At a recent Kirk Session at my church we were asked to discuss if we thought that the ministers of our churches should be allowed to conduct blessings of civil partnerships. Here is what I said at that meeting.
My brother is gay. He once told me he would like to believe in God but God wouldn’t want anything to do with him. I replied with the cliché that God loves the sinner but hates the sin. I should have told him the truth, it’s not God that has the problem with him, just the vast majority of people that represent Him.
Same sex couples that want their partnership blessed by the church would probably only seek this if they are Christians. As Christian homosexuals they will know the parts of The Bible that condemn sex between same sex partners more than anybody. They will know that although God made them with homosexual tendencies, He also gave them free will and a conscience to use it. If they have decided to follow Jesus then, like everyone else, they face a daily battle to not sin against God.
If they choose to face that battle with a partner whom they love and trust and who faces the same day to day struggles, then that is their choice.
Christian alcoholics say that they were created with this condition but with the help of Jesus and their Christian friends they fight it every day. Shouldn’t homosexuals get that same support?
Some would say that blessing their partnership encourages them to sin.
Our ministers are given the chance to use their discretion when marrying people who have previously been divorced. However Jesus tells us that ‘a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.’
In 1 Corinthians Chapter 6 verses 9 & 10 Paul mentions those who are drunkards or commit adultery or practice homosexuality in the same breath as being those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
So surely our ministers should be given that same discretion to decide to bless the partnership of two people committed to each other and to serving God.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Saturday, September 30, 2006
No, No No... there I said it!
This blogg thing is turning out to be a once a month thing. So much for my big plans now that the boys are all at school. The list of things that I have to do is increasing daily. I managed to off-load doing the primary school uniform orders to other parents before the Summer ... or so I thought. As it turns out, where me and my pal had managed to to do it ourselves for the past umpteen years, the new 'committee' are in a big flap about it. So muggings agreed to set up a survey of all the parents and the pupils to review the uniform and I'm helping to do the next order. I'm also back on the Parents Staff Association.
WHY CAN'T I SAY NO?
I have decided it is because I'm a control freak.
At a recent mission committee meeting, of which I am the convenor, under duress I agreed to let another elder deal with the ‘Back to church Sunday’ letters. However when he e-mailed me with a copy of the template being used by all the local churches, I made ours up anyway. It is ironic as I am always complaining at not being given free reign to do stuff in the church because our minister has to control everything. What is that lesson about taking the log out my eye before trying to take the speck out another's eye?
WHY CAN'T I SAY NO?
I have decided it is because I'm a control freak.
At a recent mission committee meeting, of which I am the convenor, under duress I agreed to let another elder deal with the ‘Back to church Sunday’ letters. However when he e-mailed me with a copy of the template being used by all the local churches, I made ours up anyway. It is ironic as I am always complaining at not being given free reign to do stuff in the church because our minister has to control everything. What is that lesson about taking the log out my eye before trying to take the speck out another's eye?
Monday, September 04, 2006
Am I an outrageous flirt?
Do I flirt with my male friends? Where is the line that is not to be crossed? Where is the the harm in a bit of banter? I know that I don't fancy them and would never in a million years consider anything of a romantic/sexual nature. However without sounding conceited, what if I'm unwittingly leading them on?
One of my friends works in a male environment and so naturally socialises with them. She might consider that she is just having a laugh with them until she finds herself in the awkward situation where someone thinks that she is attracted to them and makes advances. I suppose that can't be helped, wires get crossed, signals get misread. The only way to avoid that would be to conduct all business in a large boardroom full of people and only socialise with female company (although these days that would be no guarantee!)
I suppose the line would be crossed if there was a spark of attraction. Now I'm getting into dangerous water! Before I go any further I should point out that husband reads my blog so even if I were having a torrid affair I wouldn't be revealing it on this blog, I have a secret one for that (just kidding darling!)
Even some of the most prominent characters from the Bible faltered on this score. King David got someone else's wife pregnant and sent the husband to the front line of battle so that he would be killed. Wait a minute! We were just talking about sparks of attraction, isn't that a bit extreme? Well that situation started out with a spark of attraction (or lust) when David saw her taking a bath.
What I am saying is; it could happen to anyone, we are only human. It's what we do about it that is important. So what do you do? I would say "run a mile!" Do the exact opposite of what you want to do and avoid that person at all costs. If people like David, who was so close to God, can't resist temptation what chance do the rest of us have?
One of my friends works in a male environment and so naturally socialises with them. She might consider that she is just having a laugh with them until she finds herself in the awkward situation where someone thinks that she is attracted to them and makes advances. I suppose that can't be helped, wires get crossed, signals get misread. The only way to avoid that would be to conduct all business in a large boardroom full of people and only socialise with female company (although these days that would be no guarantee!)
