Greater Bay Responses to Questions
- What values do we hold in common—values that inform our capacity to live with profound differences in the interpretation of Scripture?
- commitment to the ministry of Jesus
- importance of loving relationships
- willingness to share
- accepting forgiveness – willing to forgive
- respect for one another
- value our differences, different opinions, different theologies
- value diversity
- respect for differences
- immediate personal access to the Divine
- recognition that everyone brings something to the table
- loving God and neighbor
- What else would you like to say to the Ministers Council Senators regarding the proposed amendment to the bylaws?
- get back on task/track
- focus on the real issues: poverty, health care, racism, etc.
- Homosexuality is more than just an ABC issue
- create a safe space for dialogue on many issues – ongoing
- Senators listen to one another instead of debating
- listen to laity and denominational leaders
- don’t loose sight of our commonalities by focusing on differences
- If God were to show us a way forward together, what might it look like?
We
- keep sight on commonalities without loosing awareness of differences
- don’t take votes (win/loose), instead work on win/win options
- exercise respect of one another, foster atmosphere of trust where God’s spirit and will can be discerned.
- constantly challenge our selves to make change possible
- take a journey of faith – may not know what it looks like (the will of God known ahead of time ceases to be the will of God)
- don’t receive or make ultimatums –no lines drawn in the sand
- don’t express disrespect or hatred
- lift up unity as a higher value than uniformity
- are moving forward together (an assumption of the question) [some will leave – who remains may not be on the same page – then how do we move on?]
- will have a high degree of mutual respect, creativity, and energy focusing on common bonds will give fresh attention to larger ethical questions, such as, war, peace, poverty, health care, rather than on any single area
- Lord help us – by the grace of God!