The Council of Bishops has issued a “Pastoral Letter Addressing the Plight of Migrants, Immigrants, and Refugees in the US.” You can read it below.
Voices: Richard Hays
Richard Hays is a United Methodist clergyperson who is one of the leading interpreters of the New Testament. In his 1996 book, The Moral Vision of the New Testament, he condemned gay and lesbian relationships. His gentle arguments were persuasive and have long carried a great deal of weight. But they no longer carry a great deal of weight with Hays himself. He has changed his mind. He doesn’t argue that the texts don’t mean what traditionalists say they mean, he argues that they are no longer applicable. In a recent interview, he summarized his new understanding like this:
“The whole biblical story gives us a pattern, a pattern of grace that is played out again and again, where we see God’s mercy broadening in ways that were unforeseen in earlier experience[s] of the people of God.” [1]
His argument for inclusion is one that you rarely encounter. I would encourage you to read the whole (admittedly rather long) interview here.
[1] Peter Wehner, “The Theologian Who Changed His Mind about Gay Marriage,” The New York Times, November 24, 2024, http://www.nytimes.com.
Becoming a Dementia Friendly Church
Last night, I was one of 22 people attending a presentation from Dementia Friendly Manhattan. Dementia Friendly Manhattan is working to make Manhattan a dementia friendly community. According to the presentation, “A dementia friendly community is a village, town, city or county that is informed, safe, and respectful of individuals living with dementia, their families and caregivers and provides supportive options that foster quality of life.”
College Avenue United Methodist Church wants to be part of that. To be certified as a dementia friendly, we’ll need a total of sixty people to complete the training (which takes an hour to an hour and a half). We’re a third of the way there; more training sessions will be offered in the fall.
Mainstream UMC Tonight at 7 p.m.
Mainstream UMC is an organization that works for inclusion and unity in the United Methodist Church. Their Executive Director, Mark Holland, will be here at CAUMC today (Monday, February 26, 2024) at 7 p.m. to talk about the path forward through the 2024 General Conference and beyond. As you may know, CAUMC is working to be more welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ folk. Mark will help us set that work within the context of the entire denomination.