Mark Conner's Space

Christians and Homosexuality

In his book ground-breaking research book unChristian, David Kinneman reports that the number one description of Christians by the younger generation today (of those outside the church) is "anti-homosexual," followed not too far by "judgmental" and "hyprocritical." Out of twenty attributes that were assessed, both positive and negative, as they related to  Christianity, the perception of being anti-homosexual was at the top of the list. More than nine out of ten (91%) of outsiders said "anti-homosexual" accurately describes present-day Christians. [This research was done in the USA]

Anti-homosexual, gay-hater, homophobic - is this what Jesus called us to be?

To quote Kinneman (p.96) .... "It is one thing to be against homosexuality, to affirm that the Bible rejects the practice of same-sex lifestyles, but it is another to be against homosexuals, to let your disagreement with their behaviour spill out in your feelings and words towards them as people. It is unChristian to lose your sense that everyone's fallen nature affects all aspects of his or her life, including sexuality, and to forget God's commands to love people in order to point them to Jesus."

He continues ... "It is unChristian to focus our animosity on another human being regardless of what they do or what they look life. Billy Graham, one of the most respected Christian leaders in American history, made this observation about homosexuality during a press conference: 'I'm going to quote the Bible now, not myself, that it (homosexuality) is wrong, it's a sin. But there are other sins. Why do we jump on that sin as though it's the greatest sin? The greatest sin in the Bible is idolatry, worshiping other things besides the true and living God. Jealousy is a sin. Pride is a sin. All of these things are sins. Homosexuality is also a sin and needs to be dealt with and needs to be forgiven, and that's why Christ came and died on the cross.'"

Here is a letter from a young man named Levi that I read in my interview with Deb Hirsch on the weekend (from unChristian, p.117-18).

Interview with Deb Hirsch

Our interview over the weekend with Deb Hirsch on the topic of sexualiuty, and especially homosexuality, went very well. A free podcast of the interview will be available soon on the CityLife Church web site.

For those wanting to contact Deb directly she has kindly offered access to her via email. Her email address is: debhirsch@gmail.com

Thanks again Deb for sharing so openly and honestly with us. I pray that our discussion would be a help to many people ... as we seek to be more and more like Jesus who was "full of grace and truth (John 1:14)." 

P.S. A free copy of the interview is now available on the CityLife Church podcast or via iTunes.

Resources about Homosexuality

Here are a variety of resources that deal with the topic of homosexuality from a Christian perspective:

Sexual Ethics by Stanley Grenz. This book is a good overview of the subject of sexuality and includes an excellent chapter on homosexuality.

Issues Facing Christians Today (4th Edition) by John Stott. This excellent book addresses a variety of global, social and personal issues, including matters relating to sexuality. 

 Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (3rd Edition) by Scott B. Rae. This introduction to Christian ethics also looks at a variety of current issues, including sexual ethics.  

Welcoming but Not Affirming: An Evangelical Response to Homosexuality by Stanley Grenz.

Beyond Stereotypes: Christians and Homosexuality (not yet published) - a compilation by an Australian Evangelical Alliance working group on human sexuality. 

Someone I Love Is Gay by Bob Davies and Anita Worthen. This is a good practical book for parents, friends, or spouses.

God's Grace for the Homosexual Next Door- Reaching the Heart of the Gay Men and Women in our World by Alan Chambers and the Exodus International Leadership Team. This books contains a compilation of chapters by a variety of authors addressing some of the key issues relating to homosexuality from a Christian perspective. At the end of the book, it has an extended list of resources for men, women, parents and pastors. 

Exodus International is one of the largest information and referral ministries in the world addressing homosexual issues. You might want to visit their informative web site. 

The Truth Comes Out by Nancy Heche. I have not read this book but it is recommended by Gene Appel, from Willow Creek Community Church, for parents who have children who are gay. Willow has a support group for parents in this situation called Someone I Love.

Sy Rogers has some very good teaching on the subject of sexuality.

Also, check out the Liberty Christian Ministries web site.

Discussing homosexuality ...

This weekend I will be interviewing Deb Hirsch at our church. Deb and her husband Alan Hirsch led a Christian community in St. Kilda for over fifteen years, reaching out to street people, the poor, and the gay community, of which Deb was a part of before coming to Christ at the age of twenty-one. They now live in the USA where God has opened many doors of influence for them. Deb is currently writing a book on the subject of sexuality, with a specific focus on homosexuality.

