A City Weekend
We had a “city weekend,” which included a play by Isabella Allende on Friday, a memorial service for a Dr. Vernon Grounds on Saturday, and an urban church on Sunday. Up in the foothills where we live, the golden aspen leaves have mostly fallen, the mountains visible through our windows are freshly coated in white, and the bull elk rest quietly in meadows or under trees, exhausted by their annual ritual of sparring and mating. Squirrels and chipmunks are storing up seed for the winter, and the birds have narrowed down to those species brave enough to endure a Colorado winter. Three times this weekend we left all that behind and drove to the city.
I had met a pastor who told me about his church in Denver which holds to a strong evangelical theology but is “welcoming and affirming” of the gay community. (I know that any time I mention this issue I open the floodgates to vitriolic responses from people who have way too much time to surf the Internet and post stern pronouncements on homosexuality.) I deliberately avoid taking a firm position on most of the nuanced questions on homosexuality and the church for a couple of reasons: 1) It is a complex issue, not nearly as black-and-white as either side thinks, and 2) I believe our primary charge is to demonstrate God’s love, which is most difficult when a relationship is mainly characterized by heated argument.
Recently the novelist Anne Rice, outspoken about her conversion a few years ago, announced, “I quit being a Christian…I remain committed to Christ…but not to being ‘Christian’ or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to ‘belong’ to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group.” She mentioned Christians’ hatred of gay people as a major factor.
More sardonically, the gay activist Dan Savage said, “All gays and lesbians want from evangelical Christians is the same deal the Jews and the yoga instructors and the atheists and the divorced and the adulterers and the rich all get: full civil equality despite the going-to-hell business. (And isn’t hell punishment enough? Do we have to be persecuted on earth too?)”
I read both these quotes in a newsletter the very morning I attended the welcoming and affirming church. I must say, it was a relief to read this church’s approach as printed in their bulletin:
Married, divorced or single here, it’s one family that mingles here.
Conservative or liberal here, we’ve all gotta give a little here.
Big or small here, there’s room for us all here.
Doubt or believe here, we all can receive here.
Gay or straight here, there’s no hate here.
Woman or man here, everyone can serve here.
Whatever your race here, for all of us grace here.
In imitation of the ridiculous love Almighty God has for each of us and all of us,
let us live and love without labels.
The service followed the format common in modern evangelical churches: praise songs led by a band onstage, a sermon, more singing, and communion. During the singing, small children danced in the aisles before being ushered into another room for the children’s lesson. The sermon, centering on the story of the widow who attracted Jesus’ praise by giving two small coins, “everything she had to live on,” was as rich, insightful, and eloquent as any I’ve heard in months. Indeed, nothing struck me as notably different about this church unless I looked around and noticed the homosexual couples scattered through the congregation. (That’s not quite true: the variety of hair styles, dress, tattoos, and piercings marked this as a distinctively urban church.)
My visit did little to resolve the questions I still have about evangelicals and homosexuality, but it did make me grateful for a church that courageously welcomes those who would feel judged or excluded from many other churches.
From there I went to a barbecue celebration of Metro CareRing, a nonprofit organization that provides food for Denver’s hungry. The organizers had predicted a turnout of 300, but a cold, drizzly rain kept attendance down to less than half that. A number of churches had sent representatives, and I agreed to say a few words and to give away signed books to anyone who gave a donation of any size. The Denver Broncos were playing in another state, but it occurred to me that 60,000 screaming fans would gladly have paid to sit through miserable weather for three hours had they scheduled a home game that day. Instead, a cause like hunger attracted a small group of churchgoers, idealistic college students, and street people who always seem to know where food is being served.
I learned an important principle by studying the motley collection of characters who populate the pages of the Bible: God uses the talent pool available. In the sermon earlier that day, the guest preacher mentioned her initial discomfort with the story of the widow who gave all she had. Why did Jesus simply praise her, as an object lesson contrasted to the rich people who proudly made large contributions? Why didn’t he do something to address her state? Her conclusion: “God leaves the justice issue up to us.” I pondered that statement as I stood in the rain and watched a small crowd of volunteers unloading food donations while a soul sister belted out, “His eye is on the sparrow.” For all its faults, the church still soldiers on; it is, after all, the talent pool available to do God’s work.
© 2010 by Philip Yancey
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10 responses to “A City Weekend”
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About Philip Yancey
For Yancey, reading offered a window to a different world. So, he devoured books that opened his mind, challenged his upbringing, and went against what he had been taught. A sense of betrayal engulfed him.
Philip, I have read all of your books and this last year have been living with “Grace notes”. I have gotten so much out of these devotions. I will be giving away a lot of these to my friends and family.
I am 78 years old. I have been a Christian all of my life. Yes, I made a commitment of my own at an early age. I have also struggled with prejudice from “Christians”.
My wife and I moved from Kansas in 1971 to become part of a Church in Columbia, Maryland. 7 members of the Church of the Savior from Washington DC began this Church in 1968. We wanted to be part of this Church but didn’t want to raise our Children in the inner city. I am a Pharmacist and we moved here and built a professional Pharmacy. We have been blessed with a Church community, 4 children, 7 Grandkids and many friends.
I have just been diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic cancer. It was a surprise. I am ok with knowing that my days in a physical body are nearing an end. I have no fear. I don’t want to leave my wife of 56 years, or miss watching my grandkids and their growing up.
I have praying friends, a good Oncologist, a Church community and we live in a retirement community with all of the support I will need to make the transition.
