Here is my problem. The Christian reaction to this whole issue has started to piss me off a little. Here is the thing, Christians are so concerned about the erosion of their values, that they have shown very little concern for the people that are gay. The gay community is a group of people. They love, hurt, cry and bleed just like the rest of us. The Christian right has portrayed "gay" as some kind of conspiratorial juggernaut, that needs to be destroyed. Not as a people who are, in their minds fighting for their rights. I imagine most gay people do not want to be stereotyped any more than I do.
How can I say I love people, and then attribute less than human status to them, because they don't walk the way I walk or agree with my convictions. Do I believe homosexuality is a sin? Yes, just like greed, pride and not loving God's creation. I also believe the church's treatment of homosexuals is a sin. Now that one, we have control over. So,....what are we going to do about it?
Vote against gay marriage if that is your conviction, but love the people as God does.
Peace,
K
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Greasy Grace
I have an American buddy from Syracuse. He used to have a band called Zoa. Kind of a blues rock deal. Amazing guys. Mike is now and always was a pastor. He used to talk about "greasy(pronounced Greeezy) grace. Greasy grace refers to easy forgiveness. You know, thinking that a quick "I'm sorry" after hurting someone makes everything okay. Cause and effect doesn't come into play. The concept of consequence is foreign, as well as that of responsibility.
If we are to make a difference in this world, we need to own our stuff. Without excuse, just own it and be willing to deal with the consequences, whatever they are. Respect comes from walking with integrity. It is earned not given with a title. Not these days. So let's do it the old fashioned way. Let's earn it. Do not defend wrong positions on anything. Speak to what is right and take responsibility.
Don't settle for Greasy Grace. Because when it is all said and done, everyone still feels like they need a bath.
Peace,
K
If we are to make a difference in this world, we need to own our stuff. Without excuse, just own it and be willing to deal with the consequences, whatever they are. Respect comes from walking with integrity. It is earned not given with a title. Not these days. So let's do it the old fashioned way. Let's earn it. Do not defend wrong positions on anything. Speak to what is right and take responsibility.
Don't settle for Greasy Grace. Because when it is all said and done, everyone still feels like they need a bath.
Peace,
K
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Questions & Answers
A lady visiting church this past Sunday asked a question at the end of our discussion. It had nothing to do with anything we were talking about, but, she wanted to know what we thought about baptism. She had a baby in her lap and kind of motioned to the baby after she asked the question. I asked for clarification on what she wanted to know and she commented that only one of her two babies was baptized and what did we think about baptism.
I knew right away that she had a Catholic background, so, I answered her question, she thanked me and that was that. Good story eh.
After our gathering was over one of our core people asked me why I didn't answer her question. I stated that I did. This lead to a discussion later about how we need to answer questions as we deal with people who are searching for answers. You see, my friend felt that it was a good opportunity to explain immersion as well and that the lady may be confused at a later date because I didn't give her the "whole answer".
I believe this is why many people are afraid to ask a question. When a child asks what color yellow is, you don't sit them down and explain the color spectrum and light to them. You just simply answer their question. We need to appreciate peoples search and trust the Holy Spirit to be at work in their lives. Jesus often asked questions that he had no intention of answering. His parables were confusing to most, and that was the goal. We need to get away from seeing a persons question as "a window of opportunity" to throw up everything we know and think we know about Jesus, and just answer the question.
Peace,
K
Life is a journey, if we keep looking to the end, we're going to miss what's going on now.
I knew right away that she had a Catholic background, so, I answered her question, she thanked me and that was that. Good story eh.
After our gathering was over one of our core people asked me why I didn't answer her question. I stated that I did. This lead to a discussion later about how we need to answer questions as we deal with people who are searching for answers. You see, my friend felt that it was a good opportunity to explain immersion as well and that the lady may be confused at a later date because I didn't give her the "whole answer".
I believe this is why many people are afraid to ask a question. When a child asks what color yellow is, you don't sit them down and explain the color spectrum and light to them. You just simply answer their question. We need to appreciate peoples search and trust the Holy Spirit to be at work in their lives. Jesus often asked questions that he had no intention of answering. His parables were confusing to most, and that was the goal. We need to get away from seeing a persons question as "a window of opportunity" to throw up everything we know and think we know about Jesus, and just answer the question.
Peace,
K
Life is a journey, if we keep looking to the end, we're going to miss what's going on now.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
About that quote.....
This is a quote I pulled off of the Resonate web site. You can check out www.resonate.ca It is a good Canadian emergent site.
Brueggemann on certitude
"I found this Walter Brueggemann quote at The Ashram, and I pass it on here. I believe it speaks a vital truth.
"We all have a hunger for certitude, and the problem is that the Gospel is not about certitude, it's about fidelity. So what we all want to do if we can is immediately transpose fidelity into certitude, because fidelity is a relational category and certitude is flat, mechanical category. So we have to acknowledge our thirst for certitude and then recognize that if you had all the certitudes in the world it would not make the quality of your life any better because what we must have is fidelity."
What does this say to you?
Peace,
K
Brueggemann on certitude
"I found this Walter Brueggemann quote at The Ashram, and I pass it on here. I believe it speaks a vital truth.
"We all have a hunger for certitude, and the problem is that the Gospel is not about certitude, it's about fidelity. So what we all want to do if we can is immediately transpose fidelity into certitude, because fidelity is a relational category and certitude is flat, mechanical category. So we have to acknowledge our thirst for certitude and then recognize that if you had all the certitudes in the world it would not make the quality of your life any better because what we must have is fidelity."
What does this say to you?
Peace,
K
Tuesday, February 8, 2005
Jordon Cooper Interview
Check out Jordon Cooper for Monday Feb, 7. He was kind enough to invite me to do an email interview with Him and posted it on his web site. It is a thumbnail of The Open Door and who we are. Jordon is one of the guys in Canada who has been thinking about and involved in the postmodern/emergent church discussion for quite awhile. And,... He is Canadian!
There will be another interview in Christian Week about The OD. It will be in the Feb. 18 issue. We may even make their online issue.
Stay tuned for a quote tomorrow,.....
Peace,
K
There will be another interview in Christian Week about The OD. It will be in the Feb. 18 issue. We may even make their online issue.
Stay tuned for a quote tomorrow,.....
Peace,
K
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