I have joined several others in writing for the new Wineskins Blog. Click here. I am going to write a bit about cruise ships today.
I have some experience with cruise ships. Someday, when I am brave enough (as if I haven't already been a big mouth the last month), I'll write about some stories from the ship days. Oh my. There ARE stories. Audra, are you reading this? Audra lives in NYC, is a dancer and was in my cast on the ship. She's very talented and was a great friend to me in those days. It's amazing the people out there reading. Dentists included. (Insert extreme embarrassment and regret for that post.)
Well, as it usually happens, the "gift" of sickness is being passed around our house again. This morning all three girls had fevers. For the love! As long as we can all get well in a week, we're good. We leave a week from tomorrow for TX to sing.
Thanks for the comments yesterday. As I said, it's interesting to see who's out there reading. Just so you know--I'm so thankful you're ALL out there and welcome and greatly appreciate your comments. Those of you who are speaking from the position of "ex-Christian" or "gay Christian", etc--we need to hear from you. It's not fun seeing our faults in a mirror as you write, but we need to hear from you. I want to make sure it's known--you are welcomed at this blog table. Pass the creamed corn, please.
The sun is out today. Praise the Lord!! We are such summer people. Would anyone be interested in starting a church on the beach in the Virgin Islands? Scratch that..would anyone be willing to fund the starting of that church? I'm ready!
Just a quick aside--the praise team meetings are really going well. I have been SO greatly encouraged. It's funny how God works. My intent is to spend that time encouraging these awesome team members and yet, the Lord is using it for MUCH mutual edification. I am a blessed man. I am having lunch today with another team member--Laura Troup (she doesn't sing, she signs. Kidding--Sander's Family Christmas joke there.)
I'll close with a few of my favorite things on this Friday.
--Having a wife who loves laughter, people, compassion, and me!
--Ella's new mischievous laugh. It's a clear sign she's doing something bad, but I LOVE the sound of it.
--Ella calling me Dad, but pronouncing it "Dod"
--Maddie's love for Bible and "Poppie" stories at night. We always have to sing either "The Lord said to Noah..." or "Oh What A Beautiful Mornin", depending on whether it's a Bible or Poppie story. (I also love poopie stories, but that's another blog)
--The Chris Tomlin song "How Great Is Our God" that I cannot get out of my head these days
--Feeling Sam move and kick and get stronger every day.
--PF Changs. Can I say it enough? We were supposed to go on a date last night and were salivating at the thought of those lettuce wraps. Sick girls took precedence.
--Seeing what God is doing in hearts all over the world. Amazing!
--My lunch yesterday with Greg Taylor. What a great friend! We're so blessed to have him working with Wineskins.
Have a great weekend, blog family!
Friday, February 11, 2005
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
23 comments:
I am so glad that becomming a Christian did NOT mean being assimilated into the Borg. (OK, I'm not really a Trekkie, but I think people will get it.) Anyway, I wish more people would realize that Christians look very, VERY different from one another & that a LOT of us celebrate that difference! Thanks for having a forum to bring out our differences with love & respect!
I am sorry to bring it back to yesterday's discussion, but if I may ask, there was lots of nice things said about acceptance to all yesterday, but if I may be so bold and just bring it down to the brass tacks.
Are some of you saying that you believe that a person can be gay, fully, actively gay and still be considered a Christian and be saved?
I will answer that, however, these are my own personal beliefs & should not be confused with what ALL Christians believe! I believe you can be a gay Christian, but I can't get around the Bible saying that the sex part of it is wrong. I believe in love & I don't understand why it is this way. I don't believe homosexuality is a choice, but it is a choice to have sex or not. That saddens me because I know that love & sex go together. I don't pretend to understand all of it, but my heart really feels for people who are gay - especially the Christian ones because they are trying to do what is right, Biblically, but they are not allowed to fully express their love. I was born heterosexual, but it was still a choice to date the opposite sex & marry one too. I wish I had a better answer, but that's all I've got!
anon -- a couple of things need clarified in order for that question to be answerable. Does "fully, actively gay" mean involved in sexual activity outside of the confines of marriage? What I'm getting at ... Is your real question this?
"Do you believe that a person can be struggling with sin and still be considered a Christian and be saved?" If THAT is the question, the answer is a resounding YES!! I struggle with sin! But by God's grace, I am a Christian and I am saved!
But don't forget Romans 6: "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"
My point there being, our goal doesn't need to be getting away with whatever sin we can just to prove that God's grace can cover it. There are standards toward which we should strive. When we fall short of those, though, God's grace covers us ...
Feel free to correct me if I've distorted the intent of your question. Just trying to answer my perception of it.
You may not believe that sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful, and that's a whole other discussion ... you may not even define marriage as I do, and that's yet ANOTHER discussion ... both of those are discussions I'd be interested in having.
hey GayChristian, I can't comment on your blog, but I would be interested in picking your brain. Would you mind getting in touch? You can comment on my blog, if you don't mind.
Anon, you should check out
www.whosoever.org
Wooo-Hooo! Ain't creamed corn fun?? I just an hour long IM discussion with someone that reminded me that I am SO GLAD I AM NOT GOD!!!
