Or…world of Presbyterians, or world of Reformed Christians, or just Christians, or — even better — world of people of faith who hope for (and expect) things to get better.

That’s a bunch of folks, I think. And since you’re reading this, let me introduce myself in hopes that you’ll stick with me, at least for a little while.

I’m a 70-year-old Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister (“teaching elder” — what an awful term), recently retired after 45 years of doing it professionally. In that time I’ve had a bunch of experience, some it interesting stuff, some of it boring, and a hell of an education. I guess I’d like to share some of what I’ve noticed. Some you might agree with me; a lot you won’t probably. But I’d like to talk and see what happens.

So here we go.

Let’s start with same-sex marriage, a topic with which the PC(USA) has itself and its underwear in knots, as demonstrated by the inability of the PC(USA) General Assembly last month to redefine marriage in its book of rules (the Book of Order) from something that happens between “one man and one woman” to a contract between “two people” (regardless of gender, notice) that is so important that the state, which we Presbyterians affirm as being a gift of God and as good, gets involved by certifying the relationship as good and that it must last or there will be consequences to the parties.

Which seems to me where we Presbyterians and all us Protestants, for that matter, have gotten confused…or maybe just forgetful. We’re confused or have forgotten just who it is that does marriage.

It’s the state, God’s gift for ordering humankind and compensating for humankind’s invariably fallen nture, and not the church that does marriage. We clergy are functioning as agents of the state when we perform weddings and sign marriage licences. We Protestant clergy ought not to sacramentalize or romanticize what we do because what we are officiating over isn’t sacred or sacramental. We ought not to pretend that it is. (Agreed, for Roman Catholic clergy, marriage is a whole nuther matter. For them it is a sacrament.)

Nevertheless, marriage is important. It’s purpose is to protect weaker parties in family relationships and those who are dependent on those relationships from abuse by the stronger — or crazier — parties. And which marriage doesn’t have one party that isn’t stronger or a little crazier? Remember, as Reformed Christians, we all affirm our fallen nature and that we all fall short of the glory.

So marriage works…because, by law, it compensates for our shortcomings. If you abuse, you go to jail, regardless of the gender or age of the one you abuse. If you break the covenants of the legal family contract of marriage, you pay alimony or child support or both…big time sometimes. It’s how it works and should.

The kind of contract that marriage is, is good. It’s for the well-being of humankind. But it has nothing at all to do with gender. It simply recognizes the tendency of all of us…all of us, straight, gay, or otherwise…to sin. And it seeks to take care of that tendency. Thank you, Calvin.

And thank you for listening

— Bernie Nord