Last week, I was studying Isaiah 58 for my sermon, and I was simply enthralled and convicted by it. It’s now posted online at our church website if you want to hear/watch it.
…biblical Christianity without conservative idolatry…
…biblical Christianity without conservative idolatry…
Last week, I was studying Isaiah 58 for my sermon, and I was simply enthralled and convicted by it. It’s now posted online at our church website if you want to hear/watch it.
Jeff,
Your message concerning Isaiah 58 really spoke to me and my topic.
I responded to your blog on gay marriage. I would like to respond now to your sermon.
There are many LGBT homeless teens. They are mostly homeless because their parents have tossed them out due to the faith of their parents. These young people turn away from God. I can’t blame them. Who would want a God that would support tossing out your children because they are LGBT?
I found out my daughter was gay right before she turned 18. I have to say I did not take it well. It took me a few years to get my head around it. I am a Christian mother and was tasked with the Christian upbringing of our three daughters. I felt I let my daughter down and that I had let God down.
I kept a daily journal, researched the community my daughter was now part of and my eyes were opened! I turned the journal into a book of my journey dealing with the fact my daughter was gay. “My Name is Kathie and My Daughter is a Lesbian: From Bible Verses to Rainbow Stickers.”
In my research I discovered the homeless problem. I live in a small town of about 175,000 people. Our Town cannot afford a shelter, and, they say…any provisions. We have one homeless shelter with very few beds and they accept mostly battered women and their families. We have a LGBT homeless teen population but our Town doesn’t even keep track of these kids.
In Los Angeles, 46% of the homeless teens identify as LGBT. This is a nationwide problem. The most disheartening part?… They have turned away from God!!!
Now, based on your sermon….and your “Local Peace” movement, would your church consider addressing this problem in the ways you suggested we take care of the powerless?
You mentioned lose, untie, set free, break….You mentioned “open the bonds of injustice” and “send out; working for lasting justice in the world.”
It is not our job to “point fingers” as that is an offensive thing. It is our job to get rid of the “attitude and accusatory tone.” Like you said of Ted Williams, something happened in his life that put him where he is.
You challenged your congregation to join you in “Local Peace” to pour out their souls on behalf of the hungry and oppressed and assured them the Lord would guide them and satisfy their needs. You want to be a church that is knows as the “repairer of broken walls – to be called the people that fixed the world.”
These homeless LGBT teens need “immediate” aid. These children need to be covered as they are naked, they need half our food, and they need shelter. Mostly, they need God.
Your sermon spoke volumes to me and I believe you sent me this one sermon for a reason. God confirming what I have undertaken. This is the first sermon you have sent me!
I attend Bible Study Fellowship for women weekly – we have summers off. This year we have been studying the book of Isaiah. We just covered Isaiah 58. I can tell you the entire book, so far, has spoken to me in reference to these lost children. God is constantly reminding us through this book that we are to care for the less fortunate.
So many things happen in our world that spreads negativity. People use God as their excuse. Abortion doctors are murdered by people who think they are doing the work of God. Wars are waged mostly due to religion. Politicians use God on the one hand to make themselves look good and then do what you warned about in your sermon – they may fast, but they are not doing God’s work.
These children of God are now a by-product of that thinking; wrong thinking in my opinion. They belong to God and he has tasked us with helping them. Whether we believe homosexuality is right or wrong – that is God’s decision….but aren’t we to feed them, clothe them and house them?
There is a huge population of these children who are subjected to the elements, hatred, violence, murder, prostitution and drugs! Don’t you feel the need to let them know that God loves them? That God’s people love them? To bring them back into the church where they belong?
I feel such a strong calling to take part in this effort.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you for sending me this sermon!
Kathie Hynes
Thanks for the comments Kathie. What do you suggest we do? Is treating the problem of homeless homosexual teens any different from treating the problem of other homeless teens?
How do you recommend we get started?
Also, let me point you to the facebook page for our church. We are trying to use the communication power of facebook to help us coordinate our efforts of serving our city.
http://facebook.com/LafayetteCommunityChurch
I believe the treatment of the LGBT teens is quite different. Homelessness is homelessness and as you said of Ted Williams, something happened in all of their lives to put them there.
