Jane Spahr is a Presbyterian minister who came out as lesbian to her church in 1978. She recently wed two lesbians couples. Now the regional judicial committee found her guilty of violating church rules, according to the New York Times. She is retiring at the end of this month.

I have two thoughts. I find it sad for her that she retires just after having been condemned by her church. What a sad way to go.

But then again, I can’t help think that I wouldn’t want to be part of a church that has a judicial committee. The emphasis is on rules of the church and not on the move of God, who is solely capable of flipping the script. Come to think of it, I don’t know if my congregation, the United Church of Christ, has a judicial committee.

When I checked their website I couldn’t find anything that resembled something like a judicial committee. Thank you God. I did find this, which is just too good not to share with you:

5. One God, One Faith, One Baptism for All

When we baptize you into our community, we promise that we will never take it back – no matter what you discover about yourself or what others discover about you along life’s journey. We believe that baptism places each of us into the “body of Christ” and lasts forever. Some are baptized as infants, others as adults. Some are sprinkled. Others are immersed. Some reclaim their baptism from a previous church life. For each of us, however, baptism is big enough, strong enough and cleansing enough to last forever. We believe that everyone – old, young, straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, physically or emotionally challenged, rich or poor, sure or unsure, lost or found, Democrat or Republican has a place in the body of Christ. Baptism is like a badge that says, “you’re a full member of the church and no one can take that away from you.”

God bless you.

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