I’m sure our conversation will be informative, challenging, and helpful. It won’t answer every question nor will it be the last word on every aspect of sexuality. Not everyone will agree with everything that is said. Some people may even feel a bit uncomfortable even talking about this. However, our desire is to bring some of these important issues about sexuality out into the open ... and hopefully there will be more conversations and discussions that continue as a result.

When it comes to homosexuality, there has been a range of responses from the Christian church. Some people are highly judgmental, placing homosexual behaviour way up there near the top of the imaginary totem pole of 'sins'. Others go in the other direction and affirm homosexual behaviour as 'okay', resulting in the ordination of gay ministers and the establishment of gay churches. Then there are lots of people somewhere between these two extremes.

The topic of homosexuality raises lots of difficult but important questions:

1. What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

2. Where does same-sex attraction come from? Is it genetic or environmentally caused? Are people born gay or do they become gay?

3. Can a person's sexual orientation change and if so, how?

4. If a follower of Christ has feelings of same-sex attraction, what can or should they do about it?

5. How should a parent or family member respond if a son/daughter or family member says, "I'm gay."

6. How should the church community respond and relate to those with same-sex attraction?

7. How should the church community respond and relate to the overall gay community in society, especially the more militant gays pushing for more gay rights, gay marriage, and the adoption of children?

8. What is the future for the church and the matter of sexuality? What attitudes/practices need to change? What does God desire?

We'll be exploring these types of questions in our interview.

Tomorrow: a list of resources related to the topic of homosexuality.

Dare to be a Daniel

This month our church is reading through the book of Daniel. It's a interesting book containing six stories followed by four incredible visions. We've also been sharing a series of messages entitled Living in Babylon.

I think Daniel was a remarkable person. As a teenager he was taken from his family in Jerusalem and exiled to Babylon. Babylon was a pagan city where his captors sought to indoctrinate him and his friends in their philosophy and worldview. Would Daniel survive? Amazingly, Daniel not only survived ... he thrived ... in Babylon ... for over 60 years!

Here are some principles we can learn from Daniel and seek to imitate in our lives as we live in our contemporary world.

1. Develop a personal relationship with God. Daniel had a strong faith and this outworked itself in his daily life. He was a person of prayer (Daniel 2:18-19; 6:11; 9:3, 20-23) and he also meditated on God's Word. Through these daily disciplines he was able to connect with God, gain wisdom for his daily work, and keep perspective on his life - even in the midst of busyness. We too should seek to connect with God daily.

2. Excel at your work. We are told that Daniel and his friends were ten times better than the other advisers to the king of Babylon (Daniel 1:17-20; 2:14). This excellence was a combination of God given ability along with disciplined learning and development. As Daniel applied himself to his job and duties assigned to him, he developed wisdom, insight and understanding. He became a highly competent and proficient leader. This excellence led to his promotion to a position of great influence within Babylon. We also should seek to be the very best we can be – not in some competitive or egotistical manner – but in order to fully develop the potential God has placed in us in order to better serve in our role in society. Whatever our work may be, we should do your very best for God and do everything for his glory.

3. Walk in integrity. Daniel was a person of integrity (Daniel 6:4). Daniel walked the talk. Who he was publicly matched who he was privately. He refused to compromise. He was a person of upright character and moral excellence. He was a man of convictions and he was willing to stand for them no matter what the cost. He was willing to be different if necessary rather than just following the crowd. He resolved to do what God wanted regardless of the consequences. Daniel's integrity was tested many times and he came under attack through the criticism, jealousy and even conspiracy of other people. He ended up in a lion’s den because of sticking to his convictions. Walking in integrity doesn’t mean everything will always go smoothly for us but God promises to watch over us and bring us through each challenge.

4. Don't travel alone.Daniel had three friends - Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (whose names were changed to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego). We see them spending time together quite often through the narrative of the book of Daniel, and especially during times of pressure and crisis (Daniel 2:16-18). We too need some good friends who are traveling companions to us. Yes, life can be lonely at times, but none of us are meant to go it alone.

