After discovering the tremendous, relentless, compelling grace of Jesus Christ about thirty years ago through the vehicle of The UMC I know that grace is without bounds! Thanks be to God!
Oh, I know our sad history where people chose not to be inclusive, not to love radically, and they split away and became The Methodist Church South.
I am sad that some siblings are choosing to leave us now. And isn’t the issue the same? We either believe in this radical loving God Who calls us to inclusivity and diversity – – – or we do not.
This conversation is not about someone being right and someone being wrong. This conversation is not about property (no need to discuss property until you decide to divorce, right?). This conversation is a fundamental question of what we believe about the love of God and the God of Love.
I know no God other than this radically loving God Who loves me as I am, and holds me to become more fully who I am created to be, and requires of me a love for others that expresses grace upon grace upon grace.
I came to be part of The UMC because of this theology of grace. I remain because our open Table, our grace upon grace, is the closest earthly expression of Jesus’ call to us to love in community that I have found.