CONTROVERSY vs discussion? what do you like?

I found this article that someone sent me, I have been to a few focus groups around the metroplex discussing this with Christians and non, this very subject. I have been trying to give back to my community. (thanks shelly bang bang). So if your up to it, this is what I have been dealing with in my real world. As many of you know, controversy follows me and it has been doing it along time.
Here is some food for thought:
g Outreach at Gay Pride Day
Just in my last post today, I said I don't get political too much here, but this struck me as a positive development...

We've all seen the "God Hates Fags" signs that so-called Christians take to protest the homosexual lifestyle. Pastor Tim Lucas takes a different approach that was noticed this week in the NY Times. On a hot seaside afternoon, about 150 people from his small church wore light blue T-shirts bearing the name of their ministry, Liquid, and gave out free bottles of water. The title of the article:

Christians Say Hello. Gay Activists say Hmmm.

The Times piece says... "Pastor Lucas hoped that Liquid, which is part of a conservative Baptist church that considers homosexuality a sin, could take a third position, avoiding both the scolds of some evangelical Christians and the acceptance of more liberal churches. Without endorsing homosexuality, he said: "We want to dismantle the invisible hierarchy of sin that many evangelicals promote that puts gays and lesbians at the top of the list. That sense of self-righteousness and superiority runs rampant in our church like a cancer."

It continues... "For the members of Liquid, an alternative ministry within Millington Baptist Church, the event was a mission into new territory. At a final strategy meeting last week, a handwritten sign in the back of the room listed reasons for the outreach, and the first was "to challenge stereotypes of 'Christians.' "

Mr. Lucas wore spiked hair and an Amsterdam Motorcycles T-shirt. He advised the church members not to get into arguments or try to convert anybody. "We're not going there to hand out tracts," he said. "These people have been marginalized and hurt, often by us.

"If they say, 'What are you doing here?' keep it simple. Just say, 'We're here to show you God's love.' "

Alternatively, Mr. Lucas said, they might draw criticism from other conservative Christians, including members of their parent church, which was not invited to participate. "People might say, 'So you think I have to change so God will love me?' " he said. "Or they'll say, 'So you're a gay church, huh. Baptists are coming around to gay marriage?' You just say to them, 'No, I'm just here to serve.' "

If all went well, he said, "we'll earn the wrath and condemnation of religious folks, and find more people on the fringe, much like it was for Jesus."

Seems like a balanced approach to me, and a good start. I think Jesus would treat homosexuals with respect, just as members of "Liquid" did. Jesus loves each of them as much as he loves you or me. You've often heard it said that you need to love the sinner and hate the sin... I think this is a great way to start the dialouge. Who knows if any progress was made; but nothing was hurt.

FOR DISCUSSION: Has your church done any outreach to groups like homosexuals? How was it received? How did it effect your church? g Taken from Monday Morning Insights June 2005

Love ya lots, and get ready cause Christmas is just around the corner. Fellowship Church.com's Christmas Extravaganza is coming up, dates soon.