I had never thought about the church-planting mentor bit. Thank you for opening up my eyes to some of the obstacles female church planters in the CRC face. I appreciate the willingness to speak about the uphill battle and hope to be more of an advocate wherever possible.
Just reflecting on this quote: Perhaps a desire to prove the CRC’s relevancy credentials will convince Synod to “get with the times."
I wonder if our "credentials" are actually being revoked due to a loss of integrity (and maybe humility?) in church practices more than our official church position?
The "hate the sin; love the sinner" mantra only resonates in so far as it is practiced. Since 1973, has the CRC found ways to creatively come alongside people with same-sex attraction who want to live in meaningful community? Or have these people been effectively exiled into solitary places? Imagine as a heterosexual person hearing you not only couldn't have sex (which gets over-emphasized, even in the 1973 statement), but you weren't allowed to fall in love with the single, similarly-wired person you were attracted to or build a family with that person? How great a loss is that? What alternatives for meaningful, local community has the CRC sought to provide in these cases?
In Matthew 23:4, Jesus speaks forcefully to some who had a high view of Scripture, but who "tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, while they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
Have heterosexually-oriented members in the CRC born witness to the lonely road faced by people with same-sex attraction? Have we come alongside them? Have we entered into the binary-busting gray surrounding a person born intersex (both genders)? I would suggest that we haven't, which, Scriptural interpretations aside, has been incongruous with the love-the-sinner language we've used. At some point, then (is 40+ years long enough?), heteros who lead the church have lost the credibility ("credentials") to speak into these situations, not due to interpretation but due to a lack of congruity that has led us to look remarkably like those who tie heavy loads, but don't lift a finger to help.
ps- I'm open to being wrong, if I'm missing something here. I've spent my whole life in the CRC and haven't seen strong movements in CRCs to come alongside people struggling with atypical sexuality. Has it happened (is it happening) and I'm just missing it?
Would you say the Bible with a lock of hair in it is considered “inhairrant?”
Terrible joke aside, would you say that culture or the hermeneutic of how we interpret Scripture is at the root of the multi-denominational schisms happening across our country over same-sex marriage?
Or are they both equally at play?
Also, I appreciated hearing your story about how you approached Synod (essentially with some conviction, preparation, openness, and humility). It seems a good recipe for synod delegates.
Posted in: Let's Make an Advent Playlist
Seasons by Hillsong United works for Advent and (in Minnesota where it can snow in May), Easter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFEwV77n1Ng
Posted in: The Unspoken Challenges Female Church Planters Face
I had never thought about the church-planting mentor bit. Thank you for opening up my eyes to some of the obstacles female church planters in the CRC face. I appreciate the willingness to speak about the uphill battle and hope to be more of an advocate wherever possible.
Posted in: Turning the CRC Into an Lgbtq+ Ally
Just reflecting on this quote: Perhaps a desire to prove the CRC’s relevancy credentials will convince Synod to “get with the times."
I wonder if our "credentials" are actually being revoked due to a loss of integrity (and maybe humility?) in church practices more than our official church position?
The "hate the sin; love the sinner" mantra only resonates in so far as it is practiced. Since 1973, has the CRC found ways to creatively come alongside people with same-sex attraction who want to live in meaningful community? Or have these people been effectively exiled into solitary places? Imagine as a heterosexual person hearing you not only couldn't have sex (which gets over-emphasized, even in the 1973 statement), but you weren't allowed to fall in love with the single, similarly-wired person you were attracted to or build a family with that person? How great a loss is that? What alternatives for meaningful, local community has the CRC sought to provide in these cases?
In Matthew 23:4, Jesus speaks forcefully to some who had a high view of Scripture, but who "tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, while they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
Have heterosexually-oriented members in the CRC born witness to the lonely road faced by people with same-sex attraction? Have we come alongside them? Have we entered into the binary-busting gray surrounding a person born intersex (both genders)? I would suggest that we haven't, which, Scriptural interpretations aside, has been incongruous with the love-the-sinner language we've used. At some point, then (is 40+ years long enough?), heteros who lead the church have lost the credibility ("credentials") to speak into these situations, not due to interpretation but due to a lack of congruity that has led us to look remarkably like those who tie heavy loads, but don't lift a finger to help.
ps- I'm open to being wrong, if I'm missing something here. I've spent my whole life in the CRC and haven't seen strong movements in CRCs to come alongside people struggling with atypical sexuality. Has it happened (is it happening) and I'm just missing it?
Posted in: Peace of Conscience and Unity in the Church: Why I Did What I Did As a Delegate to Synod 2022
Would you say the Bible with a lock of hair in it is considered “inhairrant?”
Terrible joke aside, would you say that culture or the hermeneutic of how we interpret Scripture is at the root of the multi-denominational schisms happening across our country over same-sex marriage?
Or are they both equally at play?
Also, I appreciated hearing your story about how you approached Synod (essentially with some conviction, preparation, openness, and humility). It seems a good recipe for synod delegates.