My Christian Century Post: A remodeled house, not a new foundation

I recently presided at the wedding of two wonderful young men, and at that wedding, I had the opportunity to speak with the father of one of the grooms. He gracefully shared with me his struggle to rethink his stance toward LGBT people while also maintaining trust in the sturdiness of his faith’s foundations.

After much reflection on that conversation, I wish to now reach out to this man, and all of you, with a post in The Christian Century. I want to share what I hope will be a helpful image, from Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49: that of a house upon a rock. Although we may be remodeling our Presbyterian house to make room for our LGBT sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters, the foundations and bedrock of our faith remain firm:

When we read scripture with an eye toward loving Christ and loving LGBT people—like this father loves his son—what we are changing are the trappings of the house. Think of it as adding a porch or a room for being together, for receiving one another with the love Jesus desires and commands of us.

As we remodel the house, the foundation remains strong and secure. Our reevaluation of the place of LGBT people in the eyes of God actually strengthens the foundation of our faith in Christ: our rootedness in the love God has for all God’s children, and our consistent living out of that love in this world.

I invite you to read my full post at The Christian Century and reflect with me as we work to remodel our Presbyterian house together. Which teachings do you feel serve as the foundations of your faith? As we build on bedrock, what remodels or repairs do you feel make room for others in our house?

Photo credit: hobvias sudoneighm via flickr