Closets

Written by cycleguy on July 1st, 2015

So…I’ve been reading a book which I had ordered a couple weeks ago and came over the weekend: The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. The timing is impeccable. Rosaria Champagne Butterfield was a feminist lesbian faculty member (PHD) at Syracuse University with a life goal to discredit the Religious Right and Christianity. Her life was hijacked by one pastor who didn’t condemn or push or preach but simply asked some questions. Long story short…after two years she came to Christ and began the most painful and agonizing journey her life had/has ever been on. In her book she tells about counseling a woman who was in a closeted lesbian relationship and a member of a Bible-believing church. Here is what she writes:

No one in the church knew. Therefore, no one in her church was praying for her. Therefore, she sought and received no counsel. There was no “bearing with the other” for her. No confession. No repentance. No healing. No joy in Christ. Just isolation. And shame. And pretense. Someone has sold her a pack of lies that said that God can heal your lying tongue or your broken heart, even cure your cancer if He chooses, but He can’t transform your sexuality. When asked why she didn’t share it, here is what she said: ‘Rosaria, if people in my church really believed that gay people could be transformed by Christ, they wouldn’t talk about us or pray about us in the hateful way they do.’  (p.25)

Rosaria goes on to say, “I think that churches would be places of greater intimacy and growth in Christ if people stopped lying about what we need, what we fear, where we fail, and how we sin.”

Are those lady’s words true about you? me? your church? Maybe we ought to start checking our tongues at the altar of God’s fire and have them cleansed.

And by the way: I would highly recommend the book. But plan for some late nights reading. 🙂

 

17 Comments so far ↓

  1. Steve says:

    L-O-V-E. LOVE this! Awesome stuff! I totally agree. The devil changes like shifting shadows. He’s always attacking from different angles. The traps of pretense and blind self-righteousness are common ways he attacks believers. It makes me think of the Casting Crowns song, “Stained Glass Masquerade.” Thanks brother! Great stuff.

  2. Daniel says:

    You definitely strike a tone here that some pastors would not use. Grace, compassion, and empathy are wonderful qualities in you. But they just don’t make you shine, they have the same effects on each and every one of us when we take them on.

  3. Linda Stoll says:

    Looks like a must-read, Bill.

    And no truer words were written about lying –> “I think that churches would be places of greater intimacy and growth in Christ if people stopped lying about what we need, what we fear, where we fail, and how we sin.”

    Well said.

    • cycleguy says:

      I would say it is a must read Linda, especially for anyone with a heart for the gay/lesbian community. Sadly many people are committed liars.

  4. Redemption is huge…it combines His kindness, mercy, forgiveness and overwhelming love and gives it to us through Christ. God SO LOVED He GAVE! He redeemed me and changed what many would have thought (and did) was impossible. I should have been a stat on some report somewhere but my life, my character, and my identity was redeemed as well as my soul.

    With Him…NOTHING is impossible…let’s live that way…His way.

    God bless you my brother!

    • cycleguy says:

      it is huge Jay. Huger than huge. Many should find themselves as stats (as you stated) but are not because of the rescue effort of Jesus.

  5. Bill, thank you so much for sharing. We need this instruction (rebuke even) now more than ever. I hope you are well!

    • cycleguy says:

      You’re welcome Melanie. I’m pointing the finger at myself as well. I am doing well. Hope your family is also doing well. Miss reading and hearing from you.

  6. Betty Draper says:

    Needed post Bill. We always need reminded we cannot change a person heart, but He does want to work through us which should humble us. Us who are frail and full of self often yet God still wants to use us. So it’s up to us to find out how He treated sinners, all sinners. Good post brother.

    • cycleguy says:

      You put it well Betty. We CANNOT change a person’s heart; only God can do that. Unfortunately, we sometimes do a terrible job of representing Him. Thanks.

  7. Very wise words. Sounds like a great book. I’ll have to add it to my (already) long list. 🙂 Thanks Bill.

  8. Ceil says:

    Hi Bill! This sounds like a fascinating book. What a story of transformation, and then being used to help someone who desperately needed someone to understand. To me, that’s how God works. He uses everything we have to help a fellow child of His.

    But no one gets help unless they believe they can ask for it. That’s a really sobering point, and one we all need to think about. Would someone ask us to pray for them? Are we as open as Christ was?
    Very thoughtful post Bill.
    Ceil

  9. This book sounds like a must-read, Bill. It is so sad to see anyone in the Christian community feeling isolated because their sin is seen as worse than the sins of anyone else. Honestly, I’m against gay marriage, but I’ve never, ever cared whether a friend was gay or straight, and I’ve had many friendships over the years with confessed gays/lesbians whom I treasure.
    Blessings for a wonderful Independence Day!

  10. Too many of us want to put on our “Christ saved me, I’m perfect now face.” There isn’t confession of our sins and struggles in our churches. We’re too scared to do that and we’ve done it to ourselves.