Page 5 - Moravian Messenger May 2020

What Matters Most?
Last month's article needed to be somewhat forensic and legalistic in its style, in describing the history of what marriage has meant over the centuries. We recognised that there is no single, simple definition of what marriage means, or even what Christian marriage means. This month we want to go back to basics in looking at how we go about dealing with disagreement and the diversity of viewpoints in the way we understand marriage and relationships. We must always start from the perspective of Jesus who, as St John and St Paul remind us, is the one through whom all things in heaven and on earth were created, who is before all things and in whom all things hold together. We will quote extensively from the sections of the United Reformed Church's document 'One plus One' headed 'Finding what matters most' and 'Human sexuality and the lordship of Christ'. These sections quote a wide range of personal reflections of people who participated in the human sexuality task group's conversations which resulted in 'One plus One' being published in early 2014.
'My hope was that we would create an atmosphere in which Christians - who have often been bitterly divided over issues of sexuality - could engage in real dialogue and not simply repeat past arguments. It has been a real privilege to be a part of this group, and it has felt like an important journey for us to have shared throughout the last year or so.'
'I believe there is a definite shift in the debate, both from within bodies such as the Evangelical Alliance on the one hand, and with the emergence of studies such as Queer Theology on the other. Queer Theology draws on scripture and tradition as places of encounter with God, and represents a return to seeking a more faithful interpretation of scripture within a living, dynamic tradition.'
'Like many others, I have come to believe that there has been too much reflecting on human experience and not enough on the nature of God, and that we need a different and more theological approach to sexuality . All love has its origins and fulfilment in God, and our relationships are the real but imperfect anticipation of union with God. Heaven is the fulfilment of human desire, and this cannot be narrowed down to heterosexual love. We need to recover that vision, which historically has been fundamental to us.'
'We have been in danger of creating groups within the church, almost completely unable to talk to each other, but it feels to me as if we are now being taken to a different place where we can begin to see things from a different angle. God is always enlarging our vision, and is always surprising us!'
'The way we live our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ means that
our moral and ethical choices are no
more our own than any other aspect
of life: all belongs to Christ. Being
under the lordship of Christ requires
that we surrender to his headship and
seek the Holy Spirit's guidance as a first principle.'
'. both sides of the discussion must start from the same point as disciples of Jesus Christ who have died with him - symbolised by our baptism - and are raised to a new life in the Spirit. This must make our personal starting positions secondary as we unite in our desire to be faithful to Jesus, the only head of the Church. Too often this does not seem to have been the case - open hostility has coloured this debate.'
'When we do begin from a place of submission to the lordship of Christ we must all surrender our own positions and look to Jesus who is the only head of the Church. Such a starting point will have different consequences for all sides of this debate.'
'Such a perspective does not allow us to hold on doggedly to scriptural interpretations without allowing the Holy Spirit to move us forward in our understanding of truth. Our affiliation is first to Christ; biblical exegesis is subject to his lordship.'
'The winning of the argument is not what we are about. Together we aim to submit to Jesus, and, as sisters and brothers, listen to the Holy Spirit's lead. Perhaps what we need most is not better dissection of the issues and biblical texts but an attitude that surrenders all to Jesus. Our deeply held positions matter because we matter - but they must be released to the Lord of the Church who has bought us with a price.'
This rainbow pattern of diverse viewpoints bears out what also lies at the heart of the Moravian Church's perspective: 'in essentials unity; in inessentials liberty; in all things charity.' It is clear that almost ever since Pentecost, there have been many disagreements about how to follow Jesus faithfully, both within local congregations and between churches with different cultures and doctrines. While the church must never bend to accommodate the trends of the contemporary secular world, it is vital that we go on listening to God, to one another and to the world that we are called to serve.
Brn Martin Smith & Philip Cooper Ministers at Royton, Salem and Fairfield Congregations
65
One Plus One
(A United Reformed Church Publication)
The fifth article on understanding marriage in
21st Century: