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JOURNEY,MAY
1983
 
RestoringBodyandSoul
Stressandburnout,asappliedtohumans,aretermsthathavebecomepredominateinourmodernculture.Aswefindcuresandpreventativesformanydiseaseswealsohaveaknackforcreatingnewones--physicalandmental.Haveyoulookedatthevitamincounterslately?Ifso,youhavenoticedallthevitaminformulasdevelopedtohelpthebodydealwithstress.Likewise,newstandmagazinesandprofessionaljournalsbothcarryarticlesoncopingwithstressandburnout.Itappearsthatnoneof
US
who"getinvolved"areimmunetoit.Thechancesare,youhaveexperienceditorseensomeoneclosetoyoudevastatedbyit.ItisnotGod'sintentionthatwewhocommitourselvestoGod'sworkasourvocationoravocationshouldbe"donein"bystressandburnout.Jesus'ownwordswere,"Comeuntome,allyouwhoarewearyandburdened,andIwillgiveyourest.Takemyyokeuponyouandlearnfromme...Formyyokeiseasyandmyburdenislight."(Mt.11:28-30NIV).Thepromisehereisthatourlife,bothpleasureandwork,aresomehowtobeeasierandlighteroncewearecommittedtothewayJesustaught.Thereasonwhytheyarelighterandeasieriscontainedinthescripture,inoneofthosetwoletterwordsthataresoreadilyforgotten.NowthatweareworkingforGod'sdomainwearenotcarryingearthlyburdensandbearinghumanyokes.(Arewe?)TheoneswehavenowbelongtoJesus.Jesussays,"myyokeiseasyandmyburdenislight."Thekeytonotbeingovercomebystressistorememberandfocuson,the"my"whichreferstobeingthepossessionandresponsibilityofJesus.WhenweadopttheseyokesandburdensasourpersonalagendaandresponsibilitywelosesightthattheycontinuetobelongtoGod.GodwillalwaysgiveusenoughgraceandstrengthtodowhatGodrequiresofus.Whenwelosethisperspectivewebecomevictimsofstressandburnout.Ascripturalinsightisonething,quiteanotherisdealingwithourhumanityandourpenchantforowningthatwhichisnotourstoown.Letuslookatsomesuggestionswhichboardsandcongregationscanestablishinordertoministertotheirpastors.Layleadersmayalsoinitiatetheseforthemselves.Firstofall,trysomeofthosevitamins,theirformulasarebasedonresearch.Manygenericbrandsaregood,havethesamecontentandcostless.Whileyouareatit,readanarticleortwoonstressanddiet.Whatweeatcanaffectourabilitytodealwiththestressofmodernlifeandseriouscommittment.Buildinregularandfrequenttimesofffromtheusualroutineandresponsibility.SomeofthiswillbevacationandsomeretreatwithtimetoreflectonGod'swill,healingandgoodness.ItisasignoflovingcaringcongregationstoseemoreandmoreMCC'sgivingtheirpastorsoneSundayamonthoff.Howaboutalsoestablishingatleasttworetreatsayear?These
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2JOURNEY,MAY1983
byNancy
Recclvtte
CollectiveWriterandSeniorChaplain
donotnecessarilyhavetobeataretreatcenter.Theyshouldbewherenooneknowswhereyouare(except,maybe,atrusted confidant)soyouwillnotbecalledwhileonretreat.Itmaybe to
a.
