OK - I have to say something here. There are "ministers" in this world who give the rest of the ministers a bad name. I won't mention ones that have passed on - may they rest in peace, but please, if you hear the name, Rev. Gary Simons, please don't hold him against the rest of us. He is "pastor" (and I use that term loosely) of High Point Church in Arlington, TX. They have a janitor whose brother died from an infection brought on from surgery to prepare for a heart transplant. The church offered to hold the funeral service, media presentation, and reception afterwards.
They received 80 plus pictures of this man's life to put into the media presentation, when the staff" found out" that he was gay. This is the same church that had been praying for the man for a long time for his illness when the learned of his heart disease. Apparently, they saw a picture of the man and his partner, even though, they met the partner, and knew he was a partner, when discussing arrangements. On Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm, the day before the funeral was to take place, a middle man from the church made the mentally impaired brother get on the phone to tell the partner and family that they could not hold the funeral. UGGHGHGHGHGHGH.
http://religion.beloblog.com/archives/2007/08/another_side_of_the_story_of_t.html#more
The pastor equated his life to a murderer and therefore could not hold the service in good conscious. It would show that were would be supporting this lifestyle and we can't do that. WHAT? Have you not held funeral services for sinners before? I am not saying that homosexuality is a sin any way. Is this decision supposed to be one held with compassion? They are going by scripture from the Old Testament, the same old testament that says put your youngest daughter up as a slave. Do they have slaves in their families? They are also going by scripture that Paul spoke to a particular church about, where men were sexually assaulting young boys. Paul, the same man who said that women should not wear fancy jewelry to their church and they need to wear head coverings while in worship. OK - let's go to High Point and see what women are NOT wearing fancy jewelry and what women have their head coverings on. Instead of listening to Jesus, they are listening to someone else. NOWHERE, NOWHERE does Jesus talk about homosexuality. NOWHERE does the scripture show Jesus rejecting a homosexual or condemning them.
It amazes how people will put the words of Paul above the actions of Christ.
The sad part, something sadder than what they did originally, the sad part is that they did not have the courage to tell the family the truth, nor did Simons have the courage to tell the family himself face to face. He had his people do it over the phone, with the brother's job on the line no doubt.
I have been told that I will go to hell for being an ordained woman minister. I have also been told, by another "minister" that he would not call me to be a minister in "his" church because I do not look like I love God - since I don't have a perfect body. To hear stuff like that hurts and to hear it from people who call themselves ministers makes it all the more painful. But this church went beyond what I have ever witnessed or experienced.
The man was to be memorialized the following day - less than 24 hours after this phone call. No matter what sin, if any, was committed (and I don't think any sin was committed, except by the church itself) Jesus would have loved this family, cared for them, and been their to help the family through the process of burying their son, their partner, their brother, and friend.
Cecil Sinclair, the deceased, was a Navy veteran, served in Desert Storm whose job it was to rescue downed pilots. He knew what it meant to really care for other people - something Mr. Simons and his "church" could take a lesson from. It also sounds like this brother was not the only person who has a heart disease and needs of a heart transplant.
Ok - I will get off my soapbox now.
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