I would enjoy traveling this journey with you. Would you be willing to commit to praying for me and walking this next time with me? I have chosen 12 friends to stay in close contact and give them updates on how it is going for me.
There is no cure for Pancreatic cancer. My oncologist has me on a Chemo infusion to slow down the cancer and reduce the size. I will continue only as long as I have ‘quality of life’.
Thank you for your Christian witness. I resonate with your view of the Christian life.
In gratitude for what you have given me with your words. Blessings and love Charlie Powell
Of course I will pray with you and for you, Charlie. I envy you your time at Church of the Savior. I have written that I know of no recorded “miracles” of healing from pancreatic cancer, and since then got reports of four exceptions to that. You will be healed, either here or in eternity. Blessings,
Philip
Great post! I have admired your writing for a long time, and I really appreciate your statement that things are “not nearly as black-and-white as either side thinks.” One thing that strikes me, and perhaps I am wrong, but it seems to me that when Jesus talked about sin, it was in terms of looking into OUR OWN hearts and NOT judging the sins of others around us. Yes, we are to share the gospel and teach others to obey his commands, but it is not our place to pronounce harsh judgments on anyone. Our relationship with God has to do with the state of our own hearts so that we may be a light to others. I struggle with the harsh pronouncements and often divisive stances of the evangelical community, even though I consider myself an evangelical. Thank you for bringing a calmer voice into the discussion.
Philip, thank you for these words of grace and humility in addressing a topic that has caused so much pain on both sides… I am a member of LaSalle Street Church in Chicago (although on a hiatus in Atlanta right now), which I know was instrumental in your spiritual development. We are dealing with the gay issues as a church right now, and it has been difficult. On a more personal note, I began a blog earlier this year to tell my “story” as a gay Christian on a life-long journey to reconcile my sexuality with my faith. Thank you for all that you do!
Very cool! I was just referred to this post by a reader at my blog who just read something I wrote about homosexuality and the church. I love the perspective, and pray that more of the church starts to see things this way…
Thank you.
Dan King
Philip. LOVE your writing…and you cannot imagine how glad I am to read your words in this post.
I realize the post was not “about” homosexuality, but that’s what jumped out at me – because The Church has turned homosexuality into the sword that the conversation of Christ has to die upon.
And that is as wrong as anything we’ve ever done.
Cathy
p.s. please consider getting on Twitter! Even just to link to your posts.
Hi Philip! Oh! I’m so glad your website is doing well again! 🙂 I used to wonder what you were going to say about Anne Rice… hehehe… I’m not sure if I can recall correctly, but I think you mentioned her in one of your writings, if not in the books, maybe in the CT… Anyway, her stand on homosexuality and Christianity is really striking, or even faith-shakening, at least for me. But I remember what you said in What’s So Amazing that somehow, it was a risk on God’s part when he trusted to the followers of Christ the heavy task of extending grace, but still, it seemed to Him that it was a task worth taking (or something like that). I learned though that if i ever am to be authentic as a follower of Christ and be an influencer of others for Him, then i have to first of all be a channel of that grace, with His help of course. And the Lord will take care of the rest.
So, somehow, i kinda understand, somehow, about why Ms. Rice said those.
Thank you for your thoughts Philip! 🙂
Thanks Phil. Most of us see the issue of homosexuality and other publicized sins as impossible… Indeed, Homosexuality and all the rest are big questions on how we should deal with it all… Yep, It’s a sin… and we are not compromising the sin by putting it on another label. However, treating this people is another issue… Sometimes, Jesus would say – “If anyone is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her…” Sometimes, Jesus would say of a person that it is better for him to be dead, or would be so “angry” that He would make a big commotion in the place of worship-turned-marketplace… Were these sins grander than other sins? I believe a sin is a sin; stealing a penny is still like stealing millions… And so goes with disrespecting parents, witchcraft and homosexuality… The way Jesus treated people is quite simpler: He simply adjusted it to what would give God maximum glory… All sin are being judged by God as wrong, and death is its proper place… But we Christians, the mirrors to Life, should do everything -by God’s grace – to give Glory to God. Whether it be being holy and grace-full and loving… The reactions of the homosexuals and patrons of it, for Christians being “judgmental” and “harsh” (“too much hell!”) is quite a crucial issue – people will really dislike being told that they’re sinners… We tell them that’s sin – but we don’t go beyond it… We show them love by telling the truth… But we don’t overdo it as if we’re God who judges all things… leave it all to Jesus… We just live as salt and light, not to the point of pushing people to do this or that… hihi… Living as Salt and Light are mere understatements however… Because through these, even the worst of sinners can see a clear mirror of who Jesus is… and when they do – the impossible turns to glory…
Phillip Yancey is soft on homosexuality!!!!!!
Thank God. How many more of the hard and uncompromising types can we handle. That stance would only really work if you had perfect knowledge of an issue, and even Jesus, who some say did, couldn’t be characterized as “hard and uncompromising”.
Oh wait, except when he was around religious conservatives.
Thanks PY for helping to teach us how to be soft.
Philip-
Thank you for your support and your presence at the Hunger Blues BBQ. With the help of you and the other 250 people that participated on Sunday, we were able to raise over $50,000 and 30,000 pounds of food. It is wonderful play a small role in God’s greater plan for the redemption of His creation.
It is good to see Philip’s thoughts and viewpoints on the internet, no matter how understandably reluctant he may have been. His comments on a church that allows people to participate in the public grace of God, no matter how outcast those people might be, is refreshing. I look forward to reading his blog in the future.