Dear Church family

Living in love and faith – join the discussion

The Church of England has asked us to discuss marriage and what we think about human sexuality. It probably isn’t your preferred topic and it isn’t mine either. But it is what the media regularly raises and it is what our denomination is asking us to discuss in a project called ‘living in love and faith – LLF for short.

One of the positive things about this is that it gives us an opportunity to think about the important issue of ‘identity.’

We’ve all asked: ‘who am I?’ The question of identity goes to the core of our being. For decades now, artists like Madonna and David Bowie have been ‘reinventing themselves’ in a variety of different identities for different phases of their music. The question ‘who am I?’ no longer has a static answer. For many now, ‘I am whoever I think I am,’ because ‘I am whoever I say I am.’

Last week we saw from Genesis 1:26-27 that God our maker gives us our essential identity as those who are made in his image as male and female. 

But what about those who experience gender dysphoria – the condition of feeling one’s emotional and psychological identity to be at variance with one’s birth sex?

First to say that our hearts go out to people with this experience, it is profoundly unsettling. 

It’s tempting to say that God intended some people to be like this, because he made us all. But it isn’t that simple. Genesis 3 tells us that God’s good creation has been spoiled by sin – Adam and Eve distrusted the Lord, and this attitude has been our default ever since. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23

‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’

The whole creation, starting with us humans, has been distorted by sin and every part of every person is affected, including our sexuality. Gender dysphoria is one of many ways in which our sexuality has been dented. All of us depart from God’s perfect plan and each of us needs to admit this and ask forgiveness and seek help where needed.

The question is where is help to be found? Read the next newsletter to find out. And plan to join the discussion @ ‘a better story’ from 21 September 2021 in the Parish Hall.

Your brother in Christ,

Ian