About Out in Scripture

You don’t have to leave your mind, heart and body behind when you encounter the Bible. This Human Rights Campaign resource places comments about the Bible alongside the real life experiences and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith and our allies.

Out In Scripture is a collection of over 175 conversations about the Bible. With the skilled help of 100 diverse scholars and pastors, from over 11 different denominations, you will discover a fresh approach to Scripture. Here you can be honest, question and go deeper.

Out in Scripture is a great devotional resource as you consider your life of faith and put that faith into action. It is also especially helpful for preachers preparing sermons based on the Revised Common Lectionary.

The Bible’s not about beating you up, but lifting us all up. It includes the seeds of liberation and justice. You, too, can be out in Scripture.

The Out in Scripture Collection

The lectionary is a three-year plan of selected Bible readings for each Sunday of the year. To figure out what are the assigned passages for a particular week in the Church Year, check out the 2009-2011 Lectionary Calendar. Find out even more about the lectionary at the Consultation on Common Texts

Select Bible conversations from the following seasons. The conversation will appear at the bottom of the page.

Year B

Year C

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24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Proper 19), YearA	September 14, 2008

Remember, Once You Were Oppressed All God's people are called to challenge the status quo of oppression - even if it means examining our own oppressive ways in the world. This week's lectionary Bible passages: Exodus 12:1-14 & Psalm 149 or Ezekiel 33:7-11 & Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

Who's Out in the Conversation What's Out in the Conversation Prayerfully Out in Scripture

Who's in the Conversation     A conversation among the following scholars and pastors
“God is compassion- ate toward those who are oppressed and violated.  Yet, God forgives all people even those who have hurt us.  Yes, we ought to forgive other; yet, premature forgiveness can be a problem in some instances.” Linda Thomas	“When forgiveness is offered too quickly, the offending party is denied the opportunity to do the hard work and truly repent.” Marvin Ellison	“An authentic way to assure ourselves that we are doing God’s will is to live peacefully and gracefully, finding ways to share life’s necessities with others and leaving ultimate judgments to God Herself.” Virginia Ramey Mollenkott	“To the degree that we are the oppressors, eager to profit from the labor of others, God throws us into panic and leaves us spiritually dead on the seashore." Michael Joseph Brown

	In what sense might affluent people owe a debt to those who have no way of earning the good basics of life? How might those LGBT people who are "out and proud" be of assistance to those whose circumstances do no permit such freedom?

The cautionary tale of the crossing furnishes us with a conversation partner for today's gospel lesson. Matthew 18:21-35 encompasses a parable that is itself a cautionary tale for all who hear it. The parable (verse 23-35), which only appears in Matthew, ends with the ominous declaration, "So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart" (18:35).

The story of the crossing and the parable of the slave share some essential characteristics. First, they both highlight God's compassion for those in distress. For example, in the parable, the ruler had compassion for the first slave, of course, but the selfish actions of that slave toward the other slave highlight a concern for all those who are distressed. Second, both demonstrate God's willingness to act in a disruptive manner to undermine any unjjust status quo.

In the parable, the debts were legally (and some would say ethically) two separate matters. What binds them together is the ruler's originally unspoken expectation that the experience of forgiveness would have meant a change in behavior on the part of the first slave (verses 32-33). When that slave (now restored to a secure social position) used it to enforce his claim against another slave (who also begged for mercy), he illustrated how seductive the power of the status quo can be. The first slave's liberation from indebtedness did not mean the liberation of others. In short, maybe we need to be more thoughtful when it comes to the practice of forgiveness. That is, perhaps the ruler moved too quickly with the offer of forgiveness.

Marie Fortune, a pastor and anti-violence advocate, tells the story of visiting a prison in order to speak with a group of men incarcerated for child sexual abuse. When she was about to depart after their session, she asked what they wanted her to tell people in the church, and the men replied, "Tell them not to forgive us so quickly." When forgiveness is offered too soon, the offending party is denied the opportunity to do their work and really repent and turn around, totally transforming their thinking and behavior so that they no longer put others at risk. As we see from the parable, this is hard, hard work. We might ask ourselves: was the slave forgiven too early and too easily? Perhaps forgiveness, if it comes at all, comes at the end of a process, not at its beginning. Too often, the burden is misplaced. The offender let off the hook and the victim/survivor told to "get over it" and forgive, meaning forget the offense. All too often, this does a grave injustice, adding insult to injury. Yes, in making new beginnings possible, forgiveness is a remarkable moral power. Yet, like all power, it can be used for good or ill. In other words, we must handle forgiveness with great care and discretion. It can be offered prematurely.

	When might we as individuals or as part of the church participated in a premature forgiveness process? Equally important, when forgiveness comes to us how readily are we to share it with others who need forgiveness as well?

The parable in Matthew emphasizes that those who have been forgiven must live lives that reflect the experience of forgiveness. Forgiveness in this sense is a matter of justice. Thus, practices of social interaction that maintain the dominance of the forgiven over the unforgiving, or that liberate some to the detriment of others, are to be renounced. According to the parable, such dominance is immoral and inconsistent with the divine character.   Again, the message of the parable shatters the hubris of those who believe they have a special relationship with God (that their sins are worthy of forgiveness while those of others are not) and act in a manner that mistakenly enforces that belief (that I will condemn you despite my own need for forgiveness).

The parable connects to Exodus 14 in that all of us who profit from unjust systems of power must work tirelessly in our own contexts, humbled by the privileges we have been given, and in eagerness to share those privileges with those who have been denied them. This is why the apostle Paul's words in Romans 12:1-12 are also both practical and humbling. Paul begins, "Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions" (verse 1). Such a call for hospitality envisions a community of diverse individuals who put aside the corrosive human practice of judging one another and instead engage in authentic interaction on the basis of fundamental equality. This passage insists that believers must not quarrel with one another over how we live our lives because the only judge is God, to whom we are all accountable.

Such quarrels are the opposite of the staged events many LGBT people of faith experience in so-called forums on sexual orientation sponsored by churches and organizations. Too often, they are simply opportunities for quarreling over opinions. People speaking, often hollering, at each other rather than affirming their difference as difference, seeking to be community nevertheless. Paul makes it clear that final judgment — the judgment over the ultimate value of a person's life — belongs to God. Human beings, even those in the church, should never assume a divine prerogative. To assume this prerogative for ourselves is idolatry, passing judgment on others as if they were our servants instead of God's servants (verse 4). Paul makes this point earlier in the letter as well (see Romans 2:1-16).

Bible passages are selected based on the Revised Common Lectionary, copyright © 1992 by Consultation on Common Text (CCT). All rights reserved. Used by permission.