian realities.
\nThis year it occurs to me to wonder how literally the story is
\nintending to indicate that a third person actually showed up.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nPerhaps, instead, the Holy
\nSpirit was with the two walking together, and together they started
\npiecing together the teachings of Jesus and the meanings offered.
\nPerhaps the collective (even of two) felt so much more than one and
\none that it was as if there was another one leading their
\nconversation. \u00a0I’ve had conversations like that. \u00a0(I’ve had
\nconversations like that this week at the \u201cChange Leaders Summit\u201d
\nhosted by the General Commission on Religion and Race as we dreamed a
\nless racist church). \u00a0I could metaphorically say that the some
\nmoments of talking to another have been so sacred and eye-opening
\nthat it was as if Jesus was the third person in the dialogue. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nIf that is one of the
\nmetaphorical meanings of the gospel lesson, the it is potent. \u00a0The
\ndisciples are running away! \u00a0They’re going in the wrong direction,
\nand even then Jesus is with them and guiding them. \u00a0In the end they
\nturn back and return to the place they’d been frightened away from.
\nThey move from fear back to life. \u00a0In connecting with Jesus they
\nconnect with their hope, their meaning, and the purposes of their
\nlives. \u00a0They were reconnected to Jesus, and perhaps via the power of
\nthe Holy Spirit to guide sacred conversations.<\/p>\n

\n– – –\n<\/p>\n

Returning
\nto face the fears is part of the inherent Easter story. \u00a0So is the
\ntransformation of the Body of Christ from the historical Jesus to his
\nfollowers throughout time. \u00a0We are now expected to respond to the
\nworld with his courage and grace, to respond to all the ways he
\nresponded to the hemorrhaging women, the powerless girl, and \u2013
\nhowever it happened \u2013 the frightened disciples<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThose Queer Clergy praying in
\nthe Judical Council hearing room were living out the Easter story.
\nThey faced the fears of rejection, and went anyway. \u00a0Others may want
\nto cut them out of the Body of Christ, but they believe that Jesus
\nresponds to them with grace. They know enough to reach out for Jesus
\nand know that Jesus will see them and bless them, even if the church
\nwill not.\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nIt turns out that today Bishop
\nKaren Oliveto IS still a Bishop. \u00a0Thanks be to God. \u00a0Furthermore,
\nnone of the commissionings or ordinations of our out queer clergy
\nsiblings were overturned. \u00a0Thanks be to God. \u00a0Unfortunately, there is
\nalso a lot of bad news that came from the decisions. \u00a0The church has
\nattempted to crack down to gain control offer the resistances
\nmovements that seek to include ALL of God’s people fully in the
\nchurch. \u00a0(They seem to forget that their methods NEVER work over the
\nlong run.) \u00a0There are many in our church who are hurting and there
\nare many in our world who are hearing from our denomination that they
\nare not worthy of love. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n– – – –\n<\/p>\n

\nThe denomination is wrong. \u00a0It
\ncan’t control or limit God’s love. \u00a0Nor can it control or limit the
\nqueer community and its allies. \u00a0The people of God will keep reaching
\nfor God, whether the church tries to stop them or not. \u00a0When people
\nreach out, Jesus responds with grace. \u00a0When people reach out we can
\nfollow the lead of the Spirit who will guide us to bring hope and
\ngrace to each other. \u00a0God is faithful, whether the church is or not.
\nFor that, I am mightily thankful to God. \u00a0Amen<\/p>\n

1<\/a>\u00a0Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual<\/p>\n

2<\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UMQClergy\/<\/p>\n

3<\/a>\u00a0Coming
\n\tto First UMC Schenectady on September 23-24. \u00a0SQUEAL.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Rev. Sara E. Baron<\/p>\n

First United Methodist Church of Schenectady<\/p>\n

603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305<\/p>\n

Pronouns: she\/her\/hers<\/p>\n

http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/<\/a>
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

April 30, 2017<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On April 4th several of us went to the University of Albany to hear Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. … Continue reading Untitled<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[39,33,675,673,573,557,676,682,674,677,672,358,326,671,56,683,680,678,681,679],"class_list":["post-1023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","tag-thinking-church","tag-umc","tag-bishop-oliveto","tag-emmaus","tag-fumc-schenetady","tag-grace","tag-grace-embodied","tag-healing","tag-john-dominick-croassan","tag-judicial-council","tag-methonerds","tag-progressive-chrisitianity","tag-queer-clergy-caucus","tag-reconciling","tag-schenectady","tag-seriously-umc","tag-supreme-court-justice-sonia-sotomayor","tag-tobishopkowithlove","tag-touch","tag-touching-jesus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1023"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1232,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1023\/revisions\/1232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}