You might have heard that it’s been a big month for Methodism. At its general conference, the United Methodist Church voted both to drop its ban on the ordination of queer clergy and to allow for marriages of consenting adults regardless of their gender identities. As someone who grew up vaguely Methodist (my grandfather was a UMC minister) and who loves quite a few LGBTQ+ people, I rejoiced to hear this news.
From within the currently “united” fractured tradition, reactions have been largely positive if more complex than mine. We have two brand new reflections on the conference from Methodist leaders. Former bishop Will Willimon applauds the LGBTQ policy changes but questions the conference’s tone and lack of self-reflection. More optimistic is Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary president Javier Viera, who sees in the UMC’s new regionalization model an opportunity for the Spirit to help Methodists navigate the challenges of a connectional polity.
Don’t care as much as I do about the UMC? That’s okay! We also have a pretty incredible interview with poet Pádraig Ó Tuama, in which he reflects on his spiritual journey, approaches to scripture, and the nature of God.
Email me: Are you involved in church or denominational governance? How’s that going?
“While it’s high time that the UMC changed its restrictive, condemnatory rules related to LGBTQ people, our propensity to do church through top-down rules was how we got in this mess in the first place.”
“Those who embrace and celebrate full inclusion in the church aren’t simply driven by secularist agendas and ideologies; rather, our theological worldview is shaped by our reading of scripture and understanding of tradition.”
“I see biblical literature as another world literature onto which human projection is entirely welcome, as part of the project about what it means to live with a story.”
Lisa Wolfe and Leslie Long interview Pádraig Ó Tuama
“Florida’s bill matches similar legislation approved in Texas last year, which nullified existing ordinances that guaranteed construction workers a ten-minute break every four hours.”
“Armas collects a multitude of fascinating conversation partners. The way she draws on their collective wisdom enhances the experience of reading this devotional.”
