The following are some resources that the Leadership Team used to foster study and discussion.
As we read, we considered the following questions:
What things that stand out? What things that are new to you? What things resonate with your spirit? What things do you bristle against? And finally what questions form in you?
AN OVERVIEW ON the Bible AND SEXUALITY
ARTICLE: What Does the Bible Really Say About Homosexuality?
In this Huffington Post article, we find a broad explanation of how Christians interpret the Bible differently. Read HERE.
ARTICLE: Debating Bible Verses on Homosexuality.
Two evangelical authors discuss the particular verses that are used to form a theology of homosexuality. Read HERE.
POSITIONAL RESOURCES
VIDEO: What Do Christians Have Against Homosexuality?
Tim Keller answers this pressing question at a forum in front of The Veritas Forum; displaying how someone with a “traditional” view of marriage can explain it to a secular community. Watch HERE.
PODCAST: The Bible Clearly Says! Does it, Though?
Stan Mitchell shares this message which gives an example of how a Biblically-formed view can lead someone to reconsider what the Bible says about the gay community. Listen to the audio on the website or podcast.
DOCUMENT: Proposing a Third Way
This document was written from a pastor in the Evangelical Free Church proposing a different position than either the traditional or affirming position. Read it HERE.
POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ARTICLE: Finding Common Ground on LGBTQ+ Ministry
Rooted in the values expressed in our six Covenant affirmations, the Evangelical Covenant Church has historically sought to find common ground on areas where many Christians have been divided.In light of this heritage, a diverse group of Covenanters (initially spearheaded by Pastor Randall Wilkens) developed a list of suggested ways in which we might find common ground in our ministry with and to LGBTQ+ people. This document is not meant to be an "official" statement or resolution of the ECC, but we do believe that it can serve as a starting point for conversations on how we can all tangibly excel in love for LGBTQ+ people. Find Here.
SERMON: Sermon from Danny Cortez
Danny Cortez, a Southern Baptist pastor who changed his stance. This message shares a dealing with the typical passages used to speak against homosexuality and shares personal experiences. Find Here.
ARTICLE: God, the Bible, and Human Sexuality: A Response to Revisionist Readings
by the Biblical Faculty of North Park Theological Seminary
The biblical faculty of North Park Theological Seminary have endeavored to write a clear, user-friendly commentary and interpretation on the texts of the Bible that explicitly address same-sex sexual relations. This paper also engages with and responds to a number of recent revisionist readings of the biblical texts, ultimately undergirding the traditional sexual ethic of the historic church and the ECC. We are grateful to these Covenant scholars for devoting their time and effort to complete this work for the edification and flourishing of our church. Find Here.
ESSAY: Reconciling Evangelical Christianity with Our Sexual Minorities: Reframing the Biblical Discussion
by David P. Gushee
Most evangelical Christians have understood their faith, rooted in a high view of biblical authority, to be irreconcilable with "homosexuality." This has meant that devoted LGBT people raised as evangelical Christians must choose between their sexuality and their faith/religious community. But traditional evangelical attitudes on LGBT people and their relationships are beginning to change. This paper offers a description of the state of the conversation in the North American evangelical community on this issue, and summarizes a normative proposal. Find Here.
BLOG ON COMMUNAL DISCERNMENT: Finding God’s Will in Community
by Ruth Haley Barton
At the heart of spiritual leadership is discernment—the capacity to recognize and respond to God’s will, both personally and in community. It requires moving beyond our reliance on cognition and hard work to a place of deep listening and response to the Spirit of God within us and among us.
The practice of corporate discernment, like any Christian discipline, requires creating space for God’s activity in our lives, making ourselves available so he can do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. The spiritual leader is distinguished by his or her commitment and ability to guide the discernment process so everyone can affirm a shared sense of God’s desire for them and move forward. Read Here.