I stand here today as a Christian minister in full support of same sex marriage. The vast majority of members in our congregation are also strong supporters of same sex marriage. It is time for the courts to do the right thing. It is time for no further delay. 

Same sex partners deserve the right of civil marriage because they are already a part of our communities, they are already raising beautiful families and children, and they are already committing to each other in tong term partnerships. It’s time for all of our society to recognize these relationships for the loving marriages that they are. It’s time of the second-class status of their partnerships to end.

My support for same sex marriage comes FROM my Christian faith. I support same sex marriage BECAUSE of my faith, not inspite of it.

I personally believe that this is not simply a movement of civil law, but is also a movement of God’s Holy Spirit. People of faith are ready for the Supreme Court to do the right thing.

Recent polls show that I am not alone. Recent credible opinion polls show growing majorities of religious people support same-sex marriage. They show growing majorities of Christians support same-sex marriage. This is the new and moral majority for our time.

In our congregation, we have many couples who have been together for decades. George and Jack, who are here with us today, have been together more than 50-years. Their love and commitment has taught my wife and I a lot about what it takes to be partners for the long haul. But we have couples in our church who have been together 40 years. Some for 30. We have dozens of couples who have been together for a decade.

They are raising beautiful, smart, and creative children…and together all our Northaven families worship together as one community of faith.

Our message to society is simple: There is everything to gain and nothing to fear by supporting same sex marriage. What is gained is the societal support and legal rights for same sex couples…the very things that all traditionally married couples need to stay together. It’s time to end the confusing patchwork of state laws that currently govern same sex marriage. For the sake of children, for the sake of supporting loving families, and for the sake of removing the second-class nature of the current law, it’s time for the Supreme Court to rule for marriage equality.

We pray for the Supreme Court in their deliberations…and we trust and hope that they will do the right thing.