The culture wars surrounding the topic of homosexuality have sucked up tremendous resources, have left devastated casualties in their wake, and continue to perpetuate polarization and enmity – most clearly seen in the divide between the Christian community and the gay community. The diversity and divisiveness surrounding gay issues is staggering. Even the above statement needs to be unpacked. The sense of polarization is not simply between the Christian community and the gay community as if both of those communities were completely monolithic and mutually exclusive. Rather, we see fractures within the Christian community and disagreements within the gay community. In the midst of this wasteland are gay Christians – a diverse group of people too – who often find very little safe harbour on either side of the divide.
The intensity of this divide is ratcheted up several notches during annual Pride weeks. We’ve all seen the photos of the attempted Christian messages at Pride events. Placards and signs and megaphones. And many of us are grieved. Many of us disconnect and say, “That doesn’t represent the Jesus I know. That doesn’t represent me.”
We want to invite you to join us in a synchro-blog on the Wednesday of Pride week, June 24, to speak up and speak out of your heart to address this terrible divide.
New Direction has been seeking to foster safe and generous space for authentic conversation about faith and sexuality. We have committed ourselves to building bridges. But we cannot do it alone. We need other Christ-followers: gay and straight and everything in between, to speak up and join the conversation, to share the heart of the gospel in the midst of this conflict. We need those beyond the walls of the church: gay and straight and everything in between, to speak up and join the conversation, to share their thoughts on how the church can reach across the divide and build bridges.
If you've seen our DVD resource called, “Bridging the Gap: Conversations on Befriending Our Gay Neighbours” and would like to offer a review that day - that would be great. If you'd simply like to offer your own thoughts on what is needed to break down the dividing walls that continue to wound, alienate and obscure the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ - that is great too. And for those who read this blog who do not identify as Christian - please consider participating! Those of us who do identify as Christian need to hear your perspectives. We need to listen to and learn from each other.
So please, spread share this invitation with others you think would have a thoughtful contribution to make!
Our prayer is that this synchro-blog would model an opportunity for multiple conversations, from multiple perspectives, with a commitment to hear one another with grace, humility and respect.
Tony Campolo says, “I hope that you do much good in building the bridges between conflicting parties on a controversial issue that is destroying the church of Jesus Christ today. What you are doing is of vital importance. My prayers are with you.”
Greg Paul says, “Trying to bring together two groups of people who really don't want to like each other isn't easy. Try to imagine building a bridge across a turbulent river, in the midst of a raging battle - with both sides shooting at you... Such radical reconciliation efforts come only at a cost, but so does the Gospel itself. New Direction, many years ago, was one of those Christian organizations that gay, lesbian and transgendered people loved to hate. In the intervening years, it has become one of the few true bridge builders between evangelical Christians and the gay community.”
For more information & to sign up to participate in our synchro-blog email:
wendy@newdirection.ca
I look forward to engaging your thoughts and contributions on June 24!
Showing posts with label reconciliation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reconciliation. Show all posts
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
To study and pray ......pray and study
This past weekend I had the opportunity to teach a couple of seminars at a conference called, “The Evolving Church: Amidst the Powers”. It was a pretty intense experience with some theological heavy-weights as keynote speakers. Stanley Hauerwas’ paper on “The Power of War” is something I’m still chewing on ….. and wish I could get my hands on the transcript (Dan – c’mon – give it up).
I had the opportunity to be a panelist in response to Marva Dawn who spoke on “Hope in a Crisis Time against and with the Powers”. As you might imagine, I asked Dr. Dawn about the divided realities within the Christian community. We don’t agree on what the powers are – so how can we stand together against them or with them? What do we do with the reality of “disputable matters” within the Body of Christ? Dr. Dawn responded with a reference to one of the texts I most often use when preaching on behalf of New Direction:
II Corinthians 5: 18 – 21
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Dr. Dawn’s response to the reality of division is to be an agent of reconciliation.
Now that is a word of hope.
You might think that a woman with four Master’s degrees and a Ph.D. would talk about what the “right” position was – surely, she has earned that right. But I was delighted to hear her connect these painful realities with the ministry of reconciliation.
It struck me as I participated in this conference, sat in the speaker’s lounge with folks much smarter than I and much more educated than my Master’s level, how rich the tradition of Christian thinking is. I was inspired, again, to reach higher, read widely, think more deeply. Brilliant, incredibly educated people – embodying a humility and grace, modeling a fierce Christ-centeredness and robust discipleship.
The topic of homosexuality is a complex one. In the last seven years of ministry – and prior to that as well – I have read widely on the topic. I have laid awake many a night, thinking deeply, praying earnestly, listening intently for the Spirit’s guidance. And I am profoundly humbled by all that I do not understand, do not know. Navigating through the plethora of hermeneutical grids alone is enough to give me insomnia. (That is …. how we interpret the Bible)
I live in the assurance of II Peter 1:3: His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
You don’t need a graduate degree to know Christ and live in His divine power. Christ is available to any and all completely independent of any ability of our own.
