Royal Terriers

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

         There is a scene from a James Bond film called Goldeneye where the villain calls James Bond 'her Royal Terrier' because 007 is defending Queen and country. The villain may or may not be correct but it belies a situation where some people work tirelessly for the approval of a higher authority, quite often never realizing their own self worth in the process.

        Yesterday was Easter and face book was flush with people with Easter wishes. One person I am acquainted with, who is gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, attended multiple services at the church of his youth. This church states that he is "intrinsically disordered". He is not capable of a loving stable relationship and is called (by their supreme estimation) to celibacy.  First off, saying whole groups of people are 'called to celibacy', gay, priests or whatever is highly disrespectful of their humanity as created by God. Not everyone is capable of celibacy. The royal terriers that are called to serve and not called to celibacy often bifurcate their lives in so many ways it is religiously criminal. Be that as it may, that is not the real point here, forgive me.  There are people who when faced with disapproval of any kind, just or unjust, they keep trying harder for that approval.  If authority says jump, they say "how high?"

         In light of the incredible love and mercy showered on us yesterday ( and always ) by Jesus' death and rising,  we must keep in mind our worthiness.  Paul might be considered the least worthy. No only was he a gentile, a Roman, he was a great persecutor of the church. Two strikes for him, not a Jew, and persecutor / killer of Christians. It is no wonder that he had such a difficult time being accepted as a convert to The Way.  He did however become one of the most noted Christians of all time.

          But in light of that love and mercy showered on us yesterday ( and always ), what of those who are called to faith, called to be a faithful person but are considered anathema simply for who they are?  Those in the gay community are not persecutors of the church and yet are often considered less than worthy as if Jesus' entire life was not geared towards respect of your brother and ministry to the marginalized. In an effort to fit in, many in the gay community suffer in silence in the churches of their youth trying in vain to fit in and be 'royal terriers'. All this at the risk of being outed, disrespected in worship, in a sermon and in church documents.  We can appreciate how hard Paul worked to because of his status but again, in light of the love and mercy showered on on yesterday, why should God's creations be so incredibly disrespected for being whom God made them to be? How can anyone be told they are not capable of or allowed to love and form a Sacramental relationship, a life long commitment?

              If you are called to faith and celebrating with joy the Easter gift, the promise of new life and a faith rich in wonder, love and appreciation for all God's gifts, do not waste your time seeking approval or asking "how high?" when asked to jump by a disrespecting church authority. Fight for your faith but seek a community that will nourish and respect your faith.

            Something to ponder: Jesus died for YOU, Jesus also rose for YOU.  

Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.