The recent ruling of the Supreme Court on the Defense of Marriage Act (full text available here) is only the latest example of how issues of sexuality have become one of the dominant issues facing the North American Church. It is vital, however, that we realize that this is by no stretch of the imagination exclusively a “gay issue.” Rather, important questions extend to the realms of LGBTQ-sexuality and heterosexuality alike. The North American experience is so saturated by the themes of sex and sexuality, that it can be difficult to get the kind of distance necessary to ask even deeper questions about how these themes relate, intrinsically, to Christian life and spirituality. We live in a time and place in which we are so bombarded by sexual images, ideas, and discussions that one could argue that the average North American cultural imagination is invariably a sexual-imagination.
Amid these realities, and inasmuch as the issues and facts of sex and sexuality are not to be shunned, but embraced as good parts of God’s created order, it is all the more important for church leaders to hear from and dialogue with one another with regard to their thinking, experience, and engagement with these issues.
We’d like to put forth the teaching and discussion led by Deb & Alan Hirsch on this topic in the following workshop as a resource for those who might be focused on this issue. But more, we’d like to facilitate a discussion on this topic in the coming week.
- What ideas or resources have been most helpful for you in thinking through the relationship between Christian spirituality and sexuality?
- In what ways has this issue been raised and/or addressed in your church/context?
- If you take the time to listen to the workshop, what stuck out, what questions do you have, where might you want to push back?
Workshop Description:
Evangelicals have been confounded with the relationship of Sexuality and Spirituality. In this workshop we will take a closer look at the connections between the two – and the implications for what it means to follow Jesus in the 21st century.
The audio download of this workshop is available HERE and is available for free all day today, 7/22/13 (discount automatically applied when you add the workshop to your cart).
Missio Alliance Comment Policy
The Missio Alliance Writing Collectives exist as a ministry of writing to resource theological practitioners for mission. From our Leading Voices to our regular Writing Team and those invited to publish with us as Community Voices, we are creating a space for thoughtful engagement of critical issues and questions facing the North American Church in God’s mission. This sort of thoughtful engagement is something that we seek to engender not only in our publishing, but in conversations that unfold as a result in the comment section of our articles.
Unfortunately, because of the relational distance introduced by online communication, “thoughtful engagement” and “comment sections” seldom go hand in hand. At the same time, censorship of comments by those who disagree with points made by authors, whose anger or limited perspective taints their words, or who simply feel the need to express their own opinion on a topic without any meaningful engagement with the article or comment in question can mask an important window into the true state of Christian discourse. As such, Missio Alliance sets forth the following suggestions for those who wish to engage in conversation around our writing:
1. Seek to understand the author’s intent.
If you disagree with something the an author said, consider framing your response as, “I hear you as saying _________. Am I understanding you correctly? If so, here’s why I disagree. _____________.
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We deeply desire and value the voice and perspective of our readers. However you may react to an article we publish or a fellow commenter, we encourage you to set forth that reaction is the most constructive way possible. Use your voice and perspective to move conversation forward rather than shut it down.
3. Share your story.
One of our favorite tenants is that “an enemy is someone whose story we haven’t heard.” Very often disagreements and rants are the result of people talking past rather than to one another. Everyone’s perspective is intimately bound up with their own stories – their contexts and experiences. We encourage you to couch your comments in whatever aspect of your own story might help others understand where you are coming from.
In view of those suggestions for shaping conversation on our site and in an effort to curate a hospitable space of open conversation, Missio Alliance may delete comments and/or ban users who show no regard for constructive engagement, especially those whose comments are easily construed as trolling, threatening, or abusive.