I grieve today –

my heart hears the death knell

tolling in distant bells,

they toll the death of my beloved –

the death of my beloved church

was decided yesterday,

by a vote –

a vote for exclusion,

a vote for hate,

a vote for a new inquisition.

 

An unholy coalition

of false prophets and Pharisees

want to take us back in time,

to when scripture, interpreted literally,

supported slavery –

and then segregation (that one

took a bit of a stretch, to Noah’s son Ham,

but they made it work)

and the subordination of women.

 

That is their definition of “biblical truth”,

ignoring the love of Jesus 

throughout the gospels,

ignoring the scriptures where Jesus

condemned the Pharisees,

and the self-righteous. 

Jesus’ gospel was never one of exclusion.

 

Today’s Pharisees have it wrong;

Jesus preached love – for your neighbor,

for your enemy, even for yourself.

A church built on exclusion is a dying church. 

 

Is there yet hope?

The church will never again be United,

but there may be a renewal –

What I have heard and seen

from pastor and Christian friends today

gives me just a spark of hope. 

Joyce Alexander, 2/27/19

After the General Conference of 2019

I think perhaps

we all have

a damaged child,

hidden deep within our souls.

Fragile, lonely, bullied – or bullying,

the last one chosen

when teams were picked,

frightened, wounded, hurt,

ignored – or smothered,

broken-hearted, shamed,

or burdened with unrealistic expectations –

the children we once were,

tucked away, hidden, deep within 

the forgotten corners of our souls –

forgotten and hidden

beneath layers of defenses.

But sometimes,

a memory, a photo, a word, a feeling

breaks through the wall and

the damaged child peeks out –

we get a glimpse –

of what made us

who we are.

And sometimes,

God reaches down and says,

“You know, I always loved that child,

and I still love you.” 

Joyce Alexander, 2-15-2019