Dad’s are the key to kids not participating in reisky sex?

Really?  I never would have thunk it.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Love is an Orientation 3

I apologize for the long blog posts.  I am processing this stuff as I go and writing about it helps me clarify what I believe.  I hope it is helping you do the same.

Note: I think what I like about Andrew Marin’s book, Love an Orientation, is that he is presenting a third way.  A non-dual approach that is not dependent on the “right or wrong” dichotomy.  It helps that I was coming at this book from that perspective, because I think Andrew’s approach will drive you nuts if you want him to come out a give you clear “for” or “against” opinions.  He is for the person.  He is for God through Jesus.  His approach mainly says, the only hope is Jesus.

I’m not going to talk about this, but in this chapter, Andrew talks about the use of the word “homosexual.”  This is a derogatory word to the GLBT community.  It is the equivalent of nigger for the African-American community.  If we as Christians care about moving forward and finding a third way, we will cease and desist the use of this word.

In Chapter 3, Andrew discusses: Stigma, Shame, and Politics.

Andrew talks about what I would call a double bind for anyone with same-sex attractions.  Gay and Lesbian people are given predominantly given two options by society.  A) Live up to a Christian ideal they find impossible to do (for Christians this is the only option to continue participating in the church)  OR B) come completely out of the closet and be “okay” with it (this is becoming more acceptable in society).

To a large percentage of the GLBT community, neither is a good option! And taking “neither” as the option is miserable.  BTW, living up to a Christian Ideal doesn’t sound like a good option to me either.  It sounds like Phariseeism.

So, those with same-sex attractions then never find a home.  They are constantly living a lie.  With the straight community, they are trying to act straight, so they aren’t “found out.”  With the GLBT community, they are trying to act gay, because they are supposed to, right?  In reality a lot of people don’t fit either category.

Andrew brings up the fact that 37% of the USA claim to be Christians.  1% to 7% admit to same-sex attraction.  Of the other 60% or so, the majority are still anti-same sex relationship and behavior.  If you don’t believe these statistics just think about California voting to overturn the decision to allow same-sex marriage.  CALIFORNIA!!!  The most blue state of states still has a majority of people who are anti-same sex marriage.

So, people with same sex attraction are a gigantic minority.  The Stigma and Shame of having those attractions is overwhelming.  The overwhelming perspective of society is that one should feel shame for their same sex attractions – both Christian society and non-Christian (however you define those).

The GLBT community has looked to politics for validation.  In the 60′s and 70′s the GLBT community decided to stand up for themselves as they were being abused. It became a civil rights issue.  And, unfortunately, Christians have taken the “against” side of the political debate.  We don’t want legal privileges to be given to those with a GLBT orientation,  because we are fearful of what that would mean for society at large.  A common fear being, “the GLBT community will take over schools and start teaching my kids that its okay to be gay,” or worse, “they will make my kids gay.”  The effect for the GLBT community is “Christian” equals against, or hate, or worse, violence.

From Love is an Orientation, “To those involved in the political battle, Jesus Christ is not God’s only Son who came to dide to forgive all of their sins but rather a rationalization for subjugation.  Cultural relevance is the key to systemic change, and if Christians are thought of as dead or irrelevant we have no tangible means to then make a systemic difference within our culture.”  (page 56)

My perspective is this.  I can communicate a point of view that is against the GLBT orientation – both identity and behavior – and accomplish absolutely nothing except entrenchment.

First, the GLBT community has completely shut down to this mode of operation.  They have stopped participating in that conversation.

Second, I communicate God hates (worst) or dislikes (best) anyone processing a GLBT orientation.

From an Arminian perspective, I don’t believe God hates or dislikes anyone.  I believe God operates first and foremost from LOVE.  If I am communicating the “against” position, I am not making space for the GLBT community to even begin to explore life with Christ – individually or corporately.  I also believe regeneration and sanctification are a process of justification, not necessary for salvation.  So, denying the GLBT community the space to explore God in Jesus Christ, closes off the opportunity for them to come to Jesus and begin a sanctifying relationship with him.

I think the Reformed perspective would agree that God chooses whom he will.  It is not the Christians job to do that.  It is the Christians job to present the Gospel in love.   I think Andrew is coming from this perspective (I am assuming, and could be wrong).  Andrew quotes Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making, and says, “Christians don’t change culture by critiquing culture, they change culture by making culture.”  This is a reformed perspective.

By being against, we represent neither perspective.

This is why I think “full embrace” of the GLBT community is necessary.  It is ultimately not my job to convict or transform the GLBT person.  That is God’s job.  Am I affirming the GLBT communities behavior by doing that?  I don’t think I am either affirming or not affirming.  I am introducing people to Jesus and allowing him to communicate with them.  I trust that He has the power to do that.

