Diana:

Your comments and observations are a blessing to read because they ring true. Black Liberation theology is about dealing with a history of real and evil oppression. Rev. Wright's sermon is a stark reminder to white upper middle class United Methodist folks like me that a very real price was paid by many Africans and African Americans as a result of the Dutch/English/American economic model of the slave trade. It seems to me that racial and cultural reconciliation on a grass roots level has been moved aside. The focus of my United Methodist Church, at least in the main seminaries that are connected to major secular universities, is on human sexuality and modern gnosticism. (OURSELVES and what we want.) Diversity has been hijacked by the sexuality agendas. "Queering the church" is the new agenda. The very real issue of racial and cultural diversity and reconciliation is not politically correct anymore. Look at our member numbers in the US -- mostly white people of means, and hardly any racial diversity. I truly applaud those church leaders who continue to intentionally reach out to the Native American, the Mexican American, the African American, the Korean American, the disabled, the prisoner, the mentally ill, the lonely, the poor in spirit and the powerless. Let any sinner or saint be ordained, but don't forget those who do not have the power of popular media to support their causes. We have reduced scripture to a jumble of culturally-accommodating myths, Jesus to a nice prophet, and the church to an hierarchy of acamadecians. The only UM seminaries that focus on producing pastors are St. Pauls, SMU to some extent, and of course, Asbury. Jesus would not recognize us. The liberal church and the conservative church have aligned themselves to cultural and political values, and they have cherry-picked scriptural truth to meet their biases and sharply-focused agendas. Despite this, I love and embrace the church and pray for God to give me the strength, courage, trust and opportunity to make a difference for Christ.
Peace and grace,
Mike M. in Colorado