Reprinted from United Church News
| Written by J. Bennett Guess | |
| Tuesday, 22 August 2006 | |
| The Human Rights Campaign has launched a weekly online preaching resource to provide insights into the Bible from a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and straight-supportive perspective. "Out in Scripture" is being touted as the first and only major online preaching resource devoted to helping clergy with planning gay-affirming sermons and spiritual discussion groups. The website's developers say they hope it will prove valuable in building welcoming and inclusive congregations. "Ministers around the country have been asking for a resource just like this to help them prepare sermons that are faithful to the authentic lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their families while also true to the biblical text," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "This resource will offer them the tools to do just that. It will also be an empowering resource for people in isolated situations or for those who belong to unsupportive congregations." The Rev. Sidney Fowler, a UCC minister who formerly led the worship, liturgy and arts ministry for the UCC's national setting, is serving as editor of "Out in Scripture." The site's resources are developed, written and reviewed by teams of skilled and reflective scholars from leading theological schools around the country and from a variety of Christian congregations. Conceived as a dialogue between GLBT and straight-supportive scholars, each weekly entry will represent a diversity of cultural, racial and theological perspectives. "The Bible should not be used to beat up our community, but as a tool to lift us all up," said the Rev. Harry Knox, a UCC member who directs HRC's religion and faith program, which assists religious leaders in speaking out for equality and inclusion, and to examine how religion can be a positive resource for LGBT people of faith. "Inside the Hebrew and Christian texts there are messages of liberation and justice. We hope Out In Scripture provides inspiration and insight to a broad array of people and will help change the conversation we’ve been having in our churches on Sunday morning about GLBT people," Knox says. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. HRC lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. |
