ARE GAY PEOPLE WELCOME IN OUR CHURCH?

Within 48 hours I received two separate emails from two different persons who had visited our church. Their question was identical: are gay people welcome in our church. I suspect they may have been asking the question with a particular person(s) in mind and wondered how their gay friend would be treated...and that's a fair question and legit concern.

Below is my answer to one of the inquiries, which the person appreciated and asked me to post. Here it is...
_________________________________

Thanks for your question, _________. As for the church's view, or "attitude" on the subject it's pretty simple--we love people. Period.

Now, that doesn't mean we approve of that which God speaks against. And God has lots to say about a lot of lifestyle choices. Some are good and some are bad, but whenever God says, "Thou shalt..." or "Thou shalt not..." it's always motivated by his love...for us and for the world.

So what does the Bible teach about the gay issue? As far as I can tell it condemns the act, not the inclination. I have lots of "inclinations" that God says no too. Truth be told, if I followed many of my sinful inclinations or impulses my life would be a total disaster. So I'm very grateful for God's gracious "no's."

It's a tough issue. We welcome gay people and the struggles they have (and we all have our struggles and weaknesses). But when we are asked to bless and affirm that which God does not that's where we have to lovingly disagree.

My experience in dealing with lots of gay people is that they, for the most part, respect our position even if they don't agree with it because of the way we articulate it. We try to engage in conversations like this like Jesus would--with tons of grace bathed in truth. I learned long ago that truth without love is "brutal honesty"--a totally unbiblical notion. On the other hand, love where truth gets sacrificed is reduced to sentimental mush.

John 1:14 says Jesus was full of grace and truth. I hope that's the balance we walk.

________________________________________

Note: I did not attempt to answer all the big theological, moral or practical questions relating to gay people or an actively gay lifestyle. This is simply a brief attempt to respond to how we, as a church, would respond to a gay person who visited our church. Asking the church to give its blessing to an openly gay lifestyle, however, is a whole different conversation--one that is serious enough that it deserves greater detail than a brief blog allows.

Nick