I’ve been outspoken for quite a while on my view of the church’s treatment of LGBTQ persons. I posted here on my own site about my views on our Biblical studies related to homosexuality, and shared some other views.

And so when I read this week’s lectionary scripture, I found myself drawn into this discussion again. First, Paul’s letter in Romans 14:1-12 invites consideration of criticism and how we treat one another when our opinions differ, and then Jesus is asked about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35.

To me, this led directly to the current conversations about the church, and the fears about schism in The United Methodist Church.

Take a listen.  The audio is from our church website.  More can be found at www.pbumc.org/sermons.

[audio http://pbumc.org/media/audio/2014/Sermon.20140914.mp3 | titles=Vegetarians & Carnivores – Pastor Bob Rhodes]