The Simple Pastor
By Phil Whittall, church planter, blogger & book reviewer
RT @lukedvd: Hope his resignation from the England manager job will allow @JoelVirgo to focus on his church duties #nomorehairdye 16 hrs ago
“It is, of course, not a question of whether the Church of Scotland is morally perfect in her membership or behaviour; no church ever has been and that is not the point at issue here. It is rather a matter of whether, as an institution, she will not merely tolerate but actively encourage, promote and defend the true preaching of the word of God, of the whole counsel of God, and oppose – and depose by due and decent process – those who do not do so yet who claim to minister in Christ’s name.”
Steve Holmes, who works in Scotland, writes on the various responses from churches to the state extending marriage to same-sex couples. At the end he offers an intriguing path that I think carries some weight.
“Time was in England, Baptists and others would go to the local parish priest to sort the legal bit out, and then have (what they regarded as) a proper Christian marriage ceremony afterwards. To return to such a practice, substituting civil registrar for Anglican cleric, might be our best witness to our faith – and I suspect that this might be true regardless of the outcome of the current debate.”
Question: does a marriage need to be sanctioned by the state for it to be a real marriage in the eyes of God?
This will be a battleground within Western Christianity in particular probably for the rest of my life. It begins with shifts within civil society and then to the state churches, these things are not solved in a matter of months but years. However the spotlight will continue to bear down on Christians and evangelicals in particular (we are easy targets) and so I am convinced that church leaders need to be prepared to know how to articulate their beliefs without resorting to silly judgmental soundbites or mumbling meaningless platitudes. With this in mind we need to keep one eye open to the trends that are happening, the events that are taking place and consider carefully how we would respond when occasion demands it.
So what to make of it? Well to begin with we shouldn’t be surprised, firstly Philippa is director of the Centre for Social Justice that has been highly influential in forming Conservative party policy on many home affairs issues, the nearer the Conservatives get to office, the more intense the scrutiny (fair and otherwise). Secondly Philippa is a candidate for parliament in Sutton and Cheam and has been tipped for office, and she is fighting against the resurgent Liberal Democrats. This brings attention your way.
It should remind us of several important facts about our society. (more…)
Over the past year I’ve read a number of books on the issue of Christianity and homosexuality. Some have been about helping those who want to leave the gay lifestyle behind them, some have been about the differing views of Christians on the issue, some have been about defending Christianity against homosexuality and still others about the way forward on a theoretical level.
Love is an Orientation by Andrew Marin does none of those things, instead it’s the way forward on a practical, personal level. Marin was a self-confessed homophobe who began to change when 3 college friends all came out to him as gay (or GLBT). Since then he has sought to build bridges between two warring communities – the GLBT community and the church. On the whole it seems he has done a remarkable job.
Marin is a missionary to the GLBT unreached people group and this book is in part about cross-cultural mission and seeking to understand the culture in order to bring people to know God’s love. The aim of the book is to ‘elevate the conversation’ away from the traditional battle grounds so that there is genuine dialogue, relationship and trust and so avoids easy answers.
I think sometimes he avoids a bit too much, so for example he says a few times that, “if we could only release control of what might happen down the road in a GLBT person’s life when Jesus enters, I promise that God loves his children enough to always tell each of them what he feels is best for their life.” (p85)
Sounds nice. What God feels is best for their life. And I can work that our for myself can I? Just by listening hard? Listening to my feelings? Trusting my heart? This is, for me, one of the weaknesses of the book is that it holds to the individualism of the 20/21st century and it is the individual who decides what is ultimate and that usually leads to conflict.
Pastors in particular are in the uncomfortable position of concern for the body corporate and individual, its integrity, its discipline, its witness and holiness. There are no easy answers to that but its unavoidable that all those issues come sharply into focus if a practising gay joins the family.
Marin, to his credit does argue (rightly) that as people come closer to Jesus, if their hearts and lives are laid before him change of some sort is inevitable, that is what happens in a surrendered life. But the challenge to all (straight or gay) is to surrender everything, sexuality included.
It would be interesting to see how his thought matures, whether he will write something for the church leader or even more intriguingly if he wrote something aimed at those in the gay community who are seeking Christ or engaging with the church.