motelorthehomeofafriendwhoisoutoftown.Wetendtosetthelengthandfrequencyofclergyvacations basedonwhatweknowinourownworkexperience.Insetting •clergyvacationsconsiderthefollowing:Pastorsarealwason callforemergenciesandtoooftenforlesserconcerns.Theymay becalledbackfromvacationforafuneral,etc.Clergytendto putin60plushoursaweekratherthan35to40hours,regardless ofpostedofficehours.Pastorshearandbearallthebadnews andareultimatelyheldresponsibleforeverythingthathappensin andaroundthechurchregardlessofwhoorwhatwasatfault. Highlycommittedlayministersmayalsoputinthesekindsof hourssoalsoneedtoheedthisadvice. Fourweeksvacationinadditiontoretreatandconference timeisveryreasonable.Rememberthatconferencesareuually workforpastorsandlayleaders.Churcheswhichhavestaffsand capablelaypeopletofillinforthepastormaywanttoconsider morevacationtime.Boardsandcongregationsshouldinsistthat pastorstakethistimeoffandthefirstvacationshouldprobably bewithinsixmonthsofthetimeanewpastorstartsaspastor. Congregationsandboardswouldbeevenmorehelpfulifthey wouldvowtonotcallthepastorwhilesheorheisonvacation, retreatorconferenceunlessitisreallysomethingthepastorcan andneedstodosomethingaboutwhileaway.Ifthechurchison firecallthefiredepartment,thepastorcannotputit
OUI
an/way.Asecondvowwouldbetowaituntilthepastorreturnstodo somethingthatmightorisguaranteedtocauseproblems.The valueoftimeoffgoesdownthedrainquicklywhenoneiscalled backorarrivesbacktofindthatacrisishasdevelopedinone's absenceandnowneedsresolving.Boardsandcongregationswillalsoconsidertheextrahours andstressonthepastorsurroundingmajorchurcheventslike Christmas,Easter,Chartering,Anniversary,etc.orpublicspeaking occasions.Thesealltooeasilytakeanextratollonleadership people.Althoughthepublicappearancemaybeaone-shotoccurrenceorweeksofbeinginthepubliceyethereisnowaytoevaluatethedamageontheemotionalandself-esteemlevels.Asmuchasanyofusareconvincedofourworthandsalvationwestillgetbruisedwhenconfrontedbyhatefulbigots.Howdowehelpproviderestorationtimeandspaceaftersuchchurchandpubliceventsandbuildintoyourcontractspecifictimeoffaftersuchchurchandpublicevents?Vacationsorretreatsmightbepurposelyplannedtofollowmajorknownchurchevents.Whenthisisnotthecasehowaboutspecifying additionalretreattimeofatleasttwodays(moreifitwaspar-
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COLLECTIVEEDITOR:
PaulaJ.Schoenwether
COLLECTIVEMEMBERS.
LoniAllen, TeriAnglin,LuciaChappelle,PhilGallnitz, HasaniGough,KurtKreisler,FrankZerilli BruceKassalow
COLLECTIVELIAISON.
TroyPerry
COLLECTIVEARTIST:
JeanGralley
COLLECTIVEWRITERS:
BobArthur R.AdamDeBaugh,JennieBoydBull: JeffreyPulling,NancyRadclyffe,Nancy Wilson,LarryUhrig
COLLECTIVECONTRIBUTORS.
ArchieBlanchard,GaryChapman,JuneNorris, PeterJ.Mooney,MelanieJ.Nielsen,Larry Rodriguez,JamesTinney JOURNEYisamonthlymagazineof UFMCC.ThefocusofJOURNEYisto providenewsandreportissuesofconcern withinUFMCCandtheLesbianandGay community.Contentsarecopyrightedand maynotbereproducedorextensively quotedwithoutpermission. EditorialOffice:5300SantaMonica Blvd.,Suite304,LosAngeles,CA90029. Phone:(213)464-5100.Subscriptionrate $16.80peryearU.S.,Canada,Mexico. $20.80otherareas.PublishedbyUniversal FellowshipPress.PrintedinU.S.A. AllmaterialssubmittedtoJOURNEY mustbeinclusiveofgender,ageandrace. TheEditorwillmodifyanylanguagenot meetingthesecriteria.
CO
VER:
Paula
J.