One thing I do know is, I'm glad to be walking down the road with you. I may not have all the answers as to why things are the way they are or why scripture says what it does or doesn't. But, the questions are good ones. Even if we disagree.
Can we disagree? I'm sure that, if pressed, there are areas just about all of us would disagree on--from worship to instruments to women to sin to baptism to homosexuality. How we handle the disagreements really defines us, doesn't it?
Could you imagine if you had asked for the GreenBean Casserole?!
I couldn't begin to think....!
GayChristian or anonymous or whoever,
I would like to know this. How do you reconcile being homosexual (maybe homosexually active?) with the prohibitions of Scripture?
I'm not trying to be jerk by asking this, but I think for so many people it comes down to a definition of sin, and the idea the homosexuality is a sin.
I'm just really curious.
Thanks.
I am somewhat nervous putting this out here with my name attached, but I need to get past that I guess, but I would like to address Phil’s comment.
All I can say is this is what I cling to.
Jesus says "whosoever believeth in me." There are no conditions on God's love. God does not say "change a few things, then come to me." No, God loves us as we are. We are to come to God just as we are. If there are issues of sin in our lives, God will deal with them, but we are accepted by God without condition. Also, Paul says in Romans 8: 38-39: "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." NOTHING separates us from God. Not homosexuality, not disbelief in certain creeds, Bible passages, litanies or opinions of other believers. Not sin, not death, not anything. If, as you say we can’t pick and choose which passages we are going to believe, then we have to believe that
And if you would like to address what we in the “gay world” affectionately call the “clobber passages” (and not because we believe God is clobbering us, but because they are the passages that fundamentalist like to use to clobber us with), Genesis 18-19, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Deuteronomy 23:17-18, Judges 19, I Kings 14:24 and 15:12, Romans 1:26, I Corinthians 6:9, I Timothy 1:9, Jude 7, each of them are addressed here.
http://www.whosoever.org/bible/
and PLEASE don't quote that catch all scripture that "even the devil knows the scriptures" I have been called satan by people quoting that scripture to me one too many times. So please....
Brian and GayChristian,
Thanks for the responses. I honestly can't say that I agree with everything that you have here, but I appreciate you offering it.
I can't respond to it all right now and probably not until tomorrow, but I would like to continue this conversation at some point in the future.
There is a quote in my profile that says I give God permission to strike me straight at any time. That quote was plagiarized from something that Marsha Stevens says in her ministry.
Some of you may or may not know who Marsha Stevens is, but I can guarantee that you have sung one of her songs. She is the person that, at 16 years old, wrote “For Those Tears I Died” (a.k.a “Come to the Water”).
The full quote is: “I give God permission to strike me straight at any time. I don't think He's actually going to do it, because I believe there is a purpose behind all of this and He shows me and leads me to it every day. If you find my life offensive - so be it - and you needn't listen any further and I am ok with that. But, if you are willing to walk along this incredible Journey with me, I know that we can learn from each other”
She now has a ministry called BALM Ministries (Born Again Lesbian Music) and tours full time to Gay and Lesbian churches all across the country. Many of you would probably not like her more resent music.
As an example, one of the CDs that I have of hers has a song called “The Body of Christ Has AIDS”
One of the lines that gives me chills every time, but if you have a weak constitution I am warning you, you better stop reading now because your reaction may not be chills…. You have been warned:
Here is a line from the song.
Just like I’m nailed to the cross,
Consigned to this fate.
But if I came to earth today,
I’d rise from the quilt.
My Name Is JESUS
And my body has AIDS.
let's remember as we comment that these are sensitive topics, and yet we all have our convictions. I think BOTH sides can tend to beat people over the head with their convictions. Dialogue is hard, huh?
Dialogue IS hard, but without dialogue we would be ignorant & acting only on assumptions. I am very glad to read other people's views as it helps me to understand better how others live & teaches me to be respectful of other's feelings. It also challenges my own convictions - and if you're not growing, then you're dying!!!
Brian, I agree with your statement about God calling us the way we are and where we are. Do you also believe that God wants us to stay the way we are?
I agree with the other writers, I appreciate you being willing to write and share. David Biz
I am sorry, this is the first time I have had dialog like this since 12 years ago when I was disfellowshipped by the church I grew up at.
You all are being so open and honest and I am ready at every turn to defend myself to the teeth because that is what I am expecting. I don't know where all this is coming from inside me. I don't know why I keep holding on. I have this dumb habit every Friday for the past 12 years I sing "In Sorrow I Wondered" in the shower. It is so much a part of my routine now I do it without thinking. The reason is because when I was 13, while we were at my grandfathers funeral, my mom leaned over to me and said "I want "In Sorrow I Wondered" sung at my funeral. Please make sure that happens" I have never forgotten that. And when I stopped going to church I was afraid that I would forget the words so I started making sure that I would sing it once a week and it became my habit to do it on Fridays in the shower.
