I thought this clip of Bruxy was a perfect one to post in the days prior to our synchroblog scheduled a week from today.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About Bridging The Gap
Watch the trailer
View all New Direction Videos
Purchase BTG for $32.99
BTG has been developed as an interactive DVD resource for small groups. Intended to be a catalyst for courageous conversations and fearless, love-based relational engagement with gay neighbours, BTG seeks to address prevalent questions, attitudes, and hang-ups that keep Christ-followers from hanging out and being 'Jesus with skin on' for the gay people in their circle of influence.
View all New Direction Videos
Purchase BTG for $32.99
BTG has been developed as an interactive DVD resource for small groups. Intended to be a catalyst for courageous conversations and fearless, love-based relational engagement with gay neighbours, BTG seeks to address prevalent questions, attitudes, and hang-ups that keep Christ-followers from hanging out and being 'Jesus with skin on' for the gay people in their circle of influence.
Support Bridging The Gap
Donate through New Direction
Hear from our funding partner
Charitable donations are still needed to ensure BTG reaches a wide audience and to meet its goal of equipping Christians to share the love of Christ with their gay neighbours. Your gift, modest or major, is greatly appreciated as we continue to work on this project. Simply indicate on your donation that you wish for it to go towards the BTG project.
Hear from our funding partner
Charitable donations are still needed to ensure BTG reaches a wide audience and to meet its goal of equipping Christians to share the love of Christ with their gay neighbours. Your gift, modest or major, is greatly appreciated as we continue to work on this project. Simply indicate on your donation that you wish for it to go towards the BTG project.
Stay Informed
Our Partners for this project
Labels
- authenticity
- breaking stereotypes
- brian mclaren
- Brian Pengelly
- bruxy cavey
- btg clip
- covenantal friendships
- day of silence
- dealing with disagreement
- dealing with fear
- demonstrating love
- disputable matter
- empire mentality
- exodus
- gay christian network
- gay rights
- generous spaciousness
- grace
- Greg Paul
- homophobia
- hope
- humility
- identity
- incarnation
- introduction
- justice
- justin lee
- language
- love of God
- ministry
- mission
- motivations
- movies
- overwhelmed
- peacemaking
- reconciliation
- respect
- safe church
- sexual fluidity
- synchroblog
- tony campolo
- true to convictions
- trust
- Wendy Gritter
- word of faith theology
- youth
Blog Archive
-
▼
2009
(71)
-
▼
June
(14)
- June 24 Synchroblog Participants
- Closing and Reflecting on the Synchroblog
- Synchroblog: mid-way delight and late arrivals
- The Kids are Alright by Brian Pengelly
- This is it ..... synchroblog mania
- One day till Synchroblog!
- Gentleness & Respect
- Am I gay?
- Hitting 50!
- Really Listening
- Betrayal
- We're on Amazon!
- Happy Anniversary BTG
- Refusing to be a Christianized Bully
-
▼
June
(14)
Google analytics code - empty
!<--
New Direction Ministries of Canada, PO Box 88039 RPO Levi Creek, Mississauga, ON L5N 8M1 www.newdirection.ca
8 comments:
Hi Wendy,
Isn't interesting how people who hold the bible near and dear, need to constantly read passages on how to behave to remend themselves and others. Most of us who don't read the bible, know right from wrong, and generally live in a courtesy sity without needing to remind ourselves and others through the bible? can you explain that. I think Bruxy is so cool, but he is reading common sense stuff that most of us grow up with.
Thanks for this comment Uber Cool ..... I absolutely agree, that gentleness & respect should be common sense and that there are many who do not read the bible who know and model these traits. The context for Bruxy's clip is that it is speaking to Christians - who do hold the bible to be authoritative for their lives.
The tragic irony is that those who defer to the authority of Scripture often fail to embody the kind of gentleness & respect advocated in the texts Bruxy pointed to. And so it is particularly to such folks that Bruxy is speaking.
I experienced this just a couple of days ago when a conservative Christian criticized a one hour seminar I recently gave as well as our DVD ..... because "we didn't refer to Scripture". What he really meant by this critique is that we didn't go to the specific texts that refer to homosexual behaviour and from them defend a traditional interpretation. Given that this man views the world through a fairly literal interpretation of Scripture, Bruxy's highlighting a Scriptural principle about the ways we need to engage on controversial topics like homosexuality would be quite apt as perhaps the only way to appeal to a man like that in his certainty. Because beyond our sense of certainty, Scripture reminds how we are to engage with people.
Over at the Pursue God blog right now there is a conversation about how people arrived at their theological conclusions about homosexuality. The conversation seems to be creating a dichotomy between Scripture and experience ..... however, I think this is an unhelpful dichotomy. The reality is, we read Scripture experientially. Anyone who embraces the authority of Scripture in their lives still needs to make decisions about how they will engage with Scripture - and this happens through our experience - of the Word itself, of other's teaching of the Word, our own study etc. What I think Bruxy's clip reminds those who hold to Scripture as an authority, is that we need to be reminded of the full story of Scripture - especially when we're trying to address contentious issues - not just our favourite prooftexts.
I think people who believe they have the truth think of their interactions in terms of pure witnessing.
In other words "I have the message that the sinner needs to hear."
The idea of a conversation is alien because they think that puts error on par with truth.
Hi Wendy,
I have been reading over the last several months posts on BTG and several other blogs with regard to this Side A vs Side B Christianity. As someone with a counseling degree, I can always see the importance of having dialogue and discussion. I think such efforts usually produce positive results.
