Religion and Spirituality with Rev. Richard Moyer (44 Articles with 11,008 total views)
Rev. Richard Moyer of the Community United Church, W 38th and Cascade Streets, Erie PA, shares thoughts on Christianity from a GLBT-friendly perspective. The church is interdenominational and is affiliated with the United Church of Christ
I attended a church-related college which required every student to take a freshman course in introduction to Christianity. It was called something like Religion 101. The professor was an older man who was strict and dogmatic in his religious beliefs.
A few days ago I received an e-mail from a man who described himself as a Christian evangelist. He wrote that he had seen our church advertised on the internet as a congregation that is open and affirming. It seemed to bother him a great deal that we would welcome LGBT persons into the life, ministry and fellowship of our church. He stated that he had a background in Biblical studies. He asked why I do not preach Jesus’ teaching against homosexuality to my congregation.
“SCANDALS BLAMED ON HOMOSEXUALITY.” That was the headline of a recent newspaper article that certainly caught my attention. The Associated Press reported that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, said that “the sex scandals haunting the Catholic Church are linked to homosexuality.” He goes on to say that (many psychologists and psychiatrists) have shown that there is a relationship between homosexuality and pedophilia.” He doesn’t name the psychologists or the psychiatrists who have come to this conclusion.
Yesterday I was at one of those meetings that seemed to drag on endlessly. Everyone was talking at the same time. Every person in the room thought that he or she was an authority on the topic we were discussing. The chatter got louder and the discussion obviously was going nowhere. Finally the moderator said, “Let’s just stop a minute and listen to each other. We all have something important to say, but right now no one is listening.”
There’s a book in my library entitled “Great Church Fights.” It was written in the late 1970’s by a pastor who had witnessed many disagreements and misunderstanding in his own church. The stories he relates are humorous, pathetic and down right ridiculous.
Last night, I drove home in the first significant snow storm of the season. The wind was blowing across the country roads and the visibility was almost zero. It would have been a laborious drive on a dreary evening had it not been for the houses aglow with Christmas lights. The colored lights reflected off the newly fallen snow.
Recently a great opportunity for our church did seem to appear out of nowhere. Will Koehler, a member of our congregation who is also active with LGBT issues in Erie, came to me with a proposal to set up a counseling center in our church building. He, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has had extensive experience in child, adolescent and family therapy, would have an office at our church. Along with the partner in his practice, Liz Stroup, also an LCSW with vast experience, a counseling service would be provided to address counseling issues from a Christian faith perspective.
In a recent news broadcast I heard the word civility used several times. It’s a word I hardly ever use. So, the news commentator made me think. Maybe I should not only be using the word; I should make sure that civility describes me and my actions.
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Lord, give me patience, and give it to me now.” That probably describes most of us. We are not used to being patient. Fast food, instant information and quick fixes are a way of life for the vast majority of us Twenty-first Century Americans.
A young woman who has been attending our church was recently in my study for the first time. She noticed a portrait hanging on the wall, and she asked me about it. I told her that the picture was of Harry Emerson Fosdick, the founding minister of The Riverside Church in New York City. Riverside Church has long been the “cathedral” of Protestant Liberalism. It was originally financed by the Rockefeller Family, and it has been a flourishing church in Upper Manhattan since its beginning in the 1930’s.
One of the tenets of the Christian religion is the belief that Jesus was both human and divine. It is true, though, that we usually emphasize the divinity of Christ as being more important and significant than his humanity. To place too much emphasis on his divinity is a serious a misunderstanding of the Gospel as placing too much emphasis on his humanity.
Recently I found an old box in the basement that hadn't been opened for years. The cardboard was stained with water marks and the contents had the kind of musty odor that is characteristic of stored items that haven't seen the light of day for sometime. In bold magic marker letters the words "Odds and Ends" were written on the outside of the box.
A friend of mine, who had been a Protestant all his life, converted to Roman Catholicism. I didn’t think much about it. I’ve known other people who have done the same. I have a friend who was raised in the church and later converted to the Jewish faith.
The winter of ’08-’09 was a rough one even by Erie standards. All of us will look back and tell one story or another about the inconveniences the severe winter caused. There were power outages, excessively high snow banks, fierce winds and cars stuck in the snow.
Every day I read the letters to the editors in the local newspaper. I don’t know why. Sometimes I get extremely frustrated because it seems like little thought is put into writing the letter. Occasionally, though, I am impressed with the quality of the writing and the wisdom that the letters contain.
As I was preparing for my Advent-Christmas devotions this year, I was particularly inspired by a modern day monk and a Victorian poet.