I see the difference between the two as follows:
1) Most of these kids have been tossed out of their homes by their parents based on the fact they believe homosexuality is against God. Now these kids have given up on God and we, as Christians, I believe need to help them back TO God.
2) Homosexual teens are more prone to hatred, violence and murder based on their sexuality.
3) I discovered there is a difference in “welcoming” churches and those who are not. That made me sad. I visited both types of churches, talked with Pastors and was amazed at how different they felt about the topic of homosexuality.
One pastor, who was straight, opened his doors to EVERYONE! He specifically welcomed the homosexual community. So many have given their lives over to the Lord. The Pastor explained that he felt the need to teach everyone of Jesus and that salvation was between the individual and God!
Another pastor from a more “unwelcoming” church told me that he preaches the truth – that those who practice homosexuality are doomed! ReallY? I asked him if he was the one to judge who God accepted or who God would not accept into His kingdom. He felt he was. His church food closet and clothes closet was limited ONLY to members of the church and he didn’t feel the need to discuss the homeless LGBT teens with his congregants.
Your sermon touched me so deeply, and maybe that is just a call or reminder from God that I need to work on this issue in particular; but I did feel that your sermon also impacted you and that you might be open to discussing the issue with your congregants.
I went through your Facebook page, which also encouraged me to write to you. I am just reaching out to bring this issue to the forefront wherever I can.
These kids need to KNOW God and His Word! Christians who are truly doing the work of God can influence them to come to church. There are organizations in some cities that provide medical help, clothing, education, job skills and the like to these children. They are our future – our future leaders. I would love for them to believe in the salvation of Jesus and not allow them to continue to be lost.
I am just saddened the churches do not do more.
Lofty, I know 🙂
The toughest thing, of course, is knowing what to do. Since I don’t know any teens personally who identify as LGBT, and since I do basically all my ministry on the basis of relationships, it’s hard to know what can be done.
It is hard to determine what to do. Reaching out when you don’t know where to start….I had that problem as well. I just started reaching out to organizations who help take care of these children. There is an organization in your State called “Indiana Youth Group” ~ you can go to http://www.indianayouthgroup.org and see what they are doing and what their needs are.
In addition, bringing up the issue with your congregation…there are most likely congregants who are facing this issue with loved ones and need guidance and prayer.
This issue of LGBT teen homelessness is growing, there are more kids finding themselves on the streets without the tools to care for themselves.
I was just contacted by a teen whose parents asked her to move because they felt God didn’t want them having her there as a Lesbian. She is now living in Los Angeles, dangerous part of town, fending for herself. She has turned away from God. She doesn’t want a God who would toss her to the street. She also doesn’t have the tools to take care of herself. She just went where she knew she would be accepted by others, however, she didn’t think of the dangers she is facing.
I am sure if you brought up the issue with your congregants you would find many in your church need guidance and prayer; many would love to help any organization that brings God back to the children; and many would love to donate food and clothing to these kids.
I have been so totally surprised how many pastors do not know this need exists. God said to “love” and that judgment was up to him. These kids need God more than anything else in their lives. I believe it is our obligation to pray for them, pray with them, let them know God is there for them. I believe we are to help feed them and clothe them and tell them about Jesus so they can find their way back to Him.
On the Indiana Youth Group site it is stated: “The issue of homelessness became a growing concern when national statistics surfaced citing that anywhere from 16 – 40 % of all homeless youth are LGBT.” These statistics are staggering!
As a Christian mother of a gay daughter I can tell you this topic was extremely difficult for me to put my head around. Not loving her was never an option. Throwing her to the streets was never an option. God tasked me with the responsibility to raise her in His word, which I have done. I can tell you that she loves the Lord, prays, seeks “welcoming” churches to worship and is a volunteer to help others. She has a giving and loving heart that reaches out wherever she can.
Because of her I researched the community she was now part of when I discovered what parents are doing and saying to their children when they find out they are gay. I have to go back to the fact that we, as Christians, are to reach out and teach God’s love, even when parents, friends and families are not exhibiting that love.
I hope you bring up this topic to your congregation. I know there are people in your church who need you to address it.
@Kathie I’ll give it some thought. I’m still struggling with the need to address LGBT Teen Homelessness as a separate issue when I want to address Homosexuality, Teens, and Homelessness individually anyway. I see LGBT Teen Homelessness as a symptom of people who don’t know how to handle Homosexuality and people who don’t know how to handle their teens and people who don’t know how to respond to homelessness.
