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In here I hope to have various personal stories and devotional stories. Unless otherwise noted they are written and copy right to the author of the site Colourful Dave. If you have something you think suitable send it typed and no more than one A4 standard piece of paper send it to The Christian Queer P.O. Box X2222 Perth WA 6847. All works must be original, will not be returned and can't be guarentied of being published. Publication is totally at the discresion of the site author. A name and contact details MUST be included such as name and/or address/email address. These will be kept confidential, only your work and name will be published unles you SPECIFICALLY, CLEARLY ASK TO BE ANONYMOUS. I am looking for work from any Christian gay, lesbian, bi sexual, trans*, questioning or intersex person or their supporting families and friends. This is not a chat or contact line.
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Articles written by others
What does the bible say about homosexuality? [Easy]
www.whosoever.org/bible/index.html
What does the bible say about homosexuality? [harder]
http://fou.uniting.com.au/texts.html
Homosexuality is not a sin - reflections on Holy Scripture.
www.mccsydney.org.au/notasin/index.htm
How can you be Christian if you are gay?
www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/7322/gc1.htm
How can you be gay if you are Christian?
www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/7322/gc2.htm
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Good news for gays [Especialley at Easter, but always]
Today as I type this it's Easter Sunday, the day Christians around the world celebrate the resurection of Christ. Some doubt his bodily resurection, some swear by his physical resurection. I'm not going to question it here today but rather speak of the good news it brought to one gay man, an artist whose work and story I was touched by. A young man who I will just call Alan for his privacy's sake was involved in doing the final station of the cross artwork, The Resurection. An explanation for those who don't know: The Stations of the Cross, is a following some churches do each Easter where people re - live the time of Christ mostly from the bible and also from tradition being from his condemnation to die, right through the whole Easter story to his death and resurection. Well our church, Wesley Uniting in the city of Perth this year 2009 had an exhibition done by various Western Australian artists on this and the young man who did the last one is gay. He had followed Eastern meditation and Budhism previously because quite sadly he had felt rejected by the church. Our minister was able to point out to him that Christ does not reject him or any gay or any person and neither does Wesley Uniting Church in the City of Perth W.A. Don our minister said this in front of a packed Easter Sunday congregation. Wesley and the other churches listed on this website are NOT ashamed of gay, lesbian, bi, trans* , intersex and questioning people or their loved ones. I must admit that this gay man typing this message need to here those words occaisonally too and appreciated it greatly today. And so I say as Christians have each Easter for 2000 years said:
Hallelujah, He is risen
He is risen indeed.
P.S. For you too!
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Gay guy...Gay Guy...Gay Guy...
That's what those "lovely" local youths called out one time some years ago near my front door after somehow {I don't remember/know how} discovering that I am in fact homosexual. Now while I was getting slightly annoyed by that and other immature taunts I had to think of what was the best response to them, because.....
A. I knew it was no good to resond with any form of physical or verbal retaliation because it would go on and on back and forth until either party got seriously hurt and I didn't want that to happen to anyone, me, them or both.
B. Is that the worst they can do to me??? Really, so what!
C. I also had to think of how Jesus would want me to behave/react/respond in that situation?
So, what I actually did at the time was to shut my front door so the couldn't see me. Then for no other reason than for the fun of it I briefly opened the door, and shouted back... ''AND PROUD OF IT!"
But it made me think, is that the worst they can do do to me?
Well I knew things could have gotten worse and I am grateful that they didn't for me then but then thoughts seem to lead to, how should I, as a Christian respond?????????
When Jesus was criticized he always seemed to come back with an answer that totally turned the whole situation upside down. Think of the following example from John 8. verses 6 - 11. It was a story about a woman caught in the very act of adultery.......a crime worthy of being stoned to death on the spot in those times.......
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!" Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, begginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" No Lord, she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more"........... John Chapter 8 verses 6 - 11
There are a few things I have considered over the years about this passage......
1.Where was the man involved? It seemed the man having sex with her was as someone said to me once..."Back in the house, putting on his pants!" It was only the woman who got blamed {and to be stoned to death} for what they BOTH did!