Schoenwether
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Chaplain'sCorner 3FFO
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Toronto:
GC
XI
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HealingMinistry
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GSS9Samaritan10Profile
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EasternClergy Conference
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NewZealandClergy
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LiteralInclusivity 15FellowshipNews
UFMCC'sCommissiononFaith,FellowshipandOrder
ASTATEMENTOFFAITH CONCERNINGSEXUALITY
ThefollowingstatementbyDr.JamesS. Tinney,founderofthePentecostalCoali- tionforHumanRightsandleaderofFaith Temple,aThirdWorldLesbianandGay ChristianChurchinWashington,D.C.,was submittedtoFaith,FellowshipandOrder. ItprovidesinputtowardaChristianTheo- logyofSexualityfromtheThirdWorld GayandLesbiancommunity,aperspective lackingonthecommissionitself,according toRev.JennieBoydBull,ChairofFFO. APOSITIONSTATEMENT OFTHEPENTECOSTAL COALITIONFORHUMANRIGHTS PROLOGUE.-AsLesbiansandGaymen (aswellasnon-GayandLesbianChristians whosupportthiscause),wewishtoclearly expressourfaithandhopeandlovein termsthatwillnotbemisunderstood.We alsodesiretodispelfalseideasthatsur- roundandaffectallofus.Contraryto whatsomehaveaccusedusof,
WEARENOTSAYING:
(A)thatbecausemanyor "everybody"doesit,itisokay;or(B)that thisisnoworsethananyoneelse's"sin;" or(C)thatGodlovesusandacceptsus anyway;or(D)thatGodknowswecannot helpourselves;or(E)thatthisisbeyond ourunderstanding. foretobeappreciated,explored,expanded, puttouse,understoodanddeveloped. 4.THATsexualityisa"given,"an indispensableandintrinsicaspectof ourselves--ourtotalpersonality. 5.THAThomosexualityandhetero- sexualityarcequallygood;andsoitdoes notmatterwhetherweexpressonlyone, orsometimesoneandsometimestheother, oratalltimesbothdirectionsanddimen- sionsofthisgift. 6.THATGodcreatesus;andthus ourLesbianismandHomosexuality(aswell asheterosexuality)arebotharightful expressionofGod'soriginalcreative purposeandplan,andarightfulexpression ofGod'spermissiveandintermediary creationinfluencedbygenetics,parental influence,socialenvironmentandhappen- stance. 7.THATGodhasspecialloveand concernforus,notbecauseofourLesbian- ism/Homosexuality,butbecauseofthe oppressionwesufferwithoutcause,or withoutanyextracausethatthatwhich ourownhomosexualnatureprompts. 8.THATpartofthisoppressionis theguiltweareforcedtobearasaresultof ourchurches'misinterpretationofGod's willandscripture,ourschools'miseducation ofourminds,andourfamilies'mistaken expectationssurroundingroles-infact, thetotalsocializationofourselvesatthe handsofothers. 9.THATJesus'deathonthecross wascausedby,yetfreelysufferedon behalfof,ourownandallhumanity's misusesofsexualityandthwartingof God'ssexualdesigns(amongotherthings), aswellastheoppressivenessofthosewho opposeus. 10.THATthroughGod'spreciousgift ofsalvationinJesusChrist,wemaybe forgivenoursexualmisuses(andallour otherwrongs),healedofoursexualhurts andabuses,deliveredfromfearandguilt, andempoweredtochangethoseindividuals andinstitutionsthatoppressus.
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MAY
1983,
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URNEY3
WHATWEARESAYING ANDWHATWEBELIEVEIS:
1.THATsexuality,withitsdesires, fantasies,attachmentsandrealizations,isa giftfromGod(andbecauseitisagift,it haspurposeswhichmaybethwartedor misused). 2.THATsexualityisapartofGod, ofGod'sownnature,andofGod'simage inus(althoughwehaveindividuallyand collectively"fallenshort"ofrealizingall thatolirsexualityismeanttobe). 3.THATsexualityisgood,beautiful, true,areasonforthanksgiving,andthere-
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