However, as I have been reading blogs and videos with regards to this issue, I honestly still am left with the thought of "why are we really doing this?". It seems to upset people more on both sides than it does good. Maybe that's a HUGE generalization and assumption on my part but I honestly don't know of any Side A Christian is happy hearing or even comprehending a Side B Christian saying I am gay I accept it and God created me this way but he doesn't want me to find happiness with another same sex partner.
To those of us who are Side A, that kinda stuff makes us a little crazy. It actually makes no sense. Why would God create you to live such a life. It doesn't sound like any God or faith I would want to be a part of. Thankfully, I don't feel that God is saying that I need to be single and celibate!:)
As I said I read these blogs, especially connected to the BTG site which are HEAVILY Side B Christians and I leave feeling shocked and maybe a little offended by a few things :
1. There seems to be a common thread among them that as Side B Christians they want to be Perceived(in sometimes subtle and not unsubtle ways) as martyrs for Christ. "See Look what I have given up for Jesus". I think my thought is that if you are lonely and suffering, I am not going to feel sorry for you because you have chosen to read scripture this way and you have only yourself to blame. So don't cry to me. I know that sounds harsh but that's kinda how it sounds in a lot of these Side B Blogs.
2. Another common thread is the desire to constantly update Side A Christians how amazingly open they are to being in relationship with us (Side A). It's almost like a mantra. If I had a nickel for every Side B Blog that said "It's not my job to tell Side A Christians to be celibate but I do wish they would come to a different conclusion." I wonder if Side B Christians know how offensive that sounds. I think probably not. It's still yet another way to tell us that we are living in sin.
I guess I could go on and on but I won't. What I am saying is, what is the real purpose of this dialogue? I think I have asked that question before and probably got a good answer from you. However, it seems that peoples' minds on both sides are made up. It also seems to me that the Evangelical Christian Community with it's Side B Christians are wanting to engage us in conversation but I think people like me who are Side A sometimes take a step back from "the dialogue" and muse to ourselves: "And why are we talking about this again?"
I guess I am having one of those days myself. What is the point in all this? We already have our values and beliefs on this stuff why do we need to constantly rehash it. I would like to suggest that we STILL talk with each other and be in community with each other BUT we should NOT focus on our different beliefs on the matter and focus MORE on what Jesus commanded us to do:
"To love the Lord your God with all your soul, heart and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves".
I just think recycling these differences with respect to homosexuality just causes more harm than good. We clearly know where each stands. We just need to be there and be supportive of those who are just beginning to understand their sexual orientation and help them understand that God loves them.
Hi Wendy,
I don't understand why you and some of the local bloggers for yout syncroblog would think that debating the issues would be more effective then imersing yourselves in our gay culture where befriending us can actually take place in a real way. This is pride week, something I understand bothe side 'A' and side 'b' agree on is respecting each others choices and getting to know each person for how valued and interesting they are. Pride week is underway, and our community village is open almost 365 days of the year. There are many gay folks without family in the gy community who would value you taking your mission to where we hang out, so you and others embrace us as full people including our culture/lifestyle.
You have asked in your dvd many how to go about befriending gay people. I am not sure this question,is anymore neccesary then "how to befriend any person. The church has harmed and alientating more then LGBTTIQQ people. My challenge is come visit and get to know my many and varied friends in our community. We are your gay neighbors.
I have just a couple of moments before my board meetings - so I want to return to Jack's comment at another time when I have more time.
Uber Cool - a couple of quick comments.... the purpose of the synchroblog is not to debate and many of the contributors are either gay themselves or aren't gay but are wanting to participate because they have loved ones / friends who are gay. So I think you will find that the contributions aren't just coming out of thin air - but coming out of the context of personal experience and relationship. I certainly hope that as the conversations emerge tomorrow that people will indeed see that this is much more global than gay issues - this is precisely about befriending any person - including those who may be different than you.
While the legacy of the church has many sad and unChristlike patterns of alienation, you might also be surprised as you read some of the contributions of the ways that Christians are very engaged and involved in their neighbourhoods - likely including neighbourhoods very similar to yours.
As for Pride, the synchroblog certainly isn't meant to be any kind of boycott of Pride - in fact, after I'm finished preaching on Sunday morning, I'll be heading downtown Toronto to be 'in the neighbourhood'.
Thanks for your broad explaination of your synchroblog, I hope many take new insights and courage to befriend there gay neighbors where most of the population and need exist he gay neighborhood. I was pleased to hear you will (and hopefully an entourage of your friends will be celebrating pride day after church. Lots of fun!!!
Hey Wendy... I've just got to say that in an interesting way, I feel like I've been hurt by all these ex-gay programs even though I never actually went to one. Just the language that came out of them and the lies and false hopes they fed to those kids... I felt like I was hurt myself. I would've lumped New Direction in with all those other programs, but over time, I came to realize that you are different. And it is precisely for the things mentioned in this video that you are different. Now, I say that I have so much love for you and your ministry. I don't agree with you on everything, but seriously, what does it matter. It's so obvious that two people with different experiences and perspectives won't agree on everything that's there's really no reason to even point it out.
By the way, I think this synchroblog thing is brilliant. Maybe someday I could join in? Heh. All my blog attempts thus far have been failures and I'm so paranoid that someone out there will track me down (I'm not totally open yet...) but the idea of this is like almost a dream come true for me. :) I'll just watch for now. If I decide to start something, you'll know. :)
Post a Comment