It was just an apple, right?

*It has come to my attention that Jane Graner is a progressive teacher/pastor. However, that doesn't change this post. Or the fact that we all have temptations that really should bar us all from God's service, but through His mercy and grace, they do not.*


Since my days at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (LBTS), I have prided myself on being open and honest with my theology and my stance on ordination of homosexuals.

Today, when UMNEWS published a story that Jane Graner, a woman who is openly gay was ordained I immediately thought "Great! Another conference bites the dust!" However, in order to appreciate Jane Graner's story one must read what the Book of Discipline states in

304.3 Qualifications for Ordination

While persons set apart by the Church for ordained ministry are subject to all the frailties of the human condition and the pressures of society, they are required to maintain the highest standards of holy living in the world. The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals¹ are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church. 1. "Self-avowed practicing homosexual" is understood to mean that a person openly acknowledges to a bishop, district superintendent, district committee of ordained ministry, board of ordained ministry, or clergy session that the person is a practicing homosexual.

Notice that our discipline states "Self-avowed practicing homosexual." Jane Graner is a self-avowed, celibate homosexual. When I was at LBTS, the question came up in my homiletics class "If a man (because remember I as a female student in a southern baptist theology school) is homosexual, but celibate can he be ordained?" Most of the answers were rather ignorant of the human nature and included "If he's celibate, he's not homosexual!" If you know me, you know my response was "I am a heterosexual female who is celibate, so I guess that means since I am not practicing my sexuality, I am not heterosexual!" As you can imagine, with that answer the gloves were off! It was truly worse than the description of The Mississippi Squirrel Revival that Ray Stevens gave us. 

Like always, I said what I had to say then I defended my stance to the end! The celibate homosexual ordination during that class was my hill to die on...not because of my own sexuality, rather because I had dated a young man that eventually broke my heart when he came out as homosexual. For years we didn't really address it, until one day I asked "Niko, I need to know, are you in a relationship?" And his answer has stuck with me, "Rai, my relationship with Jesus is far more important to me than giving in to my temptation." So today when I posted the story about Jane Graner I had folks texting me privately stating "I would never sit under her teaching." Now I may be wrong in this, but I have a feeling that Jane's relationship with Christ is more important than giving in to her temptation. 

Let me ask you this, what temptation do you struggle with? For Eve it was the struggle of knowing everything and being like God. I mean, it was just an apple, right?

It may not be something big like homosexuality or the desire to become like God; my temptation isn't. My temptation is a simple one--every time I see my former friend, and she makes eye contact at me before sticking her nose in the air, I want to flip her off. Maybe that isn't a big sin or a big temptation, however, it is for me, because of how our friendship ended and how I still feel about my former friend. Maybe your sin is gluttony, or wrath, or jealousy. Maybe when you need to be spending time in prayer, you spend more time on the internet or doing something else because you don't want to take time to pray. 

While your temptation isn't huge like Jane's is, and it probably wouldn't bar you from ordination, you are still tempted by it. The difference is "Do you act upon it?" I'll be honest and say "Yes, I have acted upon my temptation." I bet many of you have acted upon yours too. Now is the time that we should do as Jane and Niko have, we need to realize that our relationship with Christ is more important than our temptation and treat it as such. Matter of fact, our own founder, John Wesley said in his 1741 sermon, Christian Perfection: "Nor can we expect…to be wholly free from temptation. Such perfection belongeth not to this life." Yes, there is the chance that people will fall back into their temptation, I am not saying that Jane may never have another relationship--sin and the temptation it brings is a struggle--it's why God's mercies are NEW every morning.

For now, I am going to celebrate with Jane for her ordination, pray for my own struggles with temptation and and encourage others to do the same.