Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships by Karen R. Keen

Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships

by Karen R. Keen

Description

WHEN IT COMES TO SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS, this book by Karen Keen contains the most thoughtful, balanced, biblically grounded discussion you’re likely to encounter anywhere. With pastoral sensitivity and respect for biblical authority, Keen breaks through current stalemates in the debate surrounding faith and sexual identity.

The fresh, evenhanded reevaluation of Scripture, Christian tradition, theology, and science in Keen’s Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships will appeal to both traditionalist and progressive church leaders and parishioners, students of ethics and biblical studies, and gay and lesbian people who often feel painfully torn between faith and sexuality.

This is my review of this book.  I really enjoyed it and found much of it very interesting.  Reading the different views and ways of dealing with same-sex relationships.  At first, I thought it was a book that would deter me from being gay or try to talk me out of it, but as I read, no it actually strengthened my relationship to God and secured my feelings.

I will say this, be prepared to look up words as Karen does use some words that are not every day terminology.  I found myself asking google many times what a word meant.  I like to think as myself as well educated, but this book tried that.

I personally recommend this book to any one who is trying to come to terms with either their own sexual identity or someone trying to move from traditional teaching that same-sex relations are wrong to accepting and maybe even affirming.  

I believe in this book so much that I am writing this while I still have yet one chapter to go.  Pick it up today at this link.  Enjoy!

What sustains your faith?

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22

I have been thinking of this lately.  What sustains my faith?  I can think of many things from music to prayer, but what really does?  I am not a Bible expert or read it enough but there are scriptures that help me.  I am not a big prayer like I should be, but I know I always can.  I guess the thing that I do most is listen to music and read faith based books.

I want though a faith like those of the Bible.  I want the strong relationship with God that surpasses all understanding.  I want God to be the first that I go to with things both good and bad.  I want my faith to withstand any trial.  I want to gleam of His love.  So what is stopping all this?  Well, frankly me.

I don't do what I know to do to get all that.  I wake up and rush into the day instead of starting with prayer.  I don't listen to music that reflects Him. Even now as I write this I realized I was listening to contemporary music and changed it to worship music.  I don't read the Bible cause I say there is no time for it and I get to know it through sermons on Sunday or through the books I read.  How crazy, I will stay up reading a book about the Bible, but I won't open it up and read it!

I have faith daily that God will provide, but I don't try to grow that faith.  It is like I got to have a relationship but don't give to it.  I speak of His love and faithfulness to me, but I don't give God the same back.

I don't know what happened.  I can not give a just reason.  All I know is that I can acknowledge it, work on it, and grow my faith.  I am willing, but the flesh is weak.  It is time for no more excuses and just put things into practice.

So, soon I will be doing reviews on different books of the Bible.  Starting with Genisis and working my way through it.  I know that I will use the Message as my translation.  I will start each day in prayer and end it that way.  I know that I will for 30 days listen to Christian music.  And after all this, I know my faith will grow as I make the effort to do so.

What will you do to grow yours?

Go away with your game playing!

Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

Psalm 54:5 

I don't know why but today I feel as though I have been played.  I won't go into details.  Women though are mean at times and just down out wrong.  If you are out there playing games, stop!  Some of us are good women, christian women, looking for another.  Some of us are happy with ourselves and we are looking to make friends and maybe more.

Yet there are all kinds of scams, people playing games, and more!  I am sick of it...I know I am not the best looking but that don't mean I should be played with or cat-fished.  Since I reached out to make friends, I have had women who won't talk on the phone, text for just a bit and then disappear, or even ask for money.  Do I look like a fool?  Do I scream money?

Any ways, just had to get that out!  Date with caution as there are rude game players out there!

I'm angry at this virus!

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 5:11 

I don't care how this virus came to be, how it spread, or any of that.  It scares me at times, but mainly I am mad at it.  It is taking away good people, it is putting the nation in a state of fear.  It has me afraid at times just to go to the store.  Seeing masks or protective wear every where is really something else.

It is like we are living a movie that mocks us.  It is like Stephen King wrote it.  I hate it and I am angry at it.  I pray every day for this to be taken away and the new normal start.  I miss eating out, but more so, I miss human touch and face to face interactions.  I miss church, I miss friends, I miss life!

That is why I am angry at it!  I feel like it took life away.  I work in mental health and even there we are affected by it in how we provide services.  Our clients are not getting all they need cause we can't be face to face.

I don't know what will happen and that scares me.  I do know this though, that it won't take my devotion to God away.  It won't take church away as that is truly the family of God and not some building.  I know that it won't take away friendships and family relationships.

I pray that this is over soon.  But man am I angry at it.

