I very often hear people refer to the "Christian life." What is that? I have been at church and seen two people interacting: "How are you?" asks the first. "Doing well," is the reply. The first continues, "and how are you doing spiritually?"
I don't get it.
Why do we separate being a Christian from...well...living? I should not be able to tell someone that I am doing well if I am living in a broken relationship with the Father.
Further, being a Christian should completely permeate my life, every single aspect. So my "Christian life" is more properly, my life!
So no more making references to the Christian life, spiritual walk, etc. From now on let us be thoroughly Christian in every single aspect of our lives, and let everything be completely Christocentric.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Gay-and feeling God's love: reaction to the Times-Union
The Sunday (June 8) Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL) news paper ran an article entitled "Gay-and feeling God's love". The article is outlined by the story of Sondra Best's journey from faithful church girl, to confused teenager, to bitter-against-God homosexual, to openly gay, active church member. The article also includes several pastors and church leaders who are openly gay and who lead churches which primarily "minister" to the homosexual community.
Jeff Brumley writes, "there is an array of organizations founded to help believers integrate homosexuality and faith and pushing for same-sex blessings and equal opportunity for church leadership and pastoral positions. ...[Gays], like heterosexuals, have gifts from God that can benefit the church and society."
So we are being more and more boldly addressed with the question of homosexuality on Christianity's main stage. How do we react?
One aspect of the article which I found sad, was the seemingly deep-seeded anger towards orthodox Christianity on the part of the gays quoted. Where does this bitterness come from?
I think the answer is two-fold:
1) God has instilled a sense of right and wrong (sensus divinitatis, in a sense) within everyone. Therefore, when a person is living an ungodly lifestyle, homosexuality, that person often becomes defensive, even angry, towards anyone who said person perceives to be threatening his or her way of life.
2) I also believe that we, as Christians, contribute to the bitter attitudes many in the homosexual community seem to have toward believers. Many times the Church seems to react to the sin of homosexuality as, somehow, an unforgivable sin. Homophobic christians can do much damage to the task of evangelizing the gay community.
Answering these two matters becomes increasingly complicated. I was just listening to comments by Dr. Al Mohler (check out his blog) on the issue of homosexuality, and Christians' place in the conversation. Dr. Mohler claimed that our dilemma is complicated by the fact that we can easily say too little, and thereby condone homosexuality by avoiding it; we can also say far too much and thus fail to love those in a homosexual lifestyle as we love ourselves.
In conclusion, we must take a strong stand against the progression of the gay community. However, we must also love as Christ loved, and care for people as Christ cared for people. I think that we should treat homosexuals in the same manor which we treat alcoholics and or drug addicts, liars, and even people who consistently loose their tempers. Sin is sin.
My fear, after reading Brumley's article, is that there is a growing contingent of people who think that God accepts their homosexual lifestyles. How plenteous is the harvest?
God be with us as we address homosexuality as a growing cultural phenomenon.
(More to come in the future...)
Jeff Brumley writes, "there is an array of organizations founded to help believers integrate homosexuality and faith and pushing for same-sex blessings and equal opportunity for church leadership and pastoral positions. ...[Gays], like heterosexuals, have gifts from God that can benefit the church and society."
So we are being more and more boldly addressed with the question of homosexuality on Christianity's main stage. How do we react?
One aspect of the article which I found sad, was the seemingly deep-seeded anger towards orthodox Christianity on the part of the gays quoted. Where does this bitterness come from?
I think the answer is two-fold:
1) God has instilled a sense of right and wrong (sensus divinitatis, in a sense) within everyone. Therefore, when a person is living an ungodly lifestyle, homosexuality, that person often becomes defensive, even angry, towards anyone who said person perceives to be threatening his or her way of life.
2) I also believe that we, as Christians, contribute to the bitter attitudes many in the homosexual community seem to have toward believers. Many times the Church seems to react to the sin of homosexuality as, somehow, an unforgivable sin. Homophobic christians can do much damage to the task of evangelizing the gay community.
Answering these two matters becomes increasingly complicated. I was just listening to comments by Dr. Al Mohler (check out his blog) on the issue of homosexuality, and Christians' place in the conversation. Dr. Mohler claimed that our dilemma is complicated by the fact that we can easily say too little, and thereby condone homosexuality by avoiding it; we can also say far too much and thus fail to love those in a homosexual lifestyle as we love ourselves.
In conclusion, we must take a strong stand against the progression of the gay community. However, we must also love as Christ loved, and care for people as Christ cared for people. I think that we should treat homosexuals in the same manor which we treat alcoholics and or drug addicts, liars, and even people who consistently loose their tempers. Sin is sin.
My fear, after reading Brumley's article, is that there is a growing contingent of people who think that God accepts their homosexual lifestyles. How plenteous is the harvest?
God be with us as we address homosexuality as a growing cultural phenomenon.
(More to come in the future...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)