A Gay Man on Surrender ...

I was worshiping yesterday evening at Vineyard North Phoenix at their YA service. This was such a great service to attend. It was emergent in every sense of the word (except doctrinally of course). Everyone was seated on the floor, and the theme of the night was different postures of worship (the previous meeting's theme being worshiping God through our lifestyle). The music was typically Vineyard, but still their songs are powerful expressions of worship.

One of the songs hit me yesterday night - it is called "Surrender"

I'm giving you my dreams, I'm Laying down my rights / I'm giving up my pride / for the promise of New Life / and I surrender all to you / all to you / all to you.

Being a gay person, the words "laying down my rights and giving up my pride" have special meaning considering that they're two very big buzz-words in the community. Just a wow moment. Especially as I wonder about those who call themselves "gay Christians" - I myself being one of them. But especially for those folks who have stiff upper lips like I did towards anyone who disagreed. - wouldn't our Christian community be a bit better we just took a moment and laid down our rights and gave up our pride?

Needless to say this goes both ways. We spend too much time demonizing and de-humanizing the other. We spend too much time preparing our next carefully planned canon blast against the other side's arguments. Don't we? So what if we were the bigger people, the people who would be willing to cast aside our pride for a moment and engage the other authentically? What if we laid down our rights for a moment and just engaged each other as we are? Wouldn't we then experience the healing and reconciliation that Christ promised?

I know that I get a lot of glares from the gay community, and that's ok. Even though I'm gay, that doesn't mean that for a second I need to give up on who I am first and foremost, a disciple of Jesus, my Master. Oh Master, be my teacher, be my savior, be my God!