The folks at
Zacchaeus Fellowship are
men and women who have struggled with same-sex attractions, we seek to be a voice of hope to the church and to others who share these struggles. We encourage the Church to stand firm in proclaiming to everyone who experiences same-sex attractions that Christ offers them new life and hope.
We know what it's like to have homosexual feelings. Yet we also have come to accept the Biblical teaching that all sexual relations outside heterosexual marriage are contrary to God's Will as declared in Holy Scripture.
They have written an open letter to the members of General Synod 2007.
As men and women who have experienced same-sex attraction in our own lives and who still strive to live chastely in accordance with traditional Christian teaching, the members of Zacchaeus Fellowship are gravely concerned by the motions before Synod that would bless and affirm same-sex unions.
Contrary to what is implicitly suggested by the recent direction of our Anglican Church of Canada, not all persons with same-sex attractions want these attractions affirmed. We are especially concerned for those whom we describe as “silent sufferers” in the pews. These are the many individuals who adhere to the traditional Christian teaching on sexuality and wish for the church neither to condemn them as persons nor to encourage them to act on those same-sex attractions. To approve Resolution A186 or A187 would pull the rug out from under such people.
Please be warned that the current controversy is not simply about inclusion of those who are in same-sex unions. While we concur with the consensus to include all persons in our church, we believe a misperception has arisen, namely, that accepting persons of homosexual orientation must lead to the accepting of same-sex unions/marriages. In fact, no one is excluded from our church because of sexual orientation; the rite of baptism includes us all.
Read
it all.
Thanks Gene, and may God bless Jonathan and Christie.
ReplyDeleteInto Thy hands, O Lord.
Dear Gene,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Glenda Parkman, and I have 20-year-old daughter named Rebecca whose story is on the same website as is that of Nicholas Usher - www.livingwithtrisomy13.org. Rebecca has a 13q/15q translocation form of Trisomy 13. She functions about like a 9 to 10-year-old academically and somewhat younger socially. Spiritually; however, Rebecca has taught many adults, including me, a thing or two. She is the one of the most trusting toward God, loving and forgiving toward other people individuals you could ever meet. When we have our times of praise and worship at church, Rebecca enters in with such freedom and such peace that people are blessed when they look her way. She usually has her eyes closed, often her face upturned, sometimes her hands uplifted and a look of peaceful intensity. She often lays her head on my lap or shoulder during the sermon, leading me to conclude that she's probably not hearing the message. Rebecca often surprises me later in the week by telling me some portion of the sermon that she remembers and sharing what she believes God wants her to do as a result.
I want you to know that your sermon, "125 Minutes: A Funeral Sermon for Nicholas Wyatt Usher" blessed me. Thank you for being open in the preparation of it to God's truth! God knew all about the time Nicholas would spend on this earth and what a blessing Nicholas' earthly life, though brief, would be. Psalm 139:16
Glenda Parkman
[...] for Nicholas Wyatt Usher Posted on January 30, 2008 by prairiewords Once in a while a post grabs, [...]
ReplyDeleteI have a baby with Jesus too, but she didn't even live long enough to be baptized. She was stillborn.
ReplyDelete...with Jesus, indeed. Won't it be something to meet her!
ReplyDeleteI should point out, I'm Mrs. Falstaff. I decided to drop the pen name.
ReplyDeleteIt will. I miss her though.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know about Mrs Falstaff.