2. The fact that Jesus didn't stone her to death was interesting too. By rights as the only one who had never sinned he had every right to. But he didn't. Why, because he came to bring forgivness for ALL wrongdoing {another less religious term for sin} NOT punishment and death. He came to die for that womans sin's [ all of them] as much as yours and mine...ALL OF THEM. Jesus came down to earth so that us all [including YOU] would not have to take the punishment in our own bodies for our wrongdoing, our sin. Trusting in his sacrificial death on the cross is all that is required to spend eternal paradise in heaven. However you choose to follow him, just follow Jesus. If you've never chosen him, just do it now. You will never regret it. Just say a simple prayer asking Jesus forgiveness and admitting your'e not perfect, then following him. It's as simple as that. And going to one of the churches listed on this website should help you grow too. Remember the Christian walk is just that...a walk. So keep walking along with other travellers. I know I haven't regretted the walk many years on. I'm sure you won't either. Colourful - Dave Longworth
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For such a time as this
There is a story in the biblical book of Esther about a jewish young woman who was taken to be in the king's harem. To make a long story short the king had promised to kill every single jew in the land, although the king didn't know that his favourite sex slave was was a jew, and that he would have to kill her too by his own decree. So the euneuch in charge of the harem went to her and this is part of the recorded conversation:"When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer 'Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for all the jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Those last words underlined have been used many times in church sermons and even in songs. But I intend to use it now to show what it can mean to gay and lesbian type people and those who meet us.
Sometimes people's self esteem goes down when they realise that they are gay or lesbian. Or perhaps yours has when you discovered a loved one is of diverse sexuality - GLBTI, or even that you or your loved one has HIV/AIDS or some other sexually transmitteed disease. Maybe they are particuarly younger or older than you would normally expect people to come out of the closet. Maybe it's your church minister or work collegeague. Maybe it's your spouse, or parent or child. Or maybe they are saying that they want a sex change operation or something like that. Maybe you just think it's wrong or just can't be true; it's all just a big bad dream you hope to soon wake up from, but you haven't. It could be any combination of the above or something completly different.
First to Christians. Then secondly to struggling gays,some encouragement
Whatever the situation the best thing to do first is to realise it is true and that it's not going to suddenly dissapear. And always show unconditional love, remember God didn't place you to to hate, judge and condemn - Jesus never did those things and we are called to follow his ways of love - right to the very end.
Now some may say from the bible passage {particuarly the underlined part} that we as Christians are called to rush out and try and convert the "sinner to Christ", "rescue the perishing, save the lost", like the old sayings go. Well as someone who has both foolishly done that [YES; I say Foolishly] and been on the receiving end I can say that nothing annoys and wholeheartedly ANGERS the person on the receiving end NO END! And it rarely does what's aimed at - bring the "sinner" to a point of faith in Christ. In most cases I've seen they turn away even more!
Secondly I say from one on the receiving end: STOP TRYING TO MADLY CONVERT US!. Some of us already have a strong faith; or have left it mainly or sometimes ONLY because people have tried to convert us and have actually ripped outs seeds of faith that are otherwise growing "quite slowly and nicely - thank you" until some over zealous Christian comes along and tramples on the work of God, sometimes that takes years to heal; believe me I've seen it done many a time. There is far more to be said he but the bulk to remember is this
1. Many of us aready have a strong Christian faith even if it may seem different to yours. After all Christians have always diasagreed on all sorts of things - homosexuality is only one but God still loves and accepts us regardless.
2. Some may be close to a point of conversion or coming to faith. Don't force it or you may kill it. Remember too much water can kill a plant too!
Remember that love wins more than anything and study the gospels for how Jesus treated similair people, the outcasts of his religious time. The ones Jesus got angry at were the religious leaders NOT the so called "sinners". Which group do you fall into?
Now to those who are gay and struggling; some encouragement
Now it's our turn. We all get discouraged as human beings, it's part of life. But when you're a part of a minority group such as sexual minority, racial, age group, disabled or religious minority; even one of those within another such as a disabled, bi sexual, catholic then it gets really hard. So how does the above verse speak to us? Well let me explain what someting of what I've picked up from it:
Esther was a jew who had been taken to be part of the king's harem. One of his, well basically sex slaves. Something I'm sure she didn't ask for at birth just like we don't choose at birth our sexual orientation, it's what happened to us for what ever reason. Like Esther's situation, we don't choose it, we may not even like but like it or not we're stuck with it. It's also the same with those who have contracted HIV/AIDS , they don't want it but are for whatever reason or way they contracted the disease until there is a cure, those who have the disease have it.
But like the words above underlined say "And who knows that you have come to {royal position} for such a time as this." You don't know what role you can have in changing this world for GLBTI people? Your float in the pride parade or mardis gras may speak to someone of the love not just lust of gay life, your volunteering for an AIDS charity by collecting on Worlds AIDS Day December 1 each year may speak to someone on the street or even donating money for research for a cure, by your coming out of the closet to family and friends you may be someone's first "visible" gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans or interesex person. Especially if you are a Christian, some Christians sadly think we GLBTI Christians don't or can't exist. But don't forget to be like Esther and pray about really bold things like coming out of the closet, especially if you are HIV positive or something like that. Simply because it is risk taking and not everyone is friendly towards us but at the same time don't forget you may be helping others too. Yet, who knows you may have come for such a time as this......
