The conversion of Rosaria Butterfield
Author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. Story of a liberal lesbian intellectual rescued by the grace of God.
HT: blogape
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What a wonderful interview.
It’s a long video, but an hour well spent. I wasn’t planning to spend it that way, but once the story got rolling there was no missing the rest of it. It’s quite remarkable.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
I agree with Aaron. Very challenging to us “cleaned-up” Fundies.
This interview went very well with a podcast I heard this week on sanctification. The point was made that, too often, we seem to think of church as some sort of Christian country club where only folks who “have it together” belong and can fit comfortably. He went on to remark that the church is not a country club, but a place to for people who need to be healed. It is a place for broken people to hear the message of the Gospel, not merely a meeting place for well-adjusted Christians. The interview, above, spoke to this truth in a very practical and touching way.
Incidentally, if you do not avail yourself of the amazing resources at the Christian Counseling and Education Federation (CCEF), you should. They have very good stuff. Their podcast alone is worth subscribing to.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
This is a really great encouragement to me. Some of my best friends are unsaved gay people. About 15-20 percent of the people I work with are gay, including those I work closest with.
I’m about half way through Butterfield’s book. We are considering it for our Elders/Deacons book of the year. (For many years, we have selected a book for our pastors and deacons to read. We assign a portion each month, and spend fifteen-twenty minutes reviewing that portion at our monthly meeting. Very helpful!)
Here are a few things I hope to gain from this book:
1) Help us get over the discomfort and confusion we feel in ministering to homosexuals.
2) Learn to employ relationship evangelism more effectively.
3) Encourage greater utilization of hospitality in evangelism.
I am really enjoying Butterfield’s book so far, and if no big “red flags” emerge as I continue to read, I look forward to a challenging and profitable book in 2013 to enlarge our ability to minister to our community.
G. N. Barkman
It is quite possible to go too far the other way in reaction to the “we’re all cleaned up here” thing. While the church is a gathering of messed up people in the process of change, they are still—at the same time—people who have changed.
I’ve seen groups that have gone so far the other way, they seem to have nothing to offer. “We’re not better than you” seems to be the motto. Of course, in ourselves, we’re not better, but we also should be careful not to deny that we are not “in ourselves” anymore… and in Christ are better.
Still love Rosaria’s story. Just wanted to caution on the other extreme also.
Conversions among left wing intelligentsia are so rare (“not many wise are called”), you really have to enjoy it when God does it.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
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