This is what trips up Christians.  “When do we get to tell them they are wrong?” we say.   Well, my experience as a pastor is that no matter who you are, whether you are gay, straight, Christian or non-Christian, until you invite me into your life in an authoritative way, it doesn’t matter what I say.  If someone comes to me about marital problems, I have to determine if they just me to listen or if they are inviting me to give them advice.  I usually ask, literally, “do you want to hear advice or do you just need an ear?.”  It amazes me sometimes that people come to me, ask for advice, listen to what I have to say, and then go do the exact opposite of my advice.  It just is what it is.  I learned really quickly to get over it.  It is God’s job to reveal himself, not mine.  Sometimes he uses me as an instrument of that revelation, but most of the time, I have no part in it.  This can be very disheartening for the Christian.  But, I have come to revel in the Power of God when I am not used.  I preach about 45 to 50 times a year and realize that a small percentage of my words have much impact on people.  The biggest impact I have is on the people that want relationship beyond the sermon.  The people I am walking through life with in a mentoring or discipleship role.  God has grabbed them, revealed himself to them, and I get to come along for the ride.  My pride wants it to be more about me and my effectiveness, but almost everyday, I realize I have little to do with it.

The most effective thing for my church or myself to do is to create safe spaces for people to engage God and experience the life changing living Word of God.  Both written and given.  Reading, studying, listening to, hearing, and acting upon God’s voice is the key.  One can’t do that if we hide Jesus from them.  Or require something before they get access to him.

Love is an Orientation 1

I have read the intro and the first two chapters of Love is an Orientation.  Andrew starts the book out by explaining what it is like to be gay and have this sinking feeling that you will be condemned to hell.  If not by God, than you will by Christians.  He cautions his reader (I think he has experienced this) that someone who has not experienced same-sex attraction can not have true empathy for what a gay person has experienced and what they have lived through as they came to terms with the reality of that.  He says, don’t PRETEND.  This is the quickest way to lose credibility. 

That, might be the hardest issue for Evangelicals to get past. 

We want to stand in the safety zone of our doctrine and interpretation of scripture and require the gay person to do something before they “come as they are” into our churches.  Whether it is repentance or denial doesn’t matter, just as long as we don’t know about it.   

Andrew says a few times in the first chapters that Christians have to be the ones to apologize and engage.  You see, Andrew is not saying anything new, Jesus consistently turns the world upside down by requiring the ones that know him and believe in him to be humble servants.  “Wash feet” he says, “but who’s feet we say” “the least of these of course.”  Jesus engages the sub-cultures that are “out” with the Pharisees.  There is no other sub-culture in Western Society that is as “out” (vs. in) with the Pharisees – uh, I mean Evangelicals. It is our responsibility to engage whether we like it or not.  Will we?

Two quotes:

At one of Andrew’s classes, Chuck erupted and said, “Why do I need you, and why do I need your God?  I don’t need either.”  Andrew says, this is the defining opinion of the gay community about Christians and Christianity.  “I don’t need your God.”  That should break our hearts.

Andrew goes on, “When everyone’s eyes started to dry, I asked Chuck what brought on that moment.  “I come to these classes because it brings me back to the one thing that I always wanted.  But I’m too scared to let myself fall for this again.  So I just sit and listen and try to feel blessed in this place as I pray that there is somehow a spot for me in heaven.”  (pg. 31-32)

“It’s not about us!  It’s never been about our life, our situation, or what we have to endure.  It’s about a person exposing their life, staring us in the face, terrified at how we might react.  That is a sacred moment, and some of us are fortunate enough to have had the privilege of being intimately involved in the moment a person chooses to trust us with their secret identity, their secret curse, their secret sin or whatever their secret might be.”  (pg. 34)

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Manifesto – 2 – Soteriology

I am going to make a commitment right from the beginning here.  I will attempt to mostly write about what I affirm; not about what I don’t affirm or what I reject or what confuses me, etc.  I will only make note of the opposite position to clarify what I am affirming.

Concerning soteriology.  I lean towards an Arminian perspective, but am a student of Craig Blomberg and as he said often in my Greek Exegesis class (on Romans) at Denver Seminary, both the Arminian and the Calvinistic perspective are present in the text.  A commitment to either is, in my opinion, not completely honest with the whole of scripture.

There are plenty of paradoxes in the NT and the quicker we embrace the mystery and the paradox of it all, the more we can live in our salvation and not question it or question God’s ability to save us.

The Arminian Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation) is:

Prevenient grace, Faith, [Union with Christ], Justification, Regeneration, Sanctification, Glorification.

