To tell you my story, I should really go back to the 1970s. I grew up in rural East Anglia. My family were Quakers and so, from my birth, they took me along to the local Friends Meeting House. The one thing I most remember was being interminably bored!
An article that covers church life
The intention of this article is to help same-sex attracted Christians to get their particular challenge(s) in perspective, and to recognise that many other Christians also carry significant burdens resulting from their faith. Comparing the relative sizes of the crosses we bear with those of other Christians is an unhelpful exercise. If we judge that our particular burden is greater than that of others, it’s likely to fuel self-pity, resentment and pride.
It would be preferable to write the article “How I Dealt with Disappointment” as if I had gone through all the disappointment and come out the other side – “It’s in the past; just peace and joy from here on in.” Unfortunately, I would not be able to write that with much integrity.
All who belong to Jesus share God as their Father. To be a parent is, to some extent, to mirror our God and fulfil our created design. Indeed, God created humanity to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). Of course, many do not have children, so what hope is offered for them? When exploring this sensitive subject, I hope these three principles will be used by the Spirit to offer hope...
I have the privilege to work as a Youth and Children’s Minister for a small church. I influence many young lives (and families!) through my work. It’s a joy when I see children, teenagers and whole families get the gospel and live out a personal faith in the Lord Jesus. However, I do realise that, as a same-sex attracted person, It is likely I will never have the experience of parenting my own biological children...
In a well-functioning church married people should have a stake in the lives of singles and singles in the lives of the married. No two parents can be all things to their children – and there can be great benefit from a trusted other who is external and objective.