It should have been a really joyful conversation. My brother had phoned to say he’d met a woman who’d started going to his church, and after so many years of finding it hard to be single, he was now talking about marriage. But something in his voice was…off? There was a hesitation and strain I didn’t understand, and I couldn’t work out why he hadn’t mentioned any of this to me before now.

For the last 9 years I have had the privilege under God of pastoring our church family. Our church family comprises a large range of people- different nationalities, ages, social backgrounds and struggles. What unites us all is the desire to know Jesus better and serve him more faithfully. How do I enable our church family to do this? Most importantly it’s through my preaching and pastoring. 

When people ask what my personal experience of pastoral care in the church has been like as a same-sex attracted Christian, I’m aware they might be expecting one of two things. On the one hand there is the horror story – the church that actively tells me I don’t need to live in accordance with what Christians have historically believed about sex and marriage, or maybe the church in which I’m made to feel shame for my experience of attraction.

The Heidelberg Catechism was written in mid sixteenth century Heidelberg by two young men in their twenties at the request of a German prince.  Its purpose was for instructing young people and guiding pastors and teachers.  It was divided into 52 sections so that part of it could be taught in churches each Sunday.

I’ve always thought True Freedom Trust is a provocative title for an organisation. After all freedom is one of those things that everybody regards as positive. My childhood was shaped by images of the Berlin Wall falling amidst joyful celebrations and the hope of all that freedom would bring. And, for many, the joy of the last decades has been a greater sexual freedom, not least the freedom for those who identify as gay to marry.

The word shepherd occurs 118 times in the NIV Bible, 23 of which are in the New Testament. Of these New Testament references, most refer to Jesus. Obviously, the word is important, yet its full meaning is likely to escape those of us who have never lived or worked around sheep. I have a cousin who is a cowboy, but I have never known a shepherd. My knowledge of sheep and shepherding comes mainly from episodes of “Shaun the Sheep”, which I doubt paint an accurate picture!