transformation is an orientation

in recent conversations, some of us have talked about a posture for the people of God being "welcoming and mutually transforming" when it comes to issues of faith and homosexuality (really - to me - that's the bottom line for a faith community and any issue or set-of-people that engages faith). it has been quite profound, and resonated a lot with myself and some friends with our common influence via Christ and 12-steps/12 traditions.

sort of related to that line of enegement, as we have been thinking about forming and cultivating a new faith community - as i mentioned last week - i have been thinking of re-writing one of the 12 traditions (#3), from "the only requirement for membership in AA is a desire to stop drinking" to "the only requirement for hanging out with us and doing the stuff with us is the desire for transformation"...and that transformation is what the Father is doing, not what i think should be tackled first...

of course after these recent conversations began, the interviews with singer/songwriter jen knapp at christianity today and the advocate have hit and the heat has really turned up a lot on this issue;

so there are a few places that i have really appreciated the conversation so far and really sense a lot of wisdom and love going on, so i thought i would share those venues:

• david fitch: on being missional and glbt community engagment with faith
• ray hollenbach: when famous christians are gay
• dave schmelzer: if you missed it a few months back, over at not-the-religious-type, some of us read andrew marin's book 'love is an orientation' and had a great conversation about it...and another great one asking the question: why is homosexuality and faith important to you?
• t freeman: if anyone (gay)wants to come to me, let him deny himself...(the rest of you are good-to-go)
• david hayward - aka the naked pastor: different outcomes

anyway, you might have heard the buzz going on, thus i wanted to i invite you to read those and join the conversations...

peace