SOTC 270/365

The Multi-Coloured Thoughts in My Head

Between recent local pride parades and the US decision to legalize gay marriage country-wide, there's been a lot of colour in my Facebook feed. Because of my social circles, I get the pro-posts and the anti-posts.

...Am I the only one who feels like she sits in the middle?

This has always been one topic where I can't pinpoint exactly what I believe. I live in the tension of not fully knowing.

My Christian faith drives my values. I know what I've been taught--what the New Testament says: that homosexual practices are a 'no.'* And since I use Scripture as one tool to guide my faith practices, I'm inclined to settle on, "well, okay, then--I can't support homosexual practices as something godly." That is, lean into the idea that the lifestyle falls into that swamp of behaviours called sin.

Seems simple, but what does that look like in the day-to-day? ...I feel like church doesn't help me here (and by church, I don't mean my personal congregation, I mean the global institution). And it's likely, in part, because the church struggles with its response too. But I feel like the church often mixes up how it treats the LGBTQ person and the LGBTQ lifestyle.

From what I can tell, the Bible admonishes the practice, not the person.

(It admonishes a lot of practices, but never the person.)

I've never actually had much trouble with that concept.

Because did you know you can disagree with someone and still love and accept them?

I'm pretty sure Jesus' command was to love others. Full stop.
(I know the kind of people He hung out with.)

A meme flew through my news feed ages ago that read along the lines of, "getting angry at someone because what they do is against your religion is like being angry at someone for eating a doughnut because you're on a diet."

It's not a perfect analogy, but do you get the point? If I have chosen to adhere to a certain value system with certain beliefs, then fine--but that doesn't give me the right to go around admonishing people who aren't in line with that value system.

I wish that hypocritical, Pharisitical** Christians would stop giving the rest of us a bad name.

There is a place for LGBTQ individuals in our pews.

There's a place for them on our worship teams.

There's even a place for them to--gasp--teach your children in Sunday School.

Scripture spends a good chunk of time talking about the body of Christ. And the fact that all believers are part of that.

And some believers don't fit traditional gender roles and sexual orientations.

Do you think God didn't know they'd be LGBTQ before He created them?

Maybe He IS saddened by those who fall into non-traditional genders. I don't know.

Humans are a broken creation, right down to the cellular level.

And maybe He didn't create His children to be anything other than just male and female, but He has obviously let a continuum of gender unfold.

And I know two things.

God doesn't make mistakes.
AND
God can use our brokenness for His glory.

So step up, church. LGBTQ individuals have a right to be included in the body.***

On that note, I do wish that members of the LGBTQ community would quit hassling churches that choose not to perform non-traditional marriages. Yes, it's illegal and unjust to discriminate against a person by not allowing them into the congregation to be a part of the church community, but I don't think it's discrimination to not offer a service they don't believe in as a body. That's not discrimination; that's just a congregational preference.

You could compare it to dress codes. It's legal to wear pretty much whatever you want, but it's likely against policy to wear flip-flops if you work in a corporate office downtown. That's not discrimination; that's a preference for a certain professional standard that the business has set.

Or compare it to living on campus. My university was a dry campus. Drinking alcohol is legal for anyone over 18, and students were allowed to drink, but not on campus. That's not discrimination; that's an institutional preference.

And one last example, because I need to drive this home: smoking. It's legal to smoke, but I don't allow smoking in my home. I have no issues interacting with, caring about, and having smokers over, but I'm simply not going to allow them to smoke in my house. That's not discrimination; I just value clean air--a personal preference.

So while I believe that the church needs to step up in its acceptance of the LGBTQ community as people worthy of worshipping in the same space, I believe the LGBTQ community needs to step down and respect an individual church body's decision not to provide marriage services outside of the traditional.

But considering all of that, I still don't know where that leaves me in what practices I support (or don't) as an individual.

I work for an organization that advocates for inclusion of people with disabilities. I realized not too long ago that if I'm advocating for inclusion, that means inclusion for ALL. I can't push for the rights of people with disabilities and not the rights of other minorities.

Which is why I'm confident in saying, "hey, church, step up your game and actually be inclusive."

But if--as a Christian--I'm not supposed to not support LGBTQ practices.... what happens if one day I know and care about someone who is LGBTQ and they invite me to their wedding? Could I go, because I love and care about that person, or would I have to make a faith statement and decline the invitation? I don't like thinking about that.

Because I know too much biology and psychology to believe that homosexuality could be a choice.

Sexual orientation and gender are not a choice, any more than eye colour is a choice. And how ridiculous would it be to say to a person, "I love you and care about you, but I can't come to your wedding or honour you and your partner's relationship because your eyes are blue."

And how unjust it feels to say to a person, "I know you can't control how you were born, but you will need to inhibit the desires of how it's made you want to live your life."

It's not like it's a disorder or some psychopathology where their practices and behaviours could hurt themselves and others and do need to change (but where you would still love, accept, and include that person as part of a community, let me be clear). I don't see how loving someone of the same gender, or identifying with the opposite gender is hurtful. I think it's more hurtful to deny who you are.****

I recognize that I speak from a place of 'straight privilege.' Outside of my own cognitive dissonance, this is not my struggle. I would wager that an LGBTQ Christian might read this, shake their head at me, and think, "you can't even possibly know."

But I want to. 

* 1 Cor. 6:9
** Is that a word? It is, now.
*** This guy's been resonating with me a bit lately.

**** But what about STDs and AIDS, Gina? you ask. Well, I'm pretty sure that afflicts a lot of straight people too. I think that has less to do with what gender you lean towards and more about promiscuity, which I do firmly believe is not a good idea, regardless of your sexual orientation.