5. Understand and Rest in God's Providence. I’m sure if Daniel was here today he would tell you that his life did not turn out as he expected it would or even as he planned that it would. His life was affected by dramatic circumstances and changes of events that took him totally by surprise beginning with him being taken as a prisoner from his homeland and right through his time in Babylon. He learned to trust and rest in God's providence (Daniel 4:25; 5:21). In the same way, each person’s journey has unexpected terrain and turns. We need to embrace a balanced viewed of human responsibility and divine sovereignty. A few centuries later, the apostle Paul put it this way ... "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28. NAS)

Dare to be a Daniel!

Cool Toys - The Smart Pen

While we're talking about cool toys, I have to mention the 'smart pen.' One of my friends living in the USA has one and showed it to me. There are a variety of smart pens on the market. The one I saw was the Pulse Smart Pen created by Livescribe. It is quite amazing what it can do [for a video demo click here]

I see that Office Works has the 1GB version available here in Australia. There is also some software that you can use with this smart pen to translate your notes into your computer.

What will they come up with next?

Cool Toys - The Kindle

I once heard that "the difference between the men and the boys is the price they pay for their toys." It's true and of course, women have toys too :)

Recently, while in the USA, I met a woman who had a 1st generation Kindle, created by Amazon. It's a really cool e-book reader. The latest version, the Kindle DX, has a bigger screen and holds up to 3,500 books. [Click here for a video demo. For a few recent reviews of the Kindle DX, click here and here]

Amazon stated goal is to put every book in print into digital form. So far, there are over 300,000 titles available for purchase from their Kindle web site, along with a host of newspapers and magazines. Some are saying that the Kindle will become the iPod for books. Sony also has an e-Reader. Will Apple bring something similar out soon?

The Kindle isn't available for sale outside of the USA (although there are ways to bypass the system - click here).

As an avid book lover, I'm tempted ... but haven't bought one yet :) However, I talked my brother-in-law, who lives in the USA, into getting one, so I'll see how he enjoys it first.

P.S. Amazon now ships the Kindle to Australia (as of October 20th, 2009). Click here and here for two reviews.

The Hooding Ceremony

The day before my graduation at Fuller Theological Seminary I attended a Hooding Ceremony. I wasn't sure what this was all about until I got there.

Here is a brief history of the tradition of the 'doctoral hood' ...

According to Nancy Stiehler Thurston and Hendrika VanDeKemp, "In the Middle Ages, lecturers and students at European universities were so impoverished that they wore gowns to cover up their worn clothes. The lecturers also wore hoods that indicated which universities they had graduated from. In those days, lecturers were paid by their students. The students would toss coins into the pocket of the lecturer's hood. The hood would also be used to carry books to and from the university.

While doctoral hoods are no longer used to carry coins and books, they do continue to identify graduates of various degree programs at institutions of higher education. The various colours of the velvet and satin stripes of the doctoral hoods serve to distinguish the wearer of the hood. The color of the velvet identifies the academic discipline of the degree. The blue field with gold chevrons is representative of Fuller Theological Seminary. The scarlet trim indicates the School of Theology."

So on Friday afternoon I attended a hooding ceremony in a small chapel with all of the Doctor of Ministry graduates, along with family and friends. Songs were sung, an address was given by the Fuller president, Richard Mouw, we all were 'hooded' one by one, after which Dr. Arch Hart prayed for us. It was a meaningful time to celebrate the completion of my Doctor of Ministry degree, which I have worked on over the last five years (2003 - 2008). 

Doctor Mark!

Well, I did it. I finished my Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Yesterday, I attended the graduation ceremony which was held at the Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, where over 400 people graduated with various degrees (80 from the Doctor of Ministry program), cheered on by friends and family members. It was a really enjoyable occasion. It's great to stop and celebrate the milestones in our lives. For me there was a sense of joy, fulfillment, closure, and a bit of relief for finally being finished.

I'd really like to thank my wife Nicole for supporting me during my years of study, my kids for putting up with dad frequently having his nose in the books and head in the clouds, City Life Church for sponsoring my study and encouraging me in my personal and ministry development, my lecturers for teaching me so much, and God for saving and calling me to serve his purpose on planet earth.

My goal has always been the education rather than the title, so please still call me 'Mark' not 'Doctor Mark.'

What next? I don't plan on doing any further formal study such as a PhD, which is a highly academic degree. However, I'll continue to be committed to continual learning and I'll consider doing some teaching at the Doctorate level some time in the future.  

P.S. For some more details about my course of study, click here to read an earlier post.

