Matthew 5:21-37 is a complex text. Anti-divorce Christians like to cite it as a judgment on those whose marriages have ended; other Christians turn Jesus’ condemnation of objectification into a reason to ban yoga pants on women. This passage is usually read in mid-February by churches that follow the Revised Common Lectionary, and every year pastors sweat over it. Here’s a rewrite of a litany (call and response prayer) I first wrote during a coffee shop text study in 2020, right before things were about to radically change in all our lives. It could be used as a response to the sermon or even in place of it, to continue to affirm for the faithful and curious that God works in us for liberation, not for shame.
Leader: Once we were told,
“You must forgive no matter what.”
All: But in Christ we say:
We speak to each other with respect.
We are honest when we have been wounded.
We apologize when we have hurt each other.
We work toward putting right not putting aside.
We choose liberation.
We choose love.
Leader: Once we were told,
“Don’t tempt others with how you dress.”
All: But in Christ we say:
It is our own responsibility
to not treat another human as an object.
We see them not as something to be consumed,
but as fellow beloved children of God.
We celebrate the beauty and strength in each other.
We choose liberation.
We choose love.
Leader: Once we were told,
“Divorce is adultery, and cannot be allowed.”
All: But in Christ we say:
When someone is bound by law in a system of
abuse, neglect, and violence,
we do not leave them suffering.
We proclaim freedom.
We recognize the end of a marriage
can be the beginning of healing.
We choose liberation.
We choose love.
Leader: Once we were told,
“Never break a promise.”
All: But in Christ we say:
We believe in walking the walk,
and so we wait before we agree to a request.
We listen to our bodies,
we consider our calendars,
we recognize limits as a reality in which God lives too.
We say “Yes” when a yes will lead to life.
We say “No” when a no can be said in love.
We choose liberation.
We choose love.
Congregations that are actively affirming of LGBTQ+ people are given permission to reprint and use this content in worship when credit is given to Rev. Emmy Kegler and a link provided back to this page. Congregations without an actively affirming policy are invited to ask for permission.