Vocational Singleness is a Gospel Cornerstone
Some who know Jesus experience crippling doubt. Others who don’t yet know Jesus see a Creation in chaos. Christ’s promises seem to ring hollow, the kingdom is coming too slowly, the gospel feels feeble. Thankfully a potent vehicle of kingdom work and kingdom hope for the early Church is available to God’s people today, if we will only embrace and nourish it. Amid Christ’s ministry on earth, he instituted a vocation meant to give us hope for the kingdom to come and to bring forth that kingdom with undivided attention: the vocation of singleness.
The Ascetic Fetish
Christian celibacy is a tragically misunderstood concept. Depictions of kingdom singleness, from Renaissance paintings to modern television shows, often misrepresent Christ's invitation and early Church practices, tempting some ordinary Christians to ignore their calling and others to indulge in a caricature of the vocation of Jesus. These thoughts swirled through my mind as I took up an invitation to spend a holiday weekend at a friend’s house in the land of 1000 lakes…
Building Committed Christian Community
My hope for the Church is that gay celibate Christians would find real family. What kind of family are we all made for? How can vocational singles, regardless of sexual orientation, build the permanent family they need?
Reframing Our Sermons on Sexuality
What if sexuality sermons centered how God made all of us for intimacy in the context of family instead of focusing on marriage and sex? I recently had the opportunity to write for Outreach Magazine about framing conversation in terms of "sexual stewardship".
Faithful Christian Marriages Evangelize
As we celebrate Valentine’s Day nears, I reflect on the meaning of Christian marriage by recalling my toast at my brother’s recent wedding. The toast begins with some personal notes and focuses on the hope-giving nature of Christian marriage at 3:05 in the video.
Disciple the Queer Generation
A recent study found that 39% of Gen Zers identify as LGBTQ. In the past, Christian parents have defaulted to doubting the sexual identity of teens, leading to destructive results. What if instead, parents responded calmly, "So you're queer? Alright! God's not surprised, and His wisdom is still clear and very good for you!"
Top 10 Q’s about LGBT+ Topics
When consulting with churches about better 1-on-1 ministry to gay people, I often get the same questions. Check out Part 1 of Top 10 Questions on LGBTQ+ Topics.
How a Deconstructed Evangelical Found Reconstruction as an Anglican
Can God's wisdom be known? What should we do when God feels absent? I'm grateful for the opportunity to write for "The Living Church" in a more extended way about my evangelical deconstruction and Anglican reconstruction.
Purity Culture grew from romance idolatry
Listen to this episode of the "Where do we go from here?" podcast where Devi Abraham. Jessica Van Der Wyngaard, and I talk about purity culture and celibacy. The problem with "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" and True Love Waits wasn't traditional sexual ethics. It's that purity culture sold Christians the idol of romance.
Sharing the gospel with gay non-Christians?
Listen to this episode of The Kingdoms Podcast where they asked, “How can churches do better outreach and invite gay non-Christians to church?” My short answer: Start by getting the gospel right with gay Christians who already agree with you.
Netflix's "Pray Away": Beware of False Dichotomies
Netflix's "Pray Away" presents a false dichotomy between ex-gay theology and progressive sexual ethics, erasing gay celibate Christians who hold fast to Biblical wisdom while accepting that sexual orientation rarely changes.
Is it really better to marry than burn with desire?
From Fathom Magazine - Today, more Christian young adults are postponing marriage or considering never marrying than ever before, and the church at large fears plummeting marriage percentages and the declining birth rates that follow. As those numbers soften, their refrain booms louder: “If abstinent singleness isn’t easy for you, don’t worry. Just get married.” Armed with 1 Corinthians 7:9, they plead with the under-thirty crowd, “PLEASE. Get married.”
God’s Good for Gay People
Watch this video seminar exploring whether the gospel is good news for gay people. What do I believe, why do I hold those beliefs, and what should Church do differently?
The Case for Vocational Singleness
From Christianity Today - How can our churches raise up more kingdom workers to heal our communities with undivided attention? Our churches need to become places where young adults genuinely discern whether God is calling them to vocational singleness or Christian marriage.
5 Strategies for Your Church
Are gay people thriving according to God’s wisdom in your church? Watch this video about five common challenges churches face and five proven strategies for becoming churches where LGB people flourish according to a traditional sexual ethic.
Leveraging Christian Singleness
Watch this video to deepen your vision for how God wants to use singleness, whether temporary or lifetime. What is vocational singleness? Why does God call people to vocational singleness?
Made for Intimacy and Family
How had God created all of us for human intimacy in the context of lived-in, lifelong family? Watch this video exploring healthy intimacy need fulfillment.
Sexual Ethics & Empty Words
I language popularized by the Gay Christian Network. “Side A”, “Side B”, and “Side X” shorthand is an attempt at value-neutral language that challenges unhelpful dichotomy. But what do each of these labels mean? And what does it look like for a church to embody each of these beliefs?