Cooking - from the Amateur Chef

I grew up in a home where my mum did all the cooking. Dad and us kids did the dishes and not much else in the kitchen (other than toast, cereal, and the occasional milk shake). When I got married, Nicole did all the cooking and she's good at it too (only two not so good meals in 23 years - but that's a story for another day!). A few years ago I decided to venture into the kitchen and start doing some cooking.

I'm still an amateur but I've done a few Italian dishes, some Thai curries, and a few other odds and ends, including a delicious banana cake. Nicole loves it when I cook as it takes a lot of pressure off her and gives her a break too. I love to clear everyone out of the kitchen, grab a recipe and do my thing. Nicole is more of a free lance "make it up as you go" chef. I need guidelines :) 

Men, if you haven't already - why not give cooking a try! It's a lot of fun and worth the effort.

You'll find lots of good cookbooks in any bookshop, including books by Jamie Oliver and also the simple 4 Ingredients series. 

Cooking DVDs are another great idea, after all, a picture is still worth a thousand words:

• The Complete Pepin: Techniques and Recipes

• Jamie Oliver

There are also many online web sites with heaps of good recipes. Click here and here for two excellent sites.

For some more good ideas, why not check out a good Food and Wine show in your area.

Bon appetit!

Book Reading Update

I've been reading a few books lately (I love books!). Here are some comments about them:

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. This is one of the best books I have read for a while. Keller unpacks the story of the Prodigal Son and shows how it is really a story of two lost sons, or more accurately, of a loving father. See my earlier posts for more details on this. Definitely worth the read.

The Multi-Site Church by Scott McConnell. This is the best book I have read to date on this topic. Scott pulls together research from over 40 multi-site churches and shares some excellent wisdom for churches considering becoming "one church meeting in multiple locations."

Dave Browning's book Deliberate Simplicity looks at how complex we can tend to make things as Christians and as churches. He outlines a journey of getting back to the basics of follow Christ and of clearing the clutter in order to create better effectiveness for the kingdom. This is a message that is being emphasised at this time. See also the excellent book Simple Church.

I recently bought a few books by Mark Driscoll, leader of Mars Hill Church in Seattle Washington. One of them is Vintage Church. Mark has a ability to share the basic truths of Christ and his kingdom in creative and practical ways. I'm still reading this, along with his other book Vintage Jesus.

From Eternity to Here is Frank Viola's latest book tracing the purposes of God from eternity to our time and through to eternity. I'm just about to start reading this one.

Have you read any good books lately? If so, let me know. I have room for a few more on my shelf ... but don't tell my wife :)

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep - you've got to love it. However, I was so tired last night that I couldn't get to sleep. My brain was so active ... after preaching five times over the weekend and then finishing off the last few edits of a new book I'm writing called Prison Break ... my mind was so alive and creative that I got up at midnight and spent an hour outlining two more books I'd like to write. Eventually I got back to sleep and had a good 8 1/2 hours. It's Monday today and I thank God for the queen. You have to love her just for being born ... because in Australia we get a day off today ... even though it's not her exact birth date ... that's why I was able to sleep in until 9.35 am.

Sleep - I have tried living on less sleep but I need about eight hours. If I don't get that much too many nights in a row, I start to slow down, unless I catch up with some extra deposits in my 'sleep bank'.

Maybe I should have been born in France. The French spend more time sleeping than anyone (8.8 hours each day) and they spend more time eating than anyone. The Americans aren't far behind.

To watch a brief video about the power of sleep, including some good sleeping tips, click here. Having sleep problems, click here, here, or here. After all, we sleep for about a third of our life, so it's worth learning to do it well.

I'm encouraged by the fact that Jesus occasionally took a nap during the day (Mark 4:38) and God gives us sleep for our benefit (Psalm 4:8). Just don't sleep all day (Proverbs 20:13; 23:21 24:33) .... or at work :)

Sleep well!

Christian History

The Christian History magazine has been an excellent source of information and inspiration about church history and influential people for many decades now. Magazine issues have included articles on people such as John Calvin, St. Augustine, John Wesley, Charles Finney, C.S. Lewis, and William Wilberforce, as well as topics such as Women in the Early Church, the Great Awakening, the Crusades, and Pentecostalism.

Recently, the magazine has been taken out of circulation and has gone completely online. All ninety-nine issues are available free on the Christian History web site and you can also sign up for a free newsletter. Well worth checking out - a wealth of helpful historical information.