"When Gay Comes to Church"--the Follow Up

Clicking on the highlighted text below leads either to the articles mentioned, or to links on Amazon.com for the books.  You can also find the books listed in the Amazon widget on the right--clicking there will also lead to to a place to complete a book order.  And of course, you can check to see if any of these books are available in our local library--some of them will be.

In Sunday's message, I told a story taken from an article by Mark Buchanan, entitled, "When Clean and Unclean Touch."  Click on the title to read the whole story.  It is worth the read.

As to resources that have helped my thinking on how Christians respond to both the reality of same sex attraction and the cultural challenges confronting us, I can recommend a number of books that have been very positive.

Out of a Far Country is Christopher and Angela Yuan's story of his life in the gay world, his mother's heartbroken quest to help him, and how both came to experience the hope and grace of God in forgiveness.

Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality, by Wesley Hill, is a powerful work by a man who has faced this struggle, committed to faithful Christianity, and to celibacy.

Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends, by Mark Yarhouse, is an excellent discussion by a professor, counselor, and researcher on this issue.  He seeks to establish a clear distinction between a gay identity and same sex attraction.

Wade Burleson, a Southern Baptist pastor in Oklahoma, had two excellent blog posts I would comment to you.  One speaks of how to love sexual sinners and offenders in your life by the power of grace and truth.  The other addresses showing the love of Christ to militant homosexual activists.  Both are worth reading.

The Gospel Coalition site has the article I mentioned about gay activists and basic changes they see coming in marriage for all through the idea of "monogamish" relationships.  The article is here.

One post I did not mention in the message that is well worth your reading is the story of this woman--a former lesbian feminist studies professor and her journey to Christ and a very different life--now as a pastor's wife.

Sad but unsurprising news is that on the same day I was seeking to lay out a compassionate, yet biblical approach to homosexuality, Rob Bell was publicly announcing what he had hinted at earlier--his full endorsement of gay marriage.  He says "that ship has sailed."  You can read the news story here, on a news site that is supportive of that position.