letter to church: final follow up.
many of you have asked what 'loving the gay community better' looks
like in our family after this post. i just really feel like that is a talk that you
sit down with each other over coffee and speak about eye to eye. i applaud
your open eyes and heart and would encourage you to pray about what
sit down with each other over coffee and speak about eye to eye. i applaud
your open eyes and heart and would encourage you to pray about what
that might look like in your life. talk to your trusted friends about it.
gather your small group and discuss if there is a way that you all
might better love these people. meet with your pastors and get perspective
on their thoughts & your church policies on it.
i do believe that eyes are opening to see that these are people,
not just an abstract issue.
one of my good friends has been taking a class from Eternity Bible College
entitled, Homosexuality, The Bible & The Church. the professor has
been summing up each class in a blog and i've really enjoyed them.
you can check out the series HERE.
finally, thank you for sticking with me--for being willing to read and to
ask God to search your heart about all this. i've gotten some awful hate
mail, but the beautiful stories of redemption, reconciliation and repentance
that i've received have outweighed those 2 to 1. for those of you continuing
to try to reconcile relationships in your family or friends that you've cut
off because you didn't agree with them, i continue to pray for you.
thank you for your humble hearts and gracious, brave spirits that
are willing to try to break down the walls that you've put up
and to build a bridge with love and grace.
i know that some of you were put off by my tone to the church. let me
make it clear that i love the global church. i'm so thankful for so many things
we are doing quite well. i believe in the church and i know we are made for
community. i don't think that one excludes the other. it can be both ways.
in fact, it is my deep love for the church and its cause that spurred me to
be so distressed by what i see happening globally to the gay community--
largely in our name. it was a distressed and, yes, a fed up/angry call to
action. i see many of you doing that and i'm so thankful.
God's beauty, grace and love needs to be shouted from the
rooftops and seen in our everyday lives.
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| [lyrics from matt redman's 'your grace finds me.' thankful He has enough grace for me--a broker sinner.] |
Yes yes yes!!! Amen.
ReplyDeleteI adore your blog, but have really enjoyed the last three posts. Continue on, sweet sister! Your words are powerful and led by Christ's love.
ReplyDelete❤️❤️❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteThese posts showed courage. Thank you for taking that first step in starting a conversation. Yes!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your original post and for this one! You continue to be a blessing for those around you and have said things I've been unable to verbalize for years.
ReplyDeleteHello. I follow you on IG (lindyelou) and today thought I would look at your blog for the first time. What joy, what peace, what a humbling experience to read the last three posts. As a woman with a female partner I have always loved following people like you and other creative/Christ loving/cute baby families... and with some I have started what I would call "IG friendships.” I will be honest (my own ignorance present in this moment) that I assumed all these people I enjoyed on IG could never turn into real life friendships because of my partnership. This was a refreshing read and a needed read at a time that I still feel very hurt by the church and the people in it who have happily taken me out of their life. Thank you for reminding me of my own humility and also that it isn't always the church and that sometimes it is just the hurting people in it. The good news? That Christ’s love abounds through all of it!
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