I asked another Christian yesterday in a forthright manner "What is more important to you -- to be right or to be in relationship?" If the answer were "relationship", I would not be writing this post. Scriptural substantiation for the answer followed. Now mind you, the object of the questions was another Christian, a gay one, my friend and his brother.
If I were Queen of the World, I would henceforth ban all Bible verse quoting except by mutual consent for one year. I would allow only personal and intra-church usage of the Bible in meeting places. Only uplifting verses about the greatness of God would be allowed on Facebook and Twitter. Christian videos on youtube would be limited the ones with worship music. If I were Queen of the World.
IF YOU ARE WANT TO PASS THIS ARTICLE TO A FRIEND OF FAMILY MEMBER THAT COULD USE THE INSIGHT, YOU MAY WANT TO USE THE LINK DIRECTLY FROM KATHY'S BLOG. OPENING A LINK TO A SITE THAT DOES NOT SAY "AFFIRMING" MAY BE EASIER FOR SOME READERS. HOWEVER WE GET THE INFO TO THEM IS GOOD. THE LINK TO THE ORIGINAL BLOG IS AT THE END.
(Before thoughts: if you have received this link from a friend of family member who it part of the gay or transgender community, please do invest the few minutes to read it and then consider if perhaps you are currently in the place I was a few years ago. I had no gay friends, I knew nothing about gay or trans Christians and believed my interactions with them to be within the dictates of Scripture. And then . . . )
I had a conversation last week with a friend, Ross Murray, the Deputy Director of Lutherans Concerned. We talked about the work he does for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Lutherans into the Evangelical Lutheran Church America and its congregations. Over a several day period, Lutherans Concerned staff conduct conversations and exchanges with leaders and congregations in hopes of extending a genuine invitation for full acceptance and inclusion of all people into a church body. The process is called “graceful engagement”; how lovely and honorable a term. I think I may even be a bit envious.
The Only One Who Has the Right to Throw Stones at You Chose Not To
Written by Steve Schmidt
Friday, 13 August 2010 22:33
Every kid who ever went to Sunday School knows it.Church people know it. Secular people know it. Even Jewish rabbis know the story – even if they might sometimes omit the name of the rabbi making the ruling.The account of Jesus’ dealing with the woman caught in adultery is so ingrained in Western culture that his verdict has become part of our treasury of idioms. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”
But do we really get it?Do we understand the implications – the sheer power of his statement, and the liberty it gives ALL of us?
There is so much talk lately about "defending the family unit". That to allow same sex marriages would somehow cause such a chasm that married people the world over would be sucked into this void and that all hope of civilization would be lost.
While this thinking might make for a good "B" rated sci-fi, it hardly plays out in the real world with such grand magnitude. And while my first few comments here may seem a little on the sarcastic side, the real issues facing the "family unit" today have absolutely nothing to do with Mark and David or Marie and Sue getting married. To suggest that a married, same gendered couple would destroy your marriage has about the same validity as blaming the chicken for your burned eggs.
Inclusion. I think I am made of it, built for it and exemplify it pretty dang well. I have been working actively in the GLBT Christian community for the past five years, first trying to hear the voice of the oppressed. Then I’ve turning back to those comfortably sitting in the pews to express what I have heard from the desert place.
Gal 5:22,23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