I suppose the line would be crossed if there was a spark of attraction. Now I'm getting into dangerous water! Before I go any further I should point out that husband reads my blog so even if I were having a torrid affair I wouldn't be revealing it on this blog, I have a secret one for that (just kidding darling!)
Even some of the most prominent characters from the Bible faltered on this score. King David got someone else's wife pregnant and sent the husband to the front line of battle so that he would be killed. Wait a minute! We were just talking about sparks of attraction, isn't that a bit extreme? Well that situation started out with a spark of attraction (or lust) when David saw her taking a bath.
What I am saying is; it could happen to anyone, we are only human. It's what we do about it that is important. So what do you do? I would say "run a mile!" Do the exact opposite of what you want to do and avoid that person at all costs. If people like David, who was so close to God, can't resist temptation what chance do the rest of us have?
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
To make a Papier-mache monster...
They are back at school. Hooray! Even my youngest - and may I add last- started school yesterday (the last time my youngest started I found out I was pregnant). This means I have time to write my blog... I mean do house-wifey type things. My oldest came home from school and asked what happened to my big plans to become mother/housewife extraordinaire now that there are no pre-schoolers. Well I'll get to it.
During the Summer hols on a rainy day (I live in Scotland) my youngest finds a monster in his comic. So I decide to do the perfect mum bit and make it with him. Ten minutes later he decides that he has had enough and leaves me to it (like he did with the snowman. igloo, sandcastle etc.) Top tip - abandon sticking little bits of paper on the balloon. Pour glue onto a large sheet of newspaper and wrap round said balloon in one. Ta da! Job Done! Then spend the rest of the time doing what you want to do. Well in theory that's what you do. What actually happened was; I felt guilt ridden for sitting down for more than 5 minutes, so I took the kids to the park, came home and polished and vacuumed (sort of - I'm not house wife extraordinaire yet), then thought about what to make for dinner!
To be honest I do the bare minimum that I can get away with on the housework front. If I see the ironing board up when I come downstairs in the morning, then (oops) hubby has run out of shirts. Time to do a bit of ironing (yuk!) My son has just come in and told me that I need to get him some 'cool' shorts for P.E. Right son, I'll get right on it!
Pristine house/children/hubby just isn't me. What is the point in forcing yourself to be what other people think you should be? or even just pretend to be for show. I'm saying that - but I still run round flinging things in drawers if someone shows up unexpectedly!
During the Summer hols on a rainy day (I live in Scotland) my youngest finds a monster in his comic. So I decide to do the perfect mum bit and make it with him. Ten minutes later he decides that he has had enough and leaves me to it (like he did with the snowman. igloo, sandcastle etc.) Top tip - abandon sticking little bits of paper on the balloon. Pour glue onto a large sheet of newspaper and wrap round said balloon in one. Ta da! Job Done! Then spend the rest of the time doing what you want to do. Well in theory that's what you do. What actually happened was; I felt guilt ridden for sitting down for more than 5 minutes, so I took the kids to the park, came home and polished and vacuumed (sort of - I'm not house wife extraordinaire yet), then thought about what to make for dinner!
To be honest I do the bare minimum that I can get away with on the housework front. If I see the ironing board up when I come downstairs in the morning, then (oops) hubby has run out of shirts. Time to do a bit of ironing (yuk!) My son has just come in and told me that I need to get him some 'cool' shorts for P.E. Right son, I'll get right on it!
Pristine house/children/hubby just isn't me. What is the point in forcing yourself to be what other people think you should be? or even just pretend to be for show. I'm saying that - but I still run round flinging things in drawers if someone shows up unexpectedly!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
My First Words...
Ahh... Life can deal you a bum hand sometimes, but in my case life has dealt me a Royal Flush (Apparently this is very good) I have a caring family, friends.... a decent work ethic and screaming kids!! But I have mastered the art of deafness. I reckon that I can read a good book next to a cement mixer. Having children has allowed me to learn the art of selective hearing coupled with the ability to carry on regardless.... yes, and breathe. Not a blonde hair in sight... unless of course I choose differently.
Ahh... Life can deal you a bum hand sometimes, but in my case life has dealt me a Royal Flush (Apparently this is very good) I have a caring family, friends.... a decent work ethic and screaming kids!! But I have mastered the art of deafness. I reckon that I can read a good book next to a cement mixer. Having children has allowed me to learn the art of selective hearing coupled with the ability to carry on regardless.... yes, and breathe. Not a blonde hair in sight... unless of course I choose differently.
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