Willowcreek and Soulforce meet face to face

I could probably post alot on this topic but I’ll leave the info for our readers over a nice cup of coffee or cocoa. In a nutshell, one of the largest and most influential Evangelical Churches, Willow Creek Community Church, has concluded that homosexuality is not a sin. It’s part of who you are.

While that may seem self-evident, it’s a major deal for a church like Willow Creek to admit it.

This happened during a meeting that none other than Julie Nemeck attended at Willow Creek. You might remember Dr. Nemecek, she’s both an experienced pastor and educator who was booted from her job in Michigan for being trans.

Here’s a quote from the story on her blog:

For our part, we were surprised and pleased that Willow Creek’s own 30-year study of homosexuality has led them to conclude that: (1) Sexual orientation is unchangeable. and (2) Sexual orientation should not keep someone from being received into their church. They acknowledged that 6 of the 7 verses used to condemn homosexuality are irrelevant; really referring to other things.

You can read the full story at Julie’s blog at her story, “Soulforce, Willow Creek and Me“.

Their story is pretty amazing and really goes back to something that we miss sometimes as Christians and as transgender people: God isn’t so much concerned with who we are but in our resultant behavior; our character. Are any of our behavior Christlike or not? Are our behaviors and actions showing we are redemptive and healing in our relationships and still uncompromising, and, though very much imperfect, disciples?

For me, it’s important to remember my behaviors are a reflection of my individual heartfelt desire to “give back”, in a sense, to Christ for His sacrifice for me on the cross and my personal acceptance of His sacrifice for my sins. My behaviors can’t earn me God’s love but they can show how much I love Him by loving others.

It’s easy to forget that in Jesus’s day, He was considered an out there radical bent on destroying the government and the powers of the day. He was considered a major league weirdo and threat! And though He was a radical, even a surface read of the Gospels shows you how redemptive and healing His behaviors were. What a great example He left us.

You can learn about SoulForce at this linkie love here. Photos of this historic meeting are at SoulForce photos here.