SOTC 133/365

Notre Dame Basilica, Side Right, a photo on Flickr by Gina Blank

Communion (SOTC 80/365)

com·mu·nion (n): a close relationship with someone or something;  an act or instance of sharing;  intimate fellowship or rapport.

I was not even planning on being at church today. I was supposed to be shooting some family photos for a friend. They must cancel at the last minute; I switch gears back to my typical Sunday morning routine. I soon find myself ready for church with plenty of time to spare. And the sun is shining. And the sky is so blue. And it's +3C outside. So I grab my camera and head for one of my favourite spots to capture the sunny Edmonton skyline behind the snow-covered River Valley. I know from experience that this view of downtown is best in the mornings.

Alas, I overestimated the winter sunshine. The buildings were perfectly alight, while the snow-blanketed foreground was still asleep in the dark shadow of the hill behind me. over which the sun had not yet risen. Apparently, this view is best in the mornings that are not within a week of the winter solstice.

Nevertheless, the school where our church meets also backs onto field in pretty much every direction. A morning winter landscape was not out of the question just yet.

By the time I parked in the church (school) parking lot, it was 10:22. Communion would start at 10:30. After a bit of internal wrestling between my punctual left brain and my creative right brain, I gave myself permission to explore the area until as late as 11:00, which is when the church service actually started. It is often the case that I find myself humbled by some aspect of a nature landscape; the photography simply becomes an extension of worship.

This morning, I was caught by the way the sun was shining behind the elm trees, and after a few minutes, ended up with this picture.

There is fellowship I feel when I am out taking photos in God's creation.
There is an intimate joining of two* to create something new.
There is Light that overtakes shadow.
Communion.





* Look closely. There are actually two trees in this image.

I HAD to Take This Shot--SOTC 38/365

Y'ever have one of those moments where you HAVE to take a photo of something? Where it's not even an option--any camera you have will work? That was me this morning.

My church service is held in a high school, and as I walked past the main gym...

Way, Truth, Life OR SOTC 36/365

Reflections From the Other Side

I sat on the other side of church today. I generally sit on the right side, near-ish the middle aisle. It was where I sat when I first started attending, because the two people I knew at the time also sat in that area, and it just kinda stuck. Having grown up in the Anglican church, I have many times heard the joking cliche that Anglicans don't like change and therefore sit in the same spot every week. Personally, I feel this has less to do with being Anglican and more just being a creature of habit. Still, it's true.

This morning, my friend suggested that one Sunday we should try shaking it up a bit and sit "over there" (sweeping her hand in the general direction of the left side of the church). "We totally should!" I agree, "Let's go!" In a split-second of spontaneity, I make 'one Sunday' today, and we find ourselves sitting on the left side of the church (and a bit closer to the front, too). It was great!

There's no structural pillar on the left side to potentially block the view of the screen (which displays the worship lyrics) or the pastor when he delivers his sermon. And for whatever reason, about a half dozen people came up to say hi to my friend and myself, which has never seemed to happen on the other side. The music was the same. The message was just as good. I s'pose it was quieter--not as many people seem to sit on the left. Overall, the service was not drastically different because we sat somewhere different. But it was definitely refreshing somehow.

I heard somewhere several years ago that when driving to places you visit frequently, like driving to work, it can keep your brain stimulated (and therefore more alert) if you take a different route every now and then. Apparently this makes for better driving cuz your brain's not bored. ...Perhaps it's the same with church seating. ...Perhaps it's the same with everything.

JM and I had contemplated a walk for today, and when she texted, she inquired about a walk vs. a bike ride. Having only ridden my bike two or three times this summer, I jumped at the opportunity to bring out the wheels on such a nice day. Again, refreshing. And not just physiologically. But given as I go for walks with my friends quite regularly, this made the excursion a little different.

There is definitely something to be said for routine. In my work, we often create regular and predictable routines for our children. The predictability of what's happening lowers stress, can enhance social interactions, and facilitates learning. Still, when I talk to coworkers about play routines, I often emphasize that while it is crucially important to keep the routine the same, it is also important to have regular variety within the activities that make up that routine. Otherwise the child gets bored. New activities are refreshing; fancy that.

Balance. It always seems to come back to balance. Here it's the balance between enough predictability in our routines to minimize stress and chaos, and enough variety to keep it interesting. Today I am balanced.

Perhaps next Sunday I will sit in the middle.

Cheering for the Visiting Team

I found this while organizing/sorting through some old files and stuff this past week. What a blessing to have so many in my life who cheer the visiting team with me. :)

I'm writing this ... on a Saturday morning in Boston. I came here to speak at a conference. After I did my part last night, I did something very spiritual: I went to a Boston Celtics basketball game. I couldn't resist. Boston Gardens is a stadium I'd wanted to see since I was a kid. Besides, Boston was playing my favourite team, the San Antonio Spurs. 

As I took my seat, it occurred to me that I might be the only Spurs fan in the crowd. I'd be wise to be quiet. But that was hard to do. I contained myself for a few moments, but that's all. By the end of the first quarter I was letting out solo war whoops every time the Spurs would score. 

People were beginning to turn and look. Risky stuff, this voice-in-the-wilderness routine. 

That's when I noticed I had a friend across the aisle. He, too, applauded the Spurs. When I clapped, he clapped. I had a partner. We buoyed each other. I felt better. 

At the end of the quarter I gave him the thumbs-up. He gave it back. He was only a teenager. No matter. We were united by the higher bond of fellowship. 

That's one reason for the church. All week you cheer for the visiting team. You applaud the success of the One the world opposes. You stand when everyone sits and sit when everyone stands. 

At some point you need support. You need to be with folks who cheer when you do. You need what the Bible calls fellowship. And you need it every week. After all, you can only go so long before you think about joining the crowd. 

-- Max Lucado