I was visiting a woman from our church in a time of deep personal pain. But her own situation was not consuming her mind and spirit-our Yearly Meeting was. She couldn’t stop praying for us, in our struggle to figure out how to find God’s direction and find unity around homosexuality. She’s working for peace…by praying, praying, praying. By speaking to others. By figuring out how to lay down her own thoughts before Jesus so that his thoughts would rule her.
It moved me.
Contributed by Gregg Koskela, pastor, Newberg Friends
One Comment
Chrystal
I really thank you for sharing this experience. I am not a member of a friends’ community but have had several friends active in NW friends yearly meeting and I have myself been involved in church activities. I was on Wikipedia and noted that The Friends General Conference as being a “LGBT-affirming” organization. I came on over to NW Friends Yearly meeting website to see if they, too, had an affirming stand on homosexuality. Disappointed and disheartened I first read the “Faith and Practice” covenant, in which homosexuality is listed as a deviant act alongside abuse and “any other form of sexual depravity.” I was disheartened to say the least. But then I came across your entry here, the only other entry prompted by my search. You have reminded me of what is so very special about Friends: the personal reflection, the journey with God to find answers and peace for oneself in line with church guidance but also independent of overwhelming dogma. For this lonely soul your simple reflection has given the gift of hope when it had been filled with hate and disapproval. This women’s struggle is one that many of us understand. And though it is not easy, I am so happy to see that people are thinking and praying and reflecting on it rather than simply echoing the thoughts and prayers and reflections of others. Thank you for sharing.