A few other observations, the guy cries a lot. Maybe I’m just hard hearted and not heard as many anguished stories but there is an awful lot of blubbing going on. A few times ‘research’ was mentioned without reference which isn’t helpful because we can all quote that sort of research and it really needed better referencing.
This is an important book because it recognises that the debate about homosexuality is also a debate about real people and in this case people that are often vulnerable, often defensive, often hurting. It’s a good reminder for the church to have. Marin will be speaking at Spring Harvest in 2010.
This book is a response to the St Andrews Day Statement on homosexuality in the Church written by (amongst others) Oliver O’Donovan, David Wright, Timothy Bradshaw.
As a series of essays it’s both helpful and instructive. I appreciated better the positions of the revisionists from essays by Jeffrey John, Michael Vasey and Elizabeth Stuart. John’s and Vasey’s were both better argued than those put forward by Dan Via. Although in essence seem to come down to the same argument. Namely that what the Bible describes as homosexuality is not what we understand it today, therefore the injunctions in the Bible don’t apply.
There are good essays from the orthodox as well as pastoral perspectives. Even my old head of department Anthony Thiselton contributed with (as you might expect) a view from hermeneutics. Incredibly I both understood it and appreciated it which is more than I could say from my undergraduate years where I lacked comprehension. Other contributors include Gerald Bray, Martin Hallett, Simon Vibert and Rowan Williams.
Because of the variety and number of contributions (13), this is an immensely helpful volume. Carrying not just both sides of the argument but also differing views on each side and done in a thoughtful and respectful manner. It is also a strength of the book that some of its contributors are homosexual, which means this is more than ‘straight pondering’ of the ‘gay question’. I would suggest that for anyone wanting to get to grips with the controversy of homosexuality and the church (especially the Church of England) then this should probably be required reading.
I remain unconvinced by the revisionists arguments but as a result of reading this book I feel I understand and have heard them better and that made it an important learning step.
Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views is a debate between Dan Via and Robert Gagnon, both New Testament professors. Via takes the view that the church should affirm gay marriage, Gagnon affirms the traditional view of homosexual sex as sinful.
What was interesting and surprising to me was that Via affirmed that ‘the Biblical texts that deal specifically with homosexual practice condemn it unconditionally’ (p93). He believes that rules (Biblical injunctions in this case) can be overrided if you have enough good reasons (p21).
His view of Scripture is essentially that it is ‘authoritative only in those parts that are existentially engaging and compelling’ and should be re-interpreted in the light not only of new knowledge but ‘in the light of one’s own interpretation’ (p2).
Via’s main argument rested on the issue of orientation. He argues that Paul (Romans 1:24-27 and 1 Cor 6:9-10) and the Biblical witness against homosexuality applies only to those who are acting against their nature. So straight people acting gay. What it does not apply to are people who by nature are gay. For them it is natural to live gay, it’s not against their nature but with their nature. He argues that if Paul knew then what we knew now he would say the same. That denying gay marriage both encourages promiscuity within the gay community by not supporting faithful, monogamous relationships and is unjust by denying some of God’s creation the possibility of finding sexual fulfilment.
Gagnon by contrast deals comprehensively with every Biblical passage, examines context, makes good exegetical links and connections (and one or two weaker suggestions such as reference to Ham & Noah that is far from convincing). He agrees with Via that the Bible uniformly, unequivocally and consistently calls same-sex sex sin and sees no reason why the church should change its mind now.
He argues that instead, the Bible offers the ‘beautiful image of ‘one fleshness’ of marriage as a reunion of an original binary whole’ (p89). The joining of two constituent parts male and female, that together reflects the image of God in a way that one half on their own cannot. Anything contrary to that falls short of God’s creative intent.
Via sees orientation as unchangeable and refers to gay experience to support that (I assume not really giving weight to the experience of those who are post-gay and have left that lifestyle behind), while Gagnon believes God’s grace is more powerful than even the strongest of our desires.
In terms of use of the Bible I struggle with Via’s liberal approach but perhaps if the case is so weak then what options does he have? I see Scripture as more authoritative, and am unsure of where Via would reasonably draw the line, a point Gagnon makes well.
Robert Gagnon has made available a wealth of articles available on his website.
I’m continuing to read books on the issue of homosexuality, trying to gain a better understanding of the issues involved. Jeanette Howards’ Out of Egypt is aimed at those who struggle with lesbianism and those who counsel them.
