Whosoever

We’ve been thinking a lot about this space we call “Church” and what makes it a welcoming place; an interesting place; a safe space. And that has meant asking ourselves can it be? It seems a lot of our church cousins are more interested in being anti- than pro- in their dialing up anger against the LGBTQIA+ community. That has been an extremely hard and painful pill to swallow for people who are gay AND Christian. People like Dr. Dionne Boyice who we talk about in this episode - the episode title “Whosoever” is inspired by John 3:16 and a community of faith in Kansas City Dr. Boyice started - and for us at EBPC as we strive to be welcoming and accepting.  This episode takes a look at how we read the Bible, particularly what we call the ‘clobber passages” and how the church might pursue ways to be more inclusive. Nate Strasser shares a relevant story about the anger out there and the fitting music by The Many’s “All Belong Here.” (Service Notes: Respectful Conversations: Looking at Scripture in Fresh Ways; Reflections on Gay Marriage.)