I believe that the move from grace to sanctification is as quick as the time b/w flipping the light switch and the light coming on  (almost unnoticeable).  (I recommend the article on www.monergism.com to clarify the reformed or Calvinistic Ordo Salutis.  I especially see the Faith/Union/Justification thing as almost silmultaneous.

One of the primary reasons I lean in the Arminian direction is because I believe in a Prevenient Grace. That is a “preventing” grace that is present all the time due to the sacrificial and victorious death death and subsequent resurrection of the Christ.  The Calvinistic idea of limited atonement, election, and predestination are difficult for me to affirm because of my life experience – see below.

I affirm Total Depravity and affirm that it is grace that woos the person to Faith.

I affirm that we are saved by faith through grace.  I believe it is God’s grace that assumes the power to convert. After that power takes effect and the person has surrendered to Jesus, he or she is justified. That is, I don’t understand man as not marred enough to express faith in his own power.  I just think it is grace that converts vs. regeneration.  In other words, I think of converting faith as a free will act of surrendor to grace vs. the Calvinistic idea of the necessity of regeneration before faith.

Grace is many things.  I think it is primarily the gift of God’s love to the undeserved.  The subsititutionary act of Jesus dying on the cross took place while we were yet sinners because God so loved the world (John 3:16).  I believe that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were the climax of human history.  God’s covenant relationship with his people was extended to the gentile through Jesus’ death and resurrection (the Gospel) and the avenue to salvation for the Jew nows travels through Jesus and not through acceptance of prior covenants, race, nationality, and obedience to the law.

I believe the church (the community of the saved) is Israel.  I do not believe Israel the nation or people of the Jewish race has any special or privileged position with God since the Christ-Covenant.  I believe the only way to God is through Jesus Christ – for the Jew and the Gentile.

I believe the elect are those that have placed their faith in Jesus, been regenerated and are persevering in the faith by being sanctified.

I believe God is sovereign and providential, but that foreknowledge and predestination are quite mysterious.  But, experientially, I am aware of some magnetized attraction to Jesus that I cannot shake.  I say, “I am prone to follow” not “prone to wander.”  So, that might be a total contradiction to my position – I’m okay with that.

I am not sold on the blueprint model (Greg Boyd’s terminology) and it is not necessary for God to be Sovereign in that way to be trusted or believed in.  I believe God is active and alive in time and space and interacts with his people in the here and now while working towards a telos that ends the current age and transitions into the age to come.

I believe people can walk away from the faith. I think the warnings in Hebrews and Paul’s paradoxical relationship with Judaizers, disciples that get turned over to Satan, and statements like Phil. 2:12 “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” are reminders that human beings with free will do have responsibility to persevere in the covenant relationship.  I also think John and James had a theology that communicates perserverence.  John 15 is my favorite passage of scripture. The necessity for Jesus to communicate abiding in the vine, in my opinion, points to perserverence.

I believe this view mostly makes sense to me because it is intuitive to my experience. I run in a movement that is Charismatic.  The Charismatic movement in general, sees people come to faith later in life.  This is one of the biggest hurdles for me concerning the Reformed perspective.  If we are foreknown and predestined in the reformed way, why do people come to faith later in life?   I have heard the Calvinistic arguments, I am just not persuaded by them.  It makes more sense to me that God’s prevenient grace is always wooing people.  Some surrender while young and some further down the timeline. (Also, I believe the “problem” of those with lesser intellectual capabilities is under prevenient grace.  An intellectual assent is not necessarily needed.  I think the trinitarian God most desires our affection, not our mental assent to propositions.)

Regeneration as I have experienced it and watched people experience it is a process.  We have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.   Regeneration and Sanctification are the “being saved” part. I believe that those who are called unto Him undergo, in partnership with God through Jesus in the Power of the Spirit, a process that requires perserverence to come to  Paul says, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:2) The Calvinistic approach that Grace is Irresistible and that Regeneration happens before Faith and Justification is counter-intuitive to me.

I believe those placing their faith in Jesus and perservering in the faith will be glorified.  I look forward to that day.

I also think this really matters for the practicality of Salvation.  I am not on mission to convert people to a system or to a doctrinal statement.  I am living as one “given” by Christ to the world to proclaim the Gospel.  One of my hangups with the reformed perspective is that it can quickly become about the tradition and not about the mission.

I am called to relationship with Jesus and sent by him to proclaim the Gospel and continue the in-breaking reality of the Kingdom of God.

Well, that’s where I’m at.  I might change my mind.

Kruse Kronicle: Big Sort: Geography vs. Demography

Kruse Kronicle: Big Sort: Geography vs. Demography.

Interesting ideas about homogenous groups.

Ties choice of neighborhood to political allegiance and cultural satisfaction.

Why does Christian = Republican in the US?

Doesn’t that scare you?