The monk was James Stephen Behrens who resides at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Georgia. He wrote, “We carry a little chip inside of us that is reserved for connecting with God—and there are time we need to find the buttons to make that chip glow.” The words jumped out of the page as of they were written just for me. I needed to connect with God this Christmas. I wanted Christmas to “glow” in my life.
A few years ago I was standing in line at a local store waiting to pay for a last minute Christmas gift. The clerk cheerfully wished the young woman in front of me a Merry Christmas. “Christmas?” replied the young girl, “I hate Christmas. It depresses me!”
As she said that, my first thought was: “How can anyone hate Christmas?” It didn’t make any sense to me. At Christmas I’m like a child again. I rejoice in all the fond memories of spending the holiday at my grandmother’s house, tucked away high in the Pocono Mountains. At grandmother’s house, there was always a Christmas snow-fall, and the woods with evergreen trees surrounding her house were Christmas-card perfect
Now that the presidential election is over, I’ve read articles written by a number of news commentators that have evaluated the presidential race. Many of them try to explain where the Republican Party went wrong.
One Republican advisor gave detailed advice to this own party as to how they could do better in future elections. He thinks that the Republican Party has lost touch with “ordinary” people despite its valiant attempt to make “Joe the plumber” the representative of what we sometimes call the “man on the street.”
I have a friend who is a one-issue voter. I have the greatest respect for him, and he and I have been friends for years. He is intelligent and well-read. But when it comes to voting, he has only thought in mind. He’s going to vote for the candidate who is against abortion.
Even though I’m pro-choice and I believe a woman should have the right to make her own decision without government interference, I still respect my friend’s opinion.
The problem I have is that he doesn’t seem to take anything else into consideration. Important issues in the presidential race such as the war, the economy, and the environment all take a back seat to the candidates’ view on abortion. It seems to him that nothing else matters. He even has a bumper-sticker on his car that say, “I Vote Pro-Life.”
Recently church politics was in the news when the Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church voted to separate itself from the national church. The clergy vote was 121 to 33 in favor of leaving the denomination.
When I was growing up in Eastern Pennsylvania the phrase “traditional family values” was well known. In that area of the country it was pretty much assumed that those who held these so-called traditional family values were conservative and Republican. We were! We also attended a very conservative Christian church.
When I was very young, Eisenhower was president. I remember very little about him except that our family spoke about him in an almost reverential way. We were told that the world was secure and families were safe with Ike in the White House. And our family did seem very close and secure. In our conservative house, traditional family values were touted as the very glue that kept society together.
Recently I watched a television program that showed some of the old commercials that I remember when I was growing up. One was the Virginia Slims cigarette commercial. They showed a woman wearing a 19th century dress, smoking a cigarette behind the barn, out of the sight of disapproving eyes that thought women should not smoke.
In contrast, there was a 20th century women openly smoking her Virginia Slims without having to hide or feel embarrassed. The announcer proclaimed: “You’ve come a long way, baby.”
If I were asked to name my favorite book of the Bible, I wouldn’t choose one of the Gospels or a writing of the Apostle Paul. I would go straight to the New Testament book of James.
James was the bishop (overseer) of the church at Jerusalem. He was surnamed “The Just,” because he was an unusually good man. He was also a practical person, which is the reason I like his New Testament Epistle so much.
In his first chapter, James reminds his readers that they should be careful about what they say and how they say it. In other words, “Watch your tongue!” “Control your temper.” “Be a good listener.” “Don’t speak before you think.”
This year’s presidential election has brought out the worst in Christian clergy. It has also brought out the worst in the candidates.
First, we had the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial statements to deal with. I wrote about that in a previous column. Since then, Barak Obama has announced that he has left Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago. He made that decision after absolutely ridiculous remarks were made at Trinity Church by a Catholic priest, the Rev. Michael Pfleger.
In my first few years as a minister, I often used the phrase, “The Bible says…” when I preached. I suppose I subconsciously borrowed it from Billy Graham, who used to say that all the time. My theology was very conservative in those days, so it made sense to me-the Bible says it; I believe it!
One Sunday, after worship, a parishioner met me at the door and challenged me with a question: “Do you worship God or do you worship the Bible?” I was offended by his question. Of course I worshipped God. To worship a book would be like idol worship. I replied by saying that I worshipped only God.
“Oh,” he said, “the way you talk I thought maybe the Bible is more important to you than God.”
When I first heard that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barak Obama’s pastor, was making controversial statements, I wasn’t surprised. I have heard him preach many times. In his addresses and sermons to conferences and synods, he has never been reluctant to take on the most controversial issues of the day.
The media had a field day as they exposed Rev. Wright’s disapproval of the fact that the promises and expectations of the American dream hadn’t reached the section of south Chicago where his parishioners live. His sermons, addressed to poor Blacks, many of whom were confined to big city slums, pointed out the injustices and prejudices that so often affect them.