Lately I have been getting so mad when I catch myself doing it. My parents don't even speak to me. When my grandparents died over the past 12 years they didn't even tell me. My younger brother got married sometime in the 90's and I didn't even know about it until well after the fact. So what makes me think that my family would ever let me suggest a song at the funeral of my mother, or even be there, or even know when it happens. My parents are both in their 70s now. it will happen soon, I know.
Why am I telling you all this? I don't have a clue. But I do recognize that I can get angry. I am sorry. I don't mean to be, especially when everyone here seems to be so caring and open minded. Please accept my appolgy. I am not sure what is going on in my journey right now. but it's new and its unfamiliar and I am meeting it with a certain sense of anger. I am sorry.
Brian-
How painful. My goodness. How very painful. I am so sorry. No one deserves to be treated like that. I realize my opinion on that may differ from others but it's no wonder that you have anger. The fact that you recognize it for what it is tells me that your water runs deep. Thank you so much for being vulnerable enough to share that with us. You're really puting yourself out there. I don't take that lightly. Thank you for taking the risk with us to share these things.
Brian -- you've made me cry. Bless your heart. I've learned about the pain of not being able to talk to one of my parents since my father died two and a half years ago ... but I can't begin to imagine how much worse that pain would be if I couldn't talk to him and he were still alive. I ache to just hear his voice at times, to meet his gaze, to hug him. You must still love them, even though you must hate them at times ... it's so evident. Something I tell my children every night is "I will always, always love you --no matter what." (God, let me be true to those words.) I wish your parents could tell you those words right now. But know that God speaks those words over you -- he rejoices over you, he made you. Wiping tears away as I type. Whew.
Going to pray for peace for you, for healing in your wounded heart, and for healing in that relationship ... hope that's okay.
Brian, may you feel peace on this journey that you are on now. I know how that feels when you come to a place that you know is different and your mind is taking you in so many different directions and you don't where it is leading you. I pray that you and your parents find a way back to each other. Thank you for your transparency and for allowing us to see some of your anger. We need to know where you are...I am sure that you are not the only one out there who is holding anger for so many of the these same things. Keep talking...I mean typing.
grace, Julie
brian,
you have done more than any other man such as yourself has ever done, and been so forth right, and open to our comments and questions. i don't want to run you off, but all i can think about (being a parent) is that the parent's love is eternal and everlasting. i'm sure that both of your parents would day the same.
however, like a parent's love, there are consequences for sin, or for breaking a law (to make it more understandable). there are so many parents that love their kids, and there kids are on death row.
my parents love me even though i have had so many traffic tickets, and i will have more tickets if i am clocked justa bout anytime i get on the highway. however, i will have to pay for that violation if i am caught.
you have heard, i'm sure, that we are to love the sinner, and hate the sin. BELIEVE me i do love you and THAT is why i am saying this in my comment. there ARE consequences for sin. it plainly states that sex between those of the same sex is wrong. so is speeding. so is telling a lie. etc....
its wrong, and I AM praying for you and your partner, and those like you.
you can change! there are so many success stories. look at dennis jernigan. he was like you. he is like you.
please don't let what i have written turn you away from this site, but i felt compelled to say it.
brian,
i finished too soon on my comments. i meant to mention that i am like you. so is everybody else. sin is sin. i am a sinner. you are a sinner. we all are sinners.
i'm prayer for you. pray for me, too, huh?
Brian and GayChristian,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. As much as I desire to be open-minded and loving, I still need the help of my brothers and sisters, and for them to share their thoughts to provide the thoughts I can't come up with on my own. I confess I hadn't thought on this issues as much as I thought I had, and as always I have a great deal more to grow. I'm so thankful for your relationship with God and for His love for you, and I will be praying for you, that God's love can continue to cross lines and teach all of His children to love first, and deeply.
In Him,
I have this feeling that I am at a coffee house sitting at my own table, but there is this conversation happening at the next table which is just loud enough to avoid ignoring.
It sounds like family members who really love each other, but have been estranged because of something. Then they all met at this coffe shop to work things out.
As I listen to the conversation I get hopeful, then I get depressed. Sometimes I think this family can really talk, but then I think sometimes they can't. But my hope for this family refuses to go out.
As I leave the coffee house, I wonder, will this family come here again, or is this their one shot?
My hope is on its knees, trying to find a footing - in prayer.
I feel like I'd be holding back if I didn't share some links to a series from a church in my hometown, one with a Church of Christ heritage, which asked questions frankly, gently, prayerfully, and with acceptance. The series last summer was called "Full of Grace and Truth: A Christ-Like Response to Homosexuality." Most are MP3s you can listen to; one is a page listing resources:
Part 1: Attitude AdjustmentInterlude: Parable of the Good Samaritan RevisitedPart 2: What the Bible Says and Doesn't SayPart 3: Building Bridges to Homosexual Friends and RelativesInterlude: Story Changing GracePart 4: A Christ-Like Response (Panel Discussion)List of ResourcesI really appreciate the candor and spirit with which this church looked into the matter, with plenty of grace but without playing fast and loose with the truth. I'd encourage you to listen to them in the order presented, and be blessed.
Post a Comment