A few days ago I was asked to assist in the Bachelorette service at the end of this week. I said I would be willing to. Today I saw a draft of the program and the role they wanted me to serve in. I had to respond that I could not…
Why? If I had participated as asked I would be violating a 114 year old rule of my faith tradition. A rule that as an ordained minister I feel I must uphold and follow. It’s a rule I have thought about a lot over the past couple of years. Knowing that I have watched it be violated, and said nothing until about seven years later, and then in reflection with a friend and mentor. Knowing if I wasn’t ordained I might be willing to violate it and learning over the course of the past few months as words slipped out of my mouth in conversing with other that under very specific situations I would in fact violate the rule, in part as it falls into the ministry that I feel called to. The Bachelorette service however does not fall into one of the situations, as there are others who have no such restriction on them that can provided the ministry requested. While I have seen my own understandings grow, I still wonder: “When is it okay to violate a rule?”
Peace,
— Lyle II
May 19th, 2009 @ 10:44 am
Jesus spoke about this in Matthew (and Mark):
“And he went on from there, and entered their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, whole like the other. But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him.”
It seems there is some common sense and weighing of goods involved.