Assurance of God's Protection

Psalm 91 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Assurance of God’s Protection

1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High,

    who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,[a]

2 will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;

    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

    and from the deadly pestilence;

4 he will cover you with his pinions,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

5 You will not fear the terror of the night,

    or the arrow that flies by day,

6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

    or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

    ten thousand at your right hand,

    but it will not come near you.

8 You will only look with your eyes

    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge,[b]

    the Most High your dwelling place,

10 no evil shall befall you,

    no scourge come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways.

12 On their hands they will bear you up,

    so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the adder,

    the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

14 Those who love me, I will deliver;

    I will protect those who know my name.

15 When they call to me, I will answer them;

    I will be with them in trouble,

    I will rescue them and honor them.

16 With long life I will satisfy them,

    and show them my salvation.

During this time, sometimes God's word is all we need.  So no thoughts of mine today, just God's word.

Don't play with fire...

How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

Psalm 79:5

So I started dating again. Really just meeting people. I know hard to believe while we are in a pandemic. I like though that we are as it is forcing things to be slow. I tell them it is like we are clearing the land for red flags, then we can build a foundation of friendship, and finally the rooms and building. I don't know if any will be a person that I get romantic with, but it is fun to learn people. God though has to be first in all of this.

You may ask why, well, God commands it. There are several times in the Bible in just Deuteronomy alone that God says no other Gods before Him. And a relationship can easily become another God. Not just that, God needs to be first in all relationships. Psalms calls him a jealous God. I don't think so much jealous as concerned or hurt.

I know, different thinking here. I am adopted and it would kill my parents if I called someone else mom or dad. I do have someone I call papa at times, but not in front of them. I think God is like that, hurt cause you give your issues to someone else and not him. You take your love for him and set aside because of the new relationship.

So let us look at what it would mean to have God truly first! He will bless the relationship, you will bond with each other more, and God will be there for each of you. This is just to name a few.

God's love is to be shared. If both of you are in His family, then you get to experience His love and your own love. You get to grow together. You get to experience a whole different type of relationship together.

Growing up, I always heard "the family that prays together stays together" and I understand that now. I see how growing in God's relationship is a family ordeal. When that is there, the family grows closer together too. When we look for love, God's is first, then others because to be holy lovingly, you must learn first from God.

Well, that is the goal right? Be holy, loving, blessing to others! May you be blessed today and well who knows, one of the ladies I am talking to, may become more, but it is in God's hands and I am only to be a blessing.

Online Retreats, its a real thing!

This past weekend I was honored to be a part of an online retreat.  With the pandemic going on, we could not meet in person, so the great people of Center Peace, put one out there on zoom.  At first, I was not sure how this would go down, but it was amazing and I came out of it with new friends!

We had some amazing authors in it!  Justin Lee, Karen Keen, Sally Gary, and Matthew Vines!  All who has amazing books.  (I say amazing a lot these days, lol!)  I love how personal they were and hearing their stories.

In the retreat, we all got to share.  And trust me, 30+ people on zoom, it takes a lot to pull that off.  But, zoom has break out rooms!  So we split up in groups of six and shared.  Though this was online, I still feel connected to some and was able to exchange numbers and become friends on Facebook.  I do though miss the in person interactions, the staying up and chatting, the hugs, the wholeness found in an in person retreat, but this was still amazing!  Center Peace really did a great job with it!

I came out of the retreat with a renewed spirit to write here, write on my book, and grow more with God.  I don't know why I set this down, but I do know I will pick it back up again!  I also came out with a spirit of reading.  I have a list now to get read.  I will be posting reviews as I finish them.

I recommend if you can do any retreat or conference with Center Peace to do it!  Their website is www.centerpeace.net!  It is an amazing organization!

Refresh

This blog is getting refreshed!  There will be new posts, new thoughts, book reviews and more!  I am excited about what is to come!  Stay tuned and be sure to comment any time about what you would like in this blog!

What are you created for?

Perhaps this is the moment you were created for.

Esther 4:14

When I think about life, I think about what I was created for.  In these times, the corona times, it really hits me.  As someone who wants to serve God, I ask how can I?  What is my purpose during all this?  What is it that I am to do in this moment?

Esther has always been a book I could turn to.  She questions why she is there and her father says, "perhaps this is the moment you were created for."  What a powerful statement!  I can hear God saying that to me too!  It has become a motto for me in my life.  So much so that any time I feel down and out, I say it.  When I am happy, I say it.  When I am anxious about something like speaking in public, I say it.

We are all on this Earth for one reason or another.  We may not always know what for, but I can say this, we are made for this moment in time.

With the pandemic, you may say, what can I do during it?  What is the purpose of my life during it?  It could be as simple as being there for others over zoom, facetime, or phone.  It may be going out as an essential to work.  It may be just growing closer to God.  I know this, it is what we make of it.

May you remember that you were created and this can be your moment to shine!