Yet, for those of us who take on the mantle of leadership, who speak publicly into a divided community, it is critical that we take seriously our responsibility to think deeply, study carefully, and be clear and humble about the limitations in our understanding. A seminary professor of mine used to say, “Wendy, for every hour in prayer spend an hour in your study and for every hour in study, spend an hour in prayer.” This has been a helpful corrective to remember when I’ve tended to lean to one side or the other.
Dr. Walter Wink was one of the keynote speakers at this conference. Dr. Wink, in his work on ‘the powers,’ has made a profound and rich contribution to a Christian understanding of how to engage culture around us. Given Dr. Wink’s health and the limitations on his ability to travel, I felt very privileged to have the opportunity to hear him speak in person. Dr. Wink has been a proponent of full inclusion of gay brothers and sisters in the church for many years. I have read scathing, dismissive critiques of this man from those who hold a more conservative theological perspective on homosexuality. How the world sees us biting and devouring each other. How our arrogance can erect dividing walls.
I, for one, want to be known as an agent of reconciliation – humble in the face of my own limitations. I, for one, want to be open to listen, learn, engage with love and courage – not fear.
For as Marva Dawn so delightfully reminded us on Saturday, we need not fear for God has already won, He will make all things right, and in the words of Colossians 3:3 “My life is hidden with Christ in God.”
I had the opportunity to be a panelist in response to Marva Dawn who spoke on “Hope in a Crisis Time against and with the Powers”. As you might imagine, I asked Dr. Dawn about the divided realities within the Christian community. We don’t agree on what the powers are – so how can we stand together against them or with them? What do we do with the reality of “disputable matters” within the Body of Christ? Dr. Dawn responded with a reference to one of the texts I most often use when preaching on behalf of New Direction:
II Corinthians 5: 18 – 21
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Dr. Dawn’s response to the reality of division is to be an agent of reconciliation.
Now that is a word of hope.
You might think that a woman with four Master’s degrees and a Ph.D. would talk about what the “right” position was – surely, she has earned that right. But I was delighted to hear her connect these painful realities with the ministry of reconciliation.
It struck me as I participated in this conference, sat in the speaker’s lounge with folks much smarter than I and much more educated than my Master’s level, how rich the tradition of Christian thinking is. I was inspired, again, to reach higher, read widely, think more deeply. Brilliant, incredibly educated people – embodying a humility and grace, modeling a fierce Christ-centeredness and robust discipleship.
The topic of homosexuality is a complex one. In the last seven years of ministry – and prior to that as well – I have read widely on the topic. I have laid awake many a night, thinking deeply, praying earnestly, listening intently for the Spirit’s guidance. And I am profoundly humbled by all that I do not understand, do not know. Navigating through the plethora of hermeneutical grids alone is enough to give me insomnia. (That is …. how we interpret the Bible)
I live in the assurance of II Peter 1:3: His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
You don’t need a graduate degree to know Christ and live in His divine power. Christ is available to any and all completely independent of any ability of our own.
Yet, for those of us who take on the mantle of leadership, who speak publicly into a divided community, it is critical that we take seriously our responsibility to think deeply, study carefully, and be clear and humble about the limitations in our understanding. A seminary professor of mine used to say, “Wendy, for every hour in prayer spend an hour in your study and for every hour in study, spend an hour in prayer.” This has been a helpful corrective to remember when I’ve tended to lean to one side or the other.
Dr. Walter Wink was one of the keynote speakers at this conference. Dr. Wink, in his work on ‘the powers,’ has made a profound and rich contribution to a Christian understanding of how to engage culture around us. Given Dr. Wink’s health and the limitations on his ability to travel, I felt very privileged to have the opportunity to hear him speak in person. Dr. Wink has been a proponent of full inclusion of gay brothers and sisters in the church for many years. I have read scathing, dismissive critiques of this man from those who hold a more conservative theological perspective on homosexuality. How the world sees us biting and devouring each other. How our arrogance can erect dividing walls.
I, for one, want to be known as an agent of reconciliation – humble in the face of my own limitations. I, for one, want to be open to listen, learn, engage with love and courage – not fear.
For as Marva Dawn so delightfully reminded us on Saturday, we need not fear for God has already won, He will make all things right, and in the words of Colossians 3:3 “My life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Living Apology
Fellow blogger and contact with the ministry, Kent Frost, recently posted on Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper's public apology for the government's role in the residential school system. Portions of Harper's apology can be read here.
Kent has given permission to reprint his post: The Apology, The Pain
"Last week in Canada we saw clearly the the emotion that comes when we make apologies for crimes against others in the name of religion.
"Today is a crucial part of our journey" was one of the comments that struck me. Many did not live long enough to hear the apology was another key comment.
I can relate to this as I struggled to listen to the news clips of the treatment of the native Indian children. There are so many more apologies required not just from the government but from the church.