In the Christian Church Year, there is one day that takes precedence over every other day. Easter Sunday is the day when all Christian people rejoice with enthusiastic hope and expectation. It is the day that makes the extraordinary claim that “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!”
If secular society and department store advertisements place more emphasis on Christmas, it is only because a baby born in a manger and a jolly old St. Nicholas are far less threatening and much more marketable, than the gigantic claim of resurrection from death to life.
When I was growing up we lived in the inner-city. My mother thought that it would be a good idea for me to be exposed to some activities outside our neighborhood. She decided that I should join the Boy Scouts.
Every four years the American people are treated to a spectacle that could only take place in a democracy like ours. We endure the campaign for president which seems like an endless ordeal of political rhetoric and promises that may or may not be believable.
It all seemed to start a little earlier this time around. I suppose it is because so many people in America and in other countries are ready for a change in U.S. leadership. It’s no secret that most people think that President Bush’s eight years add up to one disaster after another.
On a recent news program, they featured a mega-church in Florida. Each year, the church puts on a spectacular Christmas pageant that costs almost $1million to produce.
In an interview with the pastor, he indicated that a ticket for the Christmas extravaganza can cost as much as $35. He also said that each night of the performance, some tickets are given away to the poor who could not otherwise enjoy the elaborate program that includes live camels and donkeys, as well as fine costumes.
There were a number of questions asked by the news reporter who interviewed the pastor. “Couldn’t the million be spent in a better way?” was the first question. The pastor had an answer that, at least in the mind of some people, would justify the extraordinary expense.
Almost everyone I’ve talked to recently has expressed surprise that we are so close to Thanksgiving Day. All of a sudden, Halloween is but a memory and Thanksgiving is at hand! Maybe it’s because the fall season here in Erie seemed, this year, to arrive sluggishly. The trees stayed greener longer and the colored leaves are clinging to the trees, even now, at the beginning of November. A glance at the calendar, though, jolts us back to the reality that Thanksgiving is only a few days away.
Even though I could use a few more months to get prepared for all that happens in the church between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m glad that the end of the year holidays are here.
Like most of you, I have wonderful memories of Thanksgiving Days spent with family and friends.
From Rev. Richard Moyer: Recently I have been participating in a bible study from the New Testament book of James. For me it has been a fascinating study because James is my favorite New Testament Epistle.
In the Protestant tradition, it is believed that James, the bishop of Jerusalem, was the brother of Jesus. The Roman Catholic tradition, because of the belief in the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, considers James the cousin of Jesus. Whatever their relationship, Jesus and James were very close.
When I was asked to speak at the Erie Gay Pride Rally, I wasn’t sure I wanted to. For one thing, I have never been to the rally and really didn’t know what to expect. I further reasoned that I wouldn’t know what to say. A minister at a gay pride rally might seem a little like a fish out of water.
But I have to admit that I was more concerned about what some of the more conservative members of my congregation might think. “Who needs more controversy in the church?” I asked myself. And certainly there would be those who would object to my being so visible at what they would consider a “controversial” event.
I asked two trusted members of my congregation what they thought about their pastor participating in the rally. I knew that both of them would be honest with me. I was also certain that they had no agenda of their own that would prejudice their opinion one way or the other. If I were looking for a completely objective evaluation, they would be the ones to ask.
From Rev. Richard Moyers: I am writing this article shortly after I returned from the 45th Annual Meeting of the Penn West Conference of the United Church of Christ. Central to this year's agenda was a resolution sent to the meeting from a rural church near Meadville. The resolution was in opposition to another resolution that was passed by the General Synod of the national United Church of Christ called, "In Support of Equal Marriage Rights for All."
I never really liked school. So, it surprised me when I finished four years of college and then three years of seminary. This was a cause for celebration but first I needed a little peace and quiet to let it all sink in.
I decided the best place to be alone with my thoughts was the chapel. However upon entering I soon decided this was not going to be the best place. There were people talking in the corner, the custodian was sweeping the floors and the chaplain was cleaning off the alter. Since this place was not going to work, I hurried across campus and found a little room under the stairs in the dorm where all was quiet and the noise of the world was locked out.
Rev. Richard Moyer recalls: I was always the smallest kid in the class. That meant that I was an easy target for the class bullies. I still remember one of those obnoxious class mates of mine who was always joking about my short stature and seemed to thrive on reminding me of it. I soon discovered that I was not his only target. He attacked almost everyone in our 7th grade class.
Rev. Richard Moyers of Community United Church recalls an encounter with a distributor of religious pamphlets entitled "All that Jesus Said About Homosexuality." It may surprise you!
Community United Church
Community United Church
Community United Church
