Sharing the Link-Love

Here some interesting posts that I would like to pass along to you. The basic theme is people of faith wrestling with some very difficult questions. I admire that.

First of all, my friend who also is a part of our congregation at Rothesay Vineyard, Joni, runs a blog called Got Authenticity? where she writes openly about the fact that, as she says, “I am a Christian who struggles with same sex attraction.” She is a brave woman struggling to find herself and her way in an adversarial world.

Also, I finally was pointed to another blogger, Jamie Arpin Ricci, who runs Canada’s number one religious blog of last year, Emergent Voyageurs . Read his latest and courageous post on “Homosexuality: A Personal Reflection”, in which he admits his homosexual attractions while being married to a woman. I think he is courageous to write such a post. His conclusion is: “I believe that practicing homosexuality is inconsistent with Christianity.” He takes a position that is accepted by some of Christianity, that while it is tolerable to be homosexual in orientation, it is sinful to practice it. This for me has problems, because Jesus taught that how we think in our heart is how we truly are. It doesn’t need to be “practiced”. This position can cause, I believe, a harmful fracture between the sensual and the spiritual.

John over at Microclesia, is a new online acquaintance of mine. We seem to be very much on the same page. He reads Wilbur, Anthony de Mello, Brueggeman, the poetry of Denise Levertov, is into music, etc. etc.. I’m glad to have met him. His recent post on The Complex Christ is worth a read if you have a few minutes.

Steve over at Stupid Church People has written an interesting post on “The Authority Prayer” which exposes the sorcery Christians can be tempted to use. Steve and Josh are ex-pastors who blog about the stupidity of church life that they don’t miss. I like reading it because I’ve been “ex-pastor” before, may be again, and their honesty is, well, incisive.

Bene Diction, has posted an interesting write-up on the Church of England’s attempt to use YouTube to be more relevant to today’s culture. You can read about it here. To me, it sounds 20 years ago. I agree with Bene Diction: I won’t use it. I don’t listen to sermons online or podcasts (unless it is humour).

The cartoon is from Hugh over at gapingvoid, a cartoonist/blogger who I check out every day. Thought it was funny!

That’s enough for now. Some good reading.