BEN DUBOW

Running the Way

Tag: bible

  • Sample Covenant Ethic Summary (for leaders, couples, singles, small groups)

    Appendix N Applies to everyone—straight, gay, bi, trans, single, dating, engaged, married. Our goal is integrity, safety, and love that looks like Jesus. 1) Core Commitments 2) Wisdom > Line-Drawing (for sexual decision-making) Ask together (and with a trusted pastor/mentor as needed): Note on sex outside civil marriage: Scripture doesn’t offer a tidy proof-text that →

  • Ten Tips for Preaching About LGBTQ+ Inclusion

    Appendix L 1) Include us in your stories (always)Don’t only mention LGBTQ+ people when the sermon is “about” sexuality or gender. Let queer and trans people appear naturally in illustrations—friends, parents, volunteers, leaders, saints. 2) Don’t assume heteronormativityAudit your pronouns and defaults. Use inclusive language for families, marriages, and households. Avoid jokes that rely on →

  • Books to Read

    Appendix C Core Affirming Works 1) Matthew Vines, God and the Gay Christian — A clear, accessible biblical case for affirming same‑sex marriage, focused on careful exegesis and conservative evangelical audiences. 2) Justin Lee, Torn — Memoir + practical bridge‑building from a devout evangelical who discovers he is gay; a great “starter” book for families →

  • Saved Twice: Pastor Nancy

    I am saved by Jesus—and I also experienced salvation through a white, middle-class, middle-aged, cisgender, heterosexual woman: Rev. Nancy Butler. When my world blew up, Nancy showed up. She hired me in the church office—just enough structure and a paycheck to get me off the couch and back among people. She leveraged her gift as →

  • Revisiting “When Ministry Was the Closet”

    My story has been told before. I met Jeff Chu [i]at a microbrewery in Hartford a few years after everything blew up. I was working as a sous chef. Jeff and his husband, Tristan, are close with my sister Molly and my brother-in-law Jed; when Jeff mentioned his book on gay Christians, Molly said, “You →

  • Faith Autopsy—what this is (and isn’t)

    When I began to follow Jesus, I felt the tension between what I knew about myself—that I was gay—and what I was being taught about God and sexuality. Out of necessity and self-preservation, I bought the company line →

  • Forward

    I grew up in church. I can find the clobber passages faster than most Bible drills—Genesis, Leviticus, Romans, Corinthians, Jude. I also know the feeling in your stomach when those verses get lobbed like grenades across a room. You brace. You try not to cry. You wonder how long you can keep loving Jesus without… →

  • Context

    Context matters. It really matters. And when interpreting the Bible, it matters even more. Why? Because the Bible matters… and getting our interpretation correct matters for those of us for whom the Bible is both formative and authoritative. An example: Many years ago, when I was a Young Life area director working with leaders at →

  • A Good Example of Preaching on a Tough Subject

    My friend and seminary classmate Pastor Richard J. Lee gave a sermon entitled “FAQ: Is Homosexuality a Sin” at his church this past week.  Richard is a great guy, talented pastor… and more conservative on this issue than I am.  Richard holds a pretty traditionalist position on homosexuality and argues for that position in this →

  • Bin Laden & Bad Hermeneutics

    In the immediate aftermath of the historic announcement that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. Military personel, Facebook and Twitter erupted with reactions — including from many pastors and Christian leaders. For example, some posted this… →