new church life:
september/october 2015
who created this relationship, and that it is vitally important – the “precious
jewel of human life and the repository of the Christian religion.” (Conjugial
Love 457)
Many would agree that the Church as a whole has the responsibility to
present the vision of marriage that the Lord describes i n His Word – a vision
that the world desperately needs. Most would also agree that the Church is to
be a beacon of hope and a welcoming place for all seeking the Lord and the life
He lays before us.
That life includes the relationship with one of the opposite sex that can
grow in richness and meaning to eternity. It also includes the loving and wise
ways we are called to respond to others, even as we hope for that response to
our own states of life, good and bad.
The subject of homosexuality and marriage is intricate and sensitive.
I hope that you have heard a call by means of the teachings referenced to
kindness and love, and have also felt informed about what the Word has to say
about same-sex relationships.
I welcome dialogue and response to what I have written. I am keenly
aware of the limitations of the written word when dealing with sensitive topics.
Therefore I would encourage readers to talk to their local pastor, or to others in
their lives, and to contact me directly if that would be helpful. I can be reached
at 267.502.4918 or at [email protected].
The Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss Jr. is Assistant to the Bishop
of the General Church, Vice President of General Church
International, Incorporated, and Head of General Church
Education. Prior to his ordination into the third degree he was
pastor of the Glenview (Illinois) New Church. He and his wife,
Teresa (Farrington), live in Bryn Athyn with their four children.
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