This week we are running a series of blog posts following Vaughan Roberts’ interview on how he struggles with same-sex attraction. This extract from the excellent Walking with Gay Friends (IVP) by Alex Tylee, helps us understand some of the barriers to the gospel that there are, and how we might break them down...
Having acknowledged how hard and complex it all is, what on earth are we to do when we try to communicate the gospel into all of this?
The first response is not to be put off. We probably need to witness to gay people slightly differently and perhaps more sensitively than we do to some other friends, but this does not mean that we should shy away from it completely, or that it is impossible. The gay community needs the gospel! Our gay friends need saving from a lost eternity. We cannot let fear or ignorance stop us from fulfilling the great commission with this particular lost and neglected mission field.... continue reading
Last week, Evangelicals Now published a brave and insightful interview with Vaughan Roberts where he spoke frankly about his same-sex orientation and his passion for Christ-likeness. Since then there has been a swathe of (mostly positive) public comment and rightly so. But what impact do interviews like this have on people who are quietly struggling with same-sex attraction in their local church? Today, the Good Book Blog asks one woman the question, "what difference has Vaughan's interview made to you?"
1. It's helped me relax
The impression you can get from the newspapers is that Christians are polarised when it comes to matters of sexuality. On one side you have the more liberal Christians who are happy to accept homosexual practice as a lifestyle that honours God; on the other you read about Evangelical Christians vehemently denouncing homosexual practice as heinous sin. To read a wise, gentle and biblical account which is clear that gay sex is outside of God's plan for his people but also empathetic towards those who struggle is so wonderful.... continue reading
The decision by Vaughan Roberts to "come out" as a person who struggles with same-sex attraction last week, raises some difficult issues for all of us who are Bible-believers who are seeking to build churches that reach out with the Gospel.
We have not been short of Christians declaring themselves to have homosexual inclinations. It's just that, for the most part, these folk have seen no incompatibility between their faith and the actual practice of their sexuality, often within boundaries that mirror heterosexual marriage, so the talk is of committed long-term and loving relationships. It has been easy, in some ways, to sideline these issues within the church. Those advocating the permissability of homosexual practice have been, pretty much, from the theologically liberal wing of the church. But this is changing. There are now outspoken advocates of gay sexual expression who speak with a much more clearly evangelical voice.... continue reading
The spiritual growth of children is an important matter. And whether we belong to a church that offers services of thanksgiving for children or one that baptizes infants, if we’ve made a promise to God to help a child get to know God better, it’s vital that we take that promise seriously.
But, if you’re anything like me, it can be hard to work out how to encourage a child that you don’t see every day, or even every month, to look to Jesus.
So here are our top tips to help us all fulfill our roles as sponsors or godparents:... continue reading
Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that soap operas like Eastenders tackle some gritty ethical issues. I'm in no position to speak authoritatively on The Young and the Restless, but in Britain the stuff of soaps touches on very real (if often overblown) issues in daily life. In Eastenders, assisted suicide, paedophilia and a gay muslim sham marriage have been some of the recent storylines. Some may dismiss it as tawdry, sensationalist or immoral, but the inspiration for the writers comes from somewhere very different, according to a former series producer and storyliner.
The Bible!... continue reading
Spotted this van on my way into work the other day. Another fine example of the British habit of naming local businesses with a memorable pun that would make a worthy headline in a tabloid newspaper. It's right up there with "Curl up and Dye" (a local hairdresser), the Cod Father (a favourite fish and chip shop) and the hard to beat Florist Gump - no need to tell you what they sell!
The intriguing thing about this play on John Newton's famous hymn is what it tells us about our culture. For a name like this to be effective, it needs to resonate with people. For them to see it, smile, get the reference and feel warm about the cheeky friendly chappies who will then come and replace your windows for you. And it's the recognition factor that makes this interesting.... continue reading
Who does the phrase “the splendour and glory of his majesty” make you think of? If you’re anything like me, and familiar with the Old Testament, you’ll think of the Lord God. So imagine my surprise the other morning when I read these words. They weren’t assigned to the King of Kings, but to King Xerxes of Persia. Inevitably, as I read through the rest of Esther chapter 1, I found myself comparing the two kings. Here are three contrasts I came up with – there may well be more:
1. True majesty
I listen to music through headphones while I work. I use it to block out the noise of the office so I can concentrate. Recently, after several years of hard service, my headphones conked out. I quickly rushed to replace them cheaply. As I cut open the impossible plastic packaging encasing my purchase, a small note fell out. This is what it said:
Some time ago, I had a dream in my sleep.
I dreamt that I was shipping millions of boxes around the world
(which is exactly what my company Sweex is doing).
And in spite of useful products in them,
I experienced an empty feeling in myself.
I sat with the dream for a while and pondered over it.
Then I realized — I needed to fill the boxes with my wish for you.... continue reading
Murmuring underneath everything we’ve seen so far is a fifth and final reason why our discipleship of others is failing so badly.
5. Our churches are ashamed of the gospel.
Not so long ago, I was invited to speak at a church just outside London. Numbers had been dropping, so the church was going to significant lengths to attract young people. They’d added another service at a more convenient time on a Saturday evening, they were getting in guest speakers from all over the country, they were spending money on marketing, and they had paid a worship band to come from 100 miles away.
I got chatting to a delightful congregation member about the reasons for their flagging, elderly attendance. “This may be a sensitive question,” I said, “but how’s the preaching of the gospel going?” His response came with a knowing and slightly embarrassed smile. “Well, we have to give people what they want.”... continue reading
Welcome to “Why We Don’t Disciple #4″. Or, as you may prefer to call it, “Biting The Hand That Feeds.”
4. Our churches are programme dependent.
Here’s a modern day parable for your delectation, told to me by a friend at seminary. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is (possibly) true.
A young man walked into a Christian bookstore in Chicago and asked where the bumper stickers were. The assistant said, what kind are you looking for?
The man said, I’d like to buy a fish sticker. The assistant said, Oh I’m afraid we’ve sold out of those. To which the man responded, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EVANGELISE WITHOUT FISH STICKERS?... continue reading
