Barneyisfat

I love grace. I just finished reading another section of Bill Beatty's blog on grace. It made me cry, again. I just love grace.

I have been thinking a good bit about my last blog. I have since then returned to almost a full week of camp, and have had a few things that have changed (slightly) my view.

My campers performed for chapel and I messed up - but it proved a point to me.
I am reading a Lyle Schaller book on the UMC.
I have 6 crazy campers.

We performed an "interpretive dance" to "Boy on a string" by Jars of Clay. I was evil and had a puppet on strings. In the end Jesus would cut the strings and Evil would leave. I forgot to give Jesus the scissors. This proved a point for me. Sin still exists. When the strings coulnd't be cut i (evil) just let go of the handle. The strings still exist - but no one is pulling on them - especially Satan.

Lyle Schaller writes about unity in the UMC. I agree that unity is extremely important. What I support and don't support shouldn't matter - this is an issue that will only divide. Therefore I should be willing to scrap my opinions and allow unity to rule.

I have 6 crazy campers. I'm not entirely sure that any of them have any real relationship with Christ. I know a few of them don't. I realized today that I want them to accept Christ ... and to give up their sin. Even though they are young they still have a lot of sin issues. I want them to have something better in their lives. I realize that I know a few of them don't have Christ in their lives because of their blatant sin. Sin shouldn't be boasted about - regardless of what it is.

I want pastors to be held accountable for their sin - I want them to sin less as they grow closer to Christ. I believe still that God calls gay people to be pastors, and that God won't always take away that sin. I still differentiate between a gay person who is in a monogamous relationship and one who is out having random sex all the time. I'm not sure where I stand, yet. Maybe I never will. I think I'm okay with that.

I am a proud United Methodist, and I want the United Methodist church to be unified. I want us to be loving to people and to hate on sin. Maybe someday we will find that balance.