Where are we?and where are we headed ???

Future Directions in the Uniting Church

Diversity, disparity and divergencein the Uniting Church

‘The Uniting Church has become so diverse that it is no longer a denomination. To be sure its congregations share a common financial, legal and property framework which is binding upon all. But there is no common faith and order that is credibly held, proclaimed, practised and required. Congregations or groups of congregations, therefore, are defining themselves theologically and ethically, and are ‘sitting loose’ to any theology or ethic claimed by the Church as a whole. Regrettably, what has been celebrated as ‘diversity’ has become disparity and divergence.’

The slant road

2003

2015

Practising homosexuals allowed in ministry

Diversity in sexual ethics

Review of doct. of marriage

At the 10th Assembly in 2003 the Uniting Church made decisions which caused it to leave the path of biblical orthodoxy and begin to travel along a ‘slant roadOn that road are a number of bridges which, since then, have either been crossed or will need to be crossed if the Church is to continue on this slant road.This slant road is taking the Church in roughly the same direction as the secular society in which it lives.

Affirming of LGBTIQ

14th Assembly, July 2015

The 14th Assembly resolved to be an inclusive church ‘that celebrates diversity and embraces LGBTIQ people as full members of the church community’. It also apologised for having 'caused hurt' to these people.LGBTIQ stands for

‘L’ = lesbian, ‘G’ = gay, ‘B’ = bisexual, ‘T’ = transsexual, ‘I’ = intersex, and now ‘Q’.

But what is the significance of Q?

‘Q’ can mean Questioning or Queer

Questioning: i.e. people who are questioning their sexual or gender identityQueer theory: • Rejects the binary view of gender and sexuality —‘male and female created He them’. • Posits instead a fluid spectrum of gender identities • Claims autonomy for the individual person to

choose their own gender identity, and self-identify within the gender ‘spectrum’.

What does ‘Q’ stand for?

Queer practice: The scope of queer sexual practices goes far beyond what is meant by LGBTI. It includes:Polyamory: the practice of having more than one sexual relationship at the same time, with the full knowledge and consent of all partners involved.Pederasty: a (usually erotic) homosexual relationship between an adult male and a younger pubescent or adolescent male. Paedophilia: the sexual love of and attraction to children.Paraphilia: an unlimited array of sexual perversions including fetishism, transvestitism, sadism, masochism, bondage, exhibitionism, and voyeurism.Bestiality: sexual activity with animals.

All these things are truly queer and take their cue from ‘Q’.

Q is the key that opens Pandora’s boxTwo metaphors that describe a step or direction that will result in unbridled, negative outcomes. • Sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7) • Pandora’s box is a box which, when opened despite warnings,

releases many undesirable things which cannot thereafter be controlled.

Q is the key that opens Pandora’s boxSo when society and the church leave the time honoured path and, contrary to God’s warnings, head down a path that ‘seemed like a good idea at the time’, they reap the whirlwind and open Pandora’s box. We began with gay and lesbian and have added BTI, and now Q which is the gateway to every conceivable erotic possibility.

The straight path

2003

2015 LGBTIQ

G & L

B

TI

d i v e r s i t y

diversity

d i v e r s I t y

? ? ?

The slant roadThe slant road is making crooked the straight paths of the Lord. Acts 13:10Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. 2 Peter 2:15The further the Assembly goes along the slant road, the greater the diversity between those on that road and those who remain on the straight path of biblical orthodoxy.

The straight path of gender/sexualityThe created, binary nature of gender - male and female created He them

Diversity in binary gender - the delicate man is still a man, the ‘tom boy’ is still a girl

Those ‘whom God has joined together’ in marriage union -therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh

The familial image of God - before the Father from whom every family…is named

The honour and dignity of singleness - let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.

Celibacy in singleness and faithfulness in marriage (CISAFIM)

Grace on the straight path

The straight path of God is not a path of legalistic righteousness.

It is the path ofthe righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.“ 2 Corinthians 12:9

2003

2015LGBTIQ

G & L

B

T

I

d i v e r s i t y

diversity

d i v e r s I t y

6. Unite under the banner Uniting in Christ

5. Build praying relationships with all groups on the straight path

4. Statement on gender and marriage - Creation as male and female - Christ and his bride - The family

3. Publicise redemption stories2. Define, teach and proclaim the faith

1. A way or path, not an organisation Those belonging to the way Acts 9:2 For the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, Hosea 14:9

The slant road ? ? ?

‘The way’ ahead on the straight path

The world’s slant road(the growing acronym)

LGBTIQ??? LGBTIQ?? LGBTIQ? LGBTIQ LGBTI GLBT GLB G & L 1995 ‘Gay’

2015

The world’s slant road—looking back(social and legal changes)

Same sex adoption of children Same sex parenting Same sex fostering of children Legal equality for LGBTIQ people De facto legal equality with marriage Abortion on demand

No fault divorce Sexual intercourse outside and before marriage Hormonal contraception (the pill)

2015

1960

The world’s slant road—looking ahead(social changes)

legalising of pederasty lowering of age of consent polyamorous or group ‘marriage’ personal choice of gender identity deconstruction of binary gender (m/f) ‘safe schools’ program gender selection, designer babies identity loss e.g .in birth records same sex marriage 2015

The world’s slant road—looking ahead(legal changes)

Destruction of Western nations as Christian nations

Totalitarian social control

Censoring of opposition through litigation

Banning the Bible as contrary to laws of the land

Outlawing of divine authority (religious exemptions)

Control of religious institutions through funding

Re-education of professionals, conformity required for employment

2015

Where will it all end?The last thing to fly out of Pandora’s Box was something good—

Hope!!In Hosea's time God's judgement was administered with the promise of mercy. I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. …They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; Hosea 14:1,7

As society, with the church tagging along, opens Pandora’s box and reaps the whirlwind, unrestrained godlessness shows its real fruits and begins to be understood for what it is. As the world gets darker the light shines brighter. As things get worse people begin to reconsider the direction we have taken.

Public repentance and prayerThen hope can be born and God’s mercy can be earnestly sought and thankfully received. Public repentance becomes possible

"Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth." Hosea 6:1-3

Getting into the war roomBut we don’t have to wait until then!This is a spiritual battle

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

See the film War room. The war room is the prayer closet.The primacy of prayer — get into the war room !! ‘Union’ prayer meetings – of different groups in the UC

– public, ecumenical meetings

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things

Hosea’s pleaWhoever is wise, let him understand these things;

whoever is discerning, let him know them;for the ways of the Lord are right,

and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

Hosea 14:9