Just a few more thoughts before we move to the substance of the coming discussions.

I hope that we might avoid the use of labels during our conversations. It has been my experience that use of labels often hurt and divide more than necessary since they are so often misunderstood.

Words like conservative, liberal, progressive, and orthodox give me pause and reason for concern.

If I described myself as conservative I would guess that many of you who know me or have read this blog would respond with a resounding “NO WAY!” Well that all depends.

Conservatives desire that something be conserved. And it is easy to misunderstand when the responder feels that there is no way that the person using the labeling word could possibly be interested in conserving the same things as the person objecting to the label.

For example – when I self describe as a conservative I am stating that I am interested in conserving the values that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. That is very different from me being interested in conserving many of the layers of theology that have been placed over and around the teachings of Jesus in the years that have followed – particularly in many of the ways that the institutional church has turned teachings of universal love into hierarchy, who is in and who is out, exclusivity, sexism, oppression, guilt and fear.

Am I a liberal or a progressive – absolutely YES if you mean that I do not agree with dogmatic teachings of the church that do not reflect the true teachings of Jesus – teachings that allow human constraints to be placed above love for self, God, community, and others – ALL OTHERS – not just the ones with which we would most like to identify as those who are with us – those who are on the right path.

Sadly I have often seen labeling lead to discrimination and oppression that contribute to discrimination and oppression from words misunderstood or mis-used. I heard someone say: “there is enough ugliness and misery in our world – we should not contribute more.”

So as we move forward in the coming days and weeks I pray that we might move forward in love and inclusion – it has been my experience that love and inclusion lead to growth and maturity rather than separation and division. Let us hear what is said – read what is written – then, and only then, respond in love. It is easier to listen while preparing a response – but often that type of hearing misses the goal of true communication and dialogue.

I believe it really is about love and grace!