MARRIAGE EQUALITY AT HOPE UNITES

"The essence of marriage is a convented commitment that has its foundations in the faithfulness of God's love.  The marriage ceremony is the glad occasion on which two people unite in the mutual exchange of covenant promises.

Ideas about marriage have shifted and changed dramatically throughout human history, and such change continues even today.  In the Gospel we find ground for a defintion of marriage and family relationships based on affirmation of the full humanity of each partner, lived out in mutual care and respect for one another.  This understanding needs to be weighed carefully by people of faith considering the issue of equal marriage rights for all couples regardless of gender.

The message of the Gospel is the lens through which the whole of scripture is to be interpreted.  Love and compassion, justice and peace are at the very core of the life and ministry of Jesus.  It is a message that always bends towards inclusion.  The liberating work of the Spirit as witnessed in the activities of Jesus' ministry has been to address the situations and structures of exclusion, injustice and oppression that diminish God's people and keep them from realizing the full gift of human personhood in the context of human communion.