On the issue of residential schools they have come a long way, now it is time to begin to reconcile with the Gay and Lesbian community worldwide. It is time for the church, all denominations to begin to dialogue and build their relationship with this abused group within society.
I spoke recently with a Pastor who agreed but was concerned the churches (mainly evangelical) would get sued and wondered aloud if that was fair. Was the hatred fair? Was the punishment and justification for poor behavior fair? Often people used the church's hatred as their excuse for murder and other actions even if they, themselves, were not Christians.
Millions have died condemned by Pastors around the world for being homosexual and even worse for having HIV/AIDS. "God hates fags" became the mantra for a generation and that hatred remains a stronghold for the LGBT community to this day.
In Canada we heard a public apology for a wrong committed and as a result heard testimony from those who said, "finally the healing can begin".
I myself can speak first-hand about the abuses of the church. I can attest to making substantial donations but being forced to do so in secret without tax receipt because of my lifestyle. "We will take your money and gifts but not you. You will be treated with little or no respect." And that is just the beginning when it comes to the churches response to those who are different.
Recently I got an email from a Pastor's wife whose son is gay. The pain they are going through knowing that instead of love and compassion from their congregation they can expect judgment and condemnation of their child who a moment before his disclosure was the apple of the congregations eye so to speak, all of it gone in a heartbeat.
"I am sorry" releases people from bondage and strongholds. I have the power of those words. I have seen sadly first-hand what the lack of an apology can do in maintaining those strongholds a person suffers under because they believe what was done or said to them was deserved.
I stand today with the government of Canada with a certain sense of shame as a Canadian and a Christian for what we have done to the original founding peoples of this land."
I had also been pondering writing a post on Harper's public apology - which I applaud - and the need for the church to be much more responsive in offering public repentance. I well remember many conversations with fellow Christ-followers asking, "How do we repent of un-Christlike attitudes and actions towards the GLBT persons in a way that can be heard?" (None of us held the authority or influence of a position like the Prime Minister.) Often our conversations concluded with the notion that our repentance was best walked out through humble, loving service in the context of relationship with our gay neighbours.
Given that this blog and our small group resource project are intended to be a catalyst for precisely that kind of relational engagement, you could say that this blog is an attempt at a living apology.
Kent has given permission to reprint his post: The Apology, The Pain
"Last week in Canada we saw clearly the the emotion that comes when we make apologies for crimes against others in the name of religion.
"Today is a crucial part of our journey" was one of the comments that struck me. Many did not live long enough to hear the apology was another key comment.
I can relate to this as I struggled to listen to the news clips of the treatment of the native Indian children. There are so many more apologies required not just from the government but from the church.
On the issue of residential schools they have come a long way, now it is time to begin to reconcile with the Gay and Lesbian community worldwide. It is time for the church, all denominations to begin to dialogue and build their relationship with this abused group within society.
I spoke recently with a Pastor who agreed but was concerned the churches (mainly evangelical) would get sued and wondered aloud if that was fair. Was the hatred fair? Was the punishment and justification for poor behavior fair? Often people used the church's hatred as their excuse for murder and other actions even if they, themselves, were not Christians.
Millions have died condemned by Pastors around the world for being homosexual and even worse for having HIV/AIDS. "God hates fags" became the mantra for a generation and that hatred remains a stronghold for the LGBT community to this day.
In Canada we heard a public apology for a wrong committed and as a result heard testimony from those who said, "finally the healing can begin".
I myself can speak first-hand about the abuses of the church. I can attest to making substantial donations but being forced to do so in secret without tax receipt because of my lifestyle. "We will take your money and gifts but not you. You will be treated with little or no respect." And that is just the beginning when it comes to the churches response to those who are different.
Recently I got an email from a Pastor's wife whose son is gay. The pain they are going through knowing that instead of love and compassion from their congregation they can expect judgment and condemnation of their child who a moment before his disclosure was the apple of the congregations eye so to speak, all of it gone in a heartbeat.
"I am sorry" releases people from bondage and strongholds. I have the power of those words. I have seen sadly first-hand what the lack of an apology can do in maintaining those strongholds a person suffers under because they believe what was done or said to them was deserved.
I stand today with the government of Canada with a certain sense of shame as a Canadian and a Christian for what we have done to the original founding peoples of this land."
I had also been pondering writing a post on Harper's public apology - which I applaud - and the need for the church to be much more responsive in offering public repentance. I well remember many conversations with fellow Christ-followers asking, "How do we repent of un-Christlike attitudes and actions towards the GLBT persons in a way that can be heard?" (None of us held the authority or influence of a position like the Prime Minister.) Often our conversations concluded with the notion that our repentance was best walked out through humble, loving service in the context of relationship with our gay neighbours.
Given that this blog and our small group resource project are intended to be a catalyst for precisely that kind of relational engagement, you could say that this blog is an attempt at a living apology.
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