Homosexual Saints
“Homosexual Saints: The Community of Christ Experience” edited by William D. Russell
They say that in order to truly understand someone, you must take the time to listen to their story. In this ground-shifting book, Bill Russell sets out to compile the stories of gays, lesbians, their parents and friends within the Community of Christ tradition. He gives a historical background for the beliefs and stances of the Community of Christ, and then allows the stories to paint the rest of the picture from a more personal context.
I received this book as a gift from Hal McKain, a church member from Lamoni who had a gay son and who has served as an advocate for a broader acceptance of the gay community. It was 2008, and the book had just come out, and interested as I was to read it, other things consumed my time and energies. Then, in April 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court effectively legalized same-sex marriages in the state, and the ensuing controversy and discussions led me to seek a better understanding of the issues and context.
The stories are both powerful and simple. They come from all perspectives: wives whose husbands come out after years of marriage; young adults who have known since they were little; those who still struggle to work within the framework of the Community of Christ and those who have felt they could no longer be a part of this fellowship; parents who struggled with how to express love and support.
I realize that not everyone will agree with the conclusions reached by the contributors, but I still strongly recommend this book for all those who are serious about how do we deal with homosexuality from a Community of Christ perspective. This issue, as well as everything else we do as a church, deals with people, not just detached theory. Because of this, it is important to hear the stories of those on all sides, because it is only when we allow ourselves to be open to the stories that we realize the way that our actions affect real lives of real people. As apostle Susan Skoor says on the back cover:
“Stories draw us into the lives of others, where we participate in their emotions of love, fear, acceptance, rejection, loneliness, and bittersweet triumph. Marginalized, invisible, and dispossessed homosexuals in the church have long needed an advocate like Bill Russell to gather their stories with sensitivity and compassion. How shall we respond?”
The Quest for Christ
Well, actually just finished it, but close enough! AWESOME book –
“The Quest for Christ: Discipling Today’s Young Adults” by Ken Baugh and Rich Hurst
Challenging the church to move beyond discipleship PROGRAMS to discipling RELATIONSHIPS. This post-modern approach suggests that relegating disciple-formation to a class or lecture (or even worse, expecting people to become disciples JUST by showing up for church!) gives current church members a sense of pride, without bringing depth and relevance to the new members. The authors share profound insights about the needs of young adults, their resistance to “top-down” and “expert” mentalities that so often plague the church, and ways to invite young adults onto the path of discipleship as equals.
Though it is written by pastors of two very large, urban churches, the principles outlined are applicable for a congregation of any size. All that is required is a passion for sharing the Good News with others, and responding to them as a friend.
I would strongly recommend this book for any pastor, priesthood member, or small group desiring to reach out to young adults in a fresh and genuinely relevant fashion. Some books are a good read intellectually, some draw you in because of their pace and style, and some cast such a powerful vision for what could be that your heart is quickened and you feel ready to GO! This book is all of these.
