One In Jesus

What do you think?

(I’m not a rap fan, but I find myself reconsidering my position on that …)

Anonymous commented,

When I say lonely, I’m talking about not having a life partner. I think getting the alcohol out of my system and my life made me realize the loneliness that exists. I can’t drink it away and numb myself anymore.

I’ve spent the day pondering the question of loneliness. When I read your comment, my first thought was to go look at the Blue Like Jazz lesson material. I don’t know if you’ve read the book. It’s by Don Miller, a single Christian man, who has the gift of story telling. It’s great stuff. Continue reading →

Our preacher is teaching a series on Wednesday nights called “What I Like About the Churches of Christ.” He had me fill in the last two weeks. Here’s the PowerPoint from my classes (WARNING: takes a while to load) — Continue reading →

So many people insist it’s a lifestyle choice and we’re condemned to hell for “choosing to live that lifestyle.” Believe me, it is not a choice. Who in their right mind would choose it? I have been praying for years for God to remove this and it doesn’t happen. This is not how I wanted my life to turn out. I want to be normal. But now I believe that is the way He made me and question why would he make me this way and then send me to hell for it? I don’t accept that anymore.

I imagine that it’s quite true that your homosexual feelings are inborn. Whether they come from heredity or the conditions of the womb or your childhood, I’m sure you are right that they can’t just be wished away! They are real and they are very present in you. Continue reading →

This is an issue I’m struggling with. For most of my life, I’ve been in denial about it and I have never had a gay relationship. But I am attracted to men. I gave up on dating women because it never lasts and I can no longer go on deceiving whoever my date or girlfriend happened to be at the time. I’m also an alcoholic in early stages of recovery. I think my drinking was a way of escaping from myself. Anyway, I have to be truthful if I am going to have a successful recovery and I am tired of trying to deny that I am gay.

You asked me to keep your name confidential, which I truly understand, and I will honor that request. Sadly, the reason you felt the need to make such a request is a result of sin — not your sin, but the sin of the rest of us. Continue reading →

This is from a reader — because, you know, I get emails –

I’ve been in the position of terminating employees and being terminated. I know the pain it causes in people’s lives. I’ve also been reading your posts on becoming more like God.

I’m having difficulty reconciling a right-sizing termination of a church employee with the love commands Jesus spoke of and the compassion and love we are to have for each other in the body. For many reasons I have a hard-time seeing Jesus sitting down with a follower and saying due to fiscal responsibility we no longer need you as an employee and having them feel the pain, despair and embarrassment that comes from the right-sizing termination. Continue reading →

Readers,

I received an email requesting that I post something on being gay in the Churches of Christ. I’ve split the email into 8 parts, to fit my answers more closely to the reader’s questions and because his poignant email raises several important issues that merit careful thought and a comprehensive response.

I thought at first of responding privately, but the letter asks for a post, and I’ve come to think that’s the right response. After all, as the writer says, most of our churches have gay members. Most churches have homosexual members who’ve chosen to be single and chaste, surrendering their sexuality to Jesus.

But few would be willing to admit their struggles to the congregation. And this says much about how much further we have to go to truly be like Jesus. Continue reading →