7/9/10 Mark 7:31-36 Allowing the Deaf to Hear

31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!"). 35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

I found out today that my denomination, the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., is for the fourth time since 1997 sending a resolution (rescinding G-6.106b) that we say that each presbytery may decide about the ordination of practicing, unrepentant homosexuals.  We are like a people who see the waterfall; hear the waterfall; but do not turn back and paddle away from the deep waterfall that is drawing us to our deaths.  Our denomination (if combined) was 6.2 million in 1962. Now, despite population increases, we are 2.1 million, and we have lost half our members since reunion of 1984.  We refuse to listen to the clear scriptures Romans 1:26, 27 (26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error); or Leviticus 18:22 (" 'Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.").  It is a terribly sad, sad day. Yet some are rejoicing that they are heading down the path of least resistance- they are deaf to God and to others yelling at them.  They need our Lord to open their ears to scripture and to reason.