The recent controversial decision of the Iowa Supreme Court to legalize same-sex union has stunned the whole country. Many have asked my pastoral view on the matter and that’s understandable. On the other hand, the up coming Church Wide Assembly of the ELCA is going to debate and decide as to whether or not we are going to ordain those who are openly gays and lesbians into the ordained ministry.

Those two concurrent events make this topic relevant to our life as 1) citizens of the State, and 2) members of the ELCA. Since this issue is intensely debated and emotion ally charged, it is necessary that I lay down two basic premises for this pastoral letter.

First, our Lord Jesus called me to be a pastor in his Church. My thinking is shaped and influenced by Christ’s Word and my conscience is bound by his lord ship. Thus, my view in any issue must be aligned with, and submissive to, Christ’s teaching as believed, taught, and confessed by the Early Church over 2000 years. Second, I am a redeemed sinner and strive to speak God’s truth in love and humility.

In the gospel of Mark, Pharisees asked Jesus, ‘Is. it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (10:.2). Jesus answered, “Because of the hardness of your heart he [ wrote this commandment [ certificate] for you. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one (Mark 10:5-8).

Jesus directly quotes Genesis 1 :27b, 2:24 and makes the creation story foundational to the understanding and practice of marriage. The historic Christian tradition has always recognized marriage as an institution ordained by God at the beginning of time. God designed holy matrimony to be between a man and a woman and blessed their marital sexual relations with the fruitfulness of pro creation.

The apostolic teaching is consistent with Christ’s teach ing that uplifts the Genesis story. The Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to teach that the husband/wife relation ship points to Christ, the Bridegroom, and his relation ship with the Church, his bride (See Eph. 5:25-32). In Isaiah 54:5 God calls Himself as the “husband of Israel.”

These biblical texts establish God’s norm in marriage and anything that deviates from that God-given norm is out of bound and sinful in God’s sight. The holiness code of Leviticus 18 explicitly forbids sexual relation between men and condemns it in the harshest of term, “abomination” (v. 22). St. Paul teaches in Romans 1:26-27 that sexual relations between two persons of the same gender are “contrary to nature” and are manifestations of sinfulness.

Some argue that same sex union is a logical extension of their orientation. Therefore, expressing their “natural inclination” is okay. It is true that we have natural inclinations to do certain things but we have to control those inclinations. For instance, it may be men’s natural inclination to have many sexual partners but acting upon them would be immoral and break God’s commandment. The issue is sinful behavior and not natural orientation.

Others argue that Christ loves everyone regardless of their sexual expressions and we are not under the law but under grace. That is true; yet, Christ “has come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it” (Mat. 5:17). Following Jesus does not exempt Christians from obeying God’s commandments. In fact, Christ expects us to obey law in John 14:21, “Whoever has my commandments and obeys them, he/she is the one who loves me.”

In its first or civil use, God’s law functions to restrain sin and evil. It has an important role in establishing structures necessary for community life. God’s law works as a protective fence. In its second or gospel use, God’s law functions as a mirror that shows our sinfulness and leads us to repentance and trust in Christ’s forgiveness and transformation of our life.

At the end of human history Christ, the Ultimate Judge, will judge all mortals. Christ alone has the power to affect your eternal destiny and faithfulness to his Word gives eternal life. May the Holy Spirit empower us to obey God’s lifegiving norm in marriage.

Amen!

Pastor Jean Rabary