The Schizophrenic Church

Last week I received the weekly e-news from our United Methodist Conference Center of WI (Wisconsin United Methodist Mother Ship), dated Oct. 27, 2010.  Here's one one of the briefs from around the state:

OUR LORD'S UMC MEMBER VICTIM OF HATE CRIME

Lauren Meyer, a member of Our Lord's United Methodist Church in New Berlin and a freshman at The University of Wisconsin Whitewater, was recently assaulted with anti-gay epithets and punched in the face for wearing a "Legalize Gay" T-shirt. The attack prompted a student rally for tolerance, which was featured in a Channel 12 news story. Lauren and her family have been active at Our Lord's United Methodist Church for many years. Lauren has helped with Vacation Bible School and participated in United Methodist Youth Fellowship and Convo events. Her father is part of the church's confirmation teaching team. Please pray for Lauren and her family and write to Our Lord's United Methodist Church administrative assistant Linda Gugel at Linda@ourlordsumc.org if you would like to send Lauren notes of support.

Bad, right?  Horrible, in fact!  This woman got hit in the face by people she didn't know,

for an opinion expressed on a T-shirt!  That is messed up! 

Want more horrible news?

Right now, in the same Conference (institutionally equivalent to a synod, diocese, etc.), a fellow clergywoman is being charged with being a "self-avowed, practicing homosexual" & for having officiated at a holy union.  These are "chargeable offenses" in our denomination-- and the likely penalty?  The loss of her clerical credentials.  What an ecclesiastical punch in the gut!

But are you seeing what I'm reading?!

In regard to Lauren-- a bad, violent incident; "THE Church" publicly stands behind her in a weekly email that goes out to all the clergy and probably hundreds of lay people in the state.  (This is good & what we should be doing as Christians...).  But in regard to Rev. Amy DeLong-- a clergywoman in good standing; "THE Church" puts her on trial for loving and caring for people!!  (This is terrible-- schizophrenic even!)  And... what have you heard about it?!  Shhhhh... it's a secret....this one won't be showing up in the weekly e-news!

Adam, Eve, & Amanda

This past week I was at a MFSA (Methodist Federation for Social Action) meeting in Chicago.  I mentioned to a fellow clergyman that I serve a church in Madison, WI and he says to me, "Man- you are SO lucky!  You get to serve a church in the coolest city in the Midwest!"

I took the compliment, thought about it for a minute, and then questioned in my mind if he was right.  Coolest "mid-size" city in the Midwest maybe?!  Then, the next day, I came home to Madison.  It was October 31, "Freakfest" in the Mad-city.  It's one of the largest Halloween celebrations around-- this year some 55,000 people (crazies) were on State St.

My husband, Jason, and I went downtown that night to check out some of the costumes, & happened to meet up with a couple of the church.  As you can see from the posted photo here, we also met up with Adam & Eve.

I'm now posting this picture to the world-- me, my parishioners, and two unknown people in body stockings at 45 degrees.

Did I mention that the wife of the couple sits on the Staff-Parish Committee (which supervises me) and the husband is my Finance/Stewardship Chair?

The dude was right.  I DO live and minister in the coolest city, with the coolest people, in the Midwest.  Period.