I guess what I want to know is this: What makes LGBT Teen Homelessness so unique a societal problem that it must be addressed apart from the three issues I’m already dealing with? Or is it sufficient to teach people how to deal with those three issues on their own?
Jeff, I have given this a lot of thought throughout my process of research and writing. I am passionate about this topic since I did not know how differently LGBT teens were being treated in comparison to their homosexual peers. I found an Executive Summary on the Task Force website. It is a few years old, however, the numbers only increase. One particular section that I blogged about today gave me the answer for you in relation to your being a Pastor and Faith-Based Organizations. I will copy the blog here. Let me know what you think?
FAITH BASED SERVICE PROVIDERS…….
First let me start with this passage in the Bible:
MATTHEW 25:35-46 (NIV)
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
You can read the entire report at: http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/homelessyouth_executivesummary.pdf
THE POTENTIAL FOR ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMINATION
AT FAITH-BASED SERVICE PROVIDERS
“Lack of funding is not the only obstacle preventing LGBT homeless youth from receiving the services they need. In 2002, President George W. Bush issued an executive order permitting federal funding for faith-based organizations (FBOs) to provide social services. While more and more FBOs are receiving federal funds, overall funding levels for homeless youth services have not increased. Consequently, there is a possibility that the impact of FBOs will not be to increase services to the homeless, but rather only to change who provides those services.
A number of faith-based providers oppose legal and social equality for LGBT people, which raises serious questions about whether LGBT homeless youth can access services in a safe and nurturing environment. If an organization’s core belief is that homosexuality is wrong, that organization (and its committed leaders and volunteers) may not respect a client’s sexual orientation or gender identity and may expose LGBT youth to discriminatory treatment.
For example, an internal Salvation Army document obtained by the
Washington Post in 2001 confirmed that “…the White House had
made a ‘firm commitment’ to issue a regulation protecting religious
charities from state and city efforts to prevent discrimination against
gays in hiring and providing benefits.” Public policy that exempts
religious organizations providing social services from non-discrimination laws in hiring sets a dangerous precedent. If an otherwise qualified employee can be fired simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, what guarantee is there that clients, including LGBT homeless youth, will be supported and treated fairly? More research is needed on the policies of FBOs that provide services for LGBT homeless youth.”
Tell me what you think about this portion of the Task Force Executive Summary.
I’m finally giving a reply to this, Kathie.
The Salvation Army should have the right to do whatever they want to when it comes to hiring and firing. They also should have the right to discriminate when it comes to whom they service. As a private entity, they have the right to discriminate within certain limits. However, the simple fact is that they don’t discriminate, and just because they might be religiously convinced against hiring gay staff members, that is no reason to conclude that they will soon withhold services from people based on sexual issues. The passage you quoted above is an example of a slippery slope logical fallacy.
Now, this statement you quoted is true:
That statement is true because there is no guarantee, but and there never will be, and we don’t need one. We don’t need a guarantee because we have a track record. The Salvation Army does not, to my knowledge, reject gay people of any age because of sexuality. We also don’t need a guarantee because we have a free society. If one agency begins to discriminate, people are free to start one that doesn’t, pursue funding and all that. Rather than spending millions to lobby against certain faith-based groups, why not spend all that money doing the work of helping the people you want to help!
Nevertheless, I’m not interested in debating the merits of government-funded faith-based services. I have some opinions about it, but that’s unimportant.
Simply put, I think we need to care for the poor. We need to shelter the homeless. We need to train the uneducated. We need to employ the unemployed. We need to do these things for people because they are people. Therefore, I don’t like adding extra labels and/or emphases as if we need to pay extra attention to the needs of the black homeless, or the white homeless, or the LGBT homeless. Granted, each individual homeless person has a reason for their homelessness, and that reason should be addressed. However, I just don’t see the need to put extra emphasis on any particular category either in discrimination or anti-discrimination.
In fact, according to my Bible, the only guidelines we are given when it comes to discriminating against or for people in need are that we cannot treat the poor as inferior or show favoritism of any sort (James 2:2-9), that we should refrain from helping societal leeches and people who should be helped by family (1 Timothy 5:9-16, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15), and that we should do good to all but show preferential treatment for the “family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).