Jeanette would have identified herself as a lesbian for many years but does so no longer. The book mixes elements of her own story with counselling sessions she has with women struggling with lesbianism. In those sessions various lessons are drawn out relating to identity in God, roots of our sexual choices and how to make changes.
Jeanette’s view is fairly simple. Active homosexuality is a sin but with God’s help that lifestyle can be left behind (1 Cor 6:9-11 being a key passage for Jeanette). Although there are stories of women who lived a lesbian lifestyle and who later met God, married and had children, the book does not present that as the norm for those who leave behind the lesbian life.
At the same time the book makes abundantly clear that making such choices is incredibly difficult and painful, walking alongside those who are struggling means there must be more love than judgement.
I found the device of the counselling sessions somewhat forced, because it was too obviously a device being used to walk people through some of the key steps involved. While it left plenty of questions unanswered it did offer a clear presentation of the conviction that the lesbian lifestyle can be left behind and that a deeper, healthier identity can be found in God.
Up until recently I’ve been able to think about the issue of homosexuality and Christianity from a detached position. It’s not been a near and present issue. However, there’s no escaping the fact that to be a pastor in the western world means engaging with this issue sooner or later. Firstly, we want everyone to come to Jesus – straight or gay. Secondly, the cultural and political climate is such that on this issue evangelicals are going against the tide and we need to know why.
So I’ve begun reading a few books on the subject and here is one I was sent recently for review. Mark Christopher is an American pastor in South Africa and was mentored by John MacArthur. He’s written this brief book to give a ‘heads up’ call to the church to be aware of what’s going on and to speak the ‘truth in love’. It deals with topics such as what is marriage, the assumptions behind same sex marriage (SSM), and the dangers of legalising SSM.
It presents a fairly straightforward conservative evangelical rebuttal of SSM and homosexuality. It’s a sin, it’s wrong, we should oppose it and we should put the issue on the regular teaching of the church to equip people to think biblically about this issue. Now I’m not really disagreeing with the author here, but this is not a book for engaging with this issue, this is for those who want to play defence. Maybe there are some western nations where it still makes sense as a strategy to fight a vigorous rear guard action against the gay lobby who have all the momentum. I’m not convinced but I’m also not ready to capitulate either.
So this is not a bad book, but it will reinforce the idea that Christianity is under siege and that Christian values (such as they were) are being eroded in our society. What it won’t do, is equip you to live in that new reality, which is I guess, what I’m looking for.
The more interesting thing perhaps that has been rumbling around, is that as an evangelical Christian I am out of step with society in LOTS of ways. This is uncomfortable but I think I’d better get used to the idea. It seems to me that government legislates with the tide of popular opinion which is flowing mostly against the example of Christ. It seems to me that more and more, the Church needs to be prepared to see itself as the early church saw itself – a missionary movement that stood out in contrast to the world of its day.
Here are some ways that I think I am completely out of step (not including my dress sense or choice in music):
Any others?
*Update* Just listened to this talk by Dave Holden on counter cultural churches, from the TOAM conference.
Anyway, in his sermon he said:
“You know, whatever you think makes you unworthy, I don’t think God wants to hear it any more. All you have to do is turn up and open up your heart.”
Today I read this from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it seemed remarkably apt:
“Is the price that we are paying today with the collapse of the organized churches anything else but an inevitable consequence of grace acquired too cheaply; we performed baptisms and confirmations; we absolved an entire people, unquestioned and unconditionally; out of human love we handed over what was holy to the scornful and unbelievers. We poured out rivers of grace without end, but the call to rigourously follow Christ was seldom heard. What happened to the insights of the ancient church, which in the baptismal teaching watched so carefully over the boundary between the church and the world, over costly grace? What happened to Luther’s warnings against a proclamation of the gospel which made people secure in their godless lives?… Cheap grace was very unmerciful to our Protestant church.”
So whatever makes you unworthy doesn’t matter? Have we absolved ourselves from the responsibility to repent for sin before a holy God?
I believe Jesus when he said 'life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions'. I believe he offers something better. This blog is mostly about that search.
I'm also a husband, a father, church planter, keen runner, reader, and motorcyclist. These and a few other things make guest appearances from time to time.
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