Comments on: A City Weekend

By: Charles Powell

Charles Powell — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 13:28:19 +0000

Philip, I have read all of your books and this last year have been living with “Grace notes”. I have gotten so much out of these devotions. I will be giving away a lot of these to my friends and family.

I am 78 years old. I have been a Christian all of my life. Yes, I made a commitment of my own at an early age. I have also struggled with prejudice from “Christians”.

My wife and I moved from Kansas in 1971 to become part of a Church in Columbia, Maryland. 7 members of the Church of the Savior from Washington DC began this Church in 1968. We wanted to be part of this Church but didn’t want to raise our Children in the inner city. I am a Pharmacist and we moved here and built a professional Pharmacy. We have been blessed with a Church community, 4 children, 7 Grandkids and many friends.

I have just been diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic cancer. It was a surprise. I am ok with knowing that my days in a physical body are nearing an end. I have no fear. I don’t want to leave my wife of 56 years, or miss watching my grandkids and their growing up.

I have praying friends, a good Oncologist, a Church community and we live in a retirement community with all of the support I will need to make the transition.

I would enjoy traveling this journey with you. Would you be willing to commit to praying for me and walking this next time with me? I have chosen 12 friends to stay in close contact and give them updates on how it is going for me.

There is no cure for Pancreatic cancer. My oncologist has me on a Chemo infusion to slow down the cancer and reduce the size. I will continue only as long as I have ‘quality of life’.

Thank you for your Christian witness. I resonate with your view of the Christian life.

In gratitude for what you have given me with your words. Blessings and love Charlie Powell

Of course I will pray with you and for you, Charlie. I envy you your time at Church of the Savior. I have written that I know of no recorded “miracles” of healing from pancreatic cancer, and since then got reports of four exceptions to that. You will be healed, either here or in eternity. Blessings,
Philip

By: Karla

Karla — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 13:33:58 +0000

Great post! I have admired your writing for a long time, and I really appreciate your statement that things are “not nearly as black-and-white as either side thinks.” One thing that strikes me, and perhaps I am wrong, but it seems to me that when Jesus talked about sin, it was in terms of looking into OUR OWN hearts and NOT judging the sins of others around us. Yes, we are to share the gospel and teach others to obey his commands, but it is not our place to pronounce harsh judgments on anyone. Our relationship with God has to do with the state of our own hearts so that we may be a light to others. I struggle with the harsh pronouncements and often divisive stances of the evangelical community, even though I consider myself an evangelical. Thank you for bringing a calmer voice into the discussion.

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:40:26 +0000

Philip, thank you for these words of grace and humility in addressing a topic that has caused so much pain on both sides… I am a member of LaSalle Street Church in Chicago (although on a hiatus in Atlanta right now), which I know was instrumental in your spiritual development. We are dealing with the gay issues as a church right now, and it has been difficult. On a more personal note, I began a blog earlier this year to tell my “story” as a gay Christian on a life-long journey to reconcile my sexuality with my faith. Thank you for all that you do!

By: @bibledude

@bibledude — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 22:25:01 +0000

Very cool! I was just referred to this post by a reader at my blog who just read something I wrote about homosexuality and the church. I love the perspective, and pray that more of the church starts to see things this way…

Thank you.
Dan King

By: Cathy

Cathy — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:47:41 +0000

Philip. LOVE your writing…and you cannot imagine how glad I am to read your words in this post.
I realize the post was not “about” homosexuality, but that’s what jumped out at me – because The Church has turned homosexuality into the sword that the conversation of Christ has to die upon.
And that is as wrong as anything we’ve ever done.
Cathy
p.s. please consider getting on Twitter! Even just to link to your posts.

By: charyl :)

charyl :) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:00:34 +0000

Hi Philip! Oh! I’m so glad your website is doing well again! 🙂 I used to wonder what you were going to say about Anne Rice… hehehe… I’m not sure if I can recall correctly, but I think you mentioned her in one of your writings, if not in the books, maybe in the CT… Anyway, her stand on homosexuality and Christianity is really striking, or even faith-shakening, at least for me. But I remember what you said in What’s So Amazing that somehow, it was a risk on God’s part when he trusted to the followers of Christ the heavy task of extending grace, but still, it seemed to Him that it was a task worth taking (or something like that). I learned though that if i ever am to be authentic as a follower of Christ and be an influencer of others for Him, then i have to first of all be a channel of that grace, with His help of course. And the Lord will take care of the rest.

So, somehow, i kinda understand, somehow, about why Ms. Rice said those.

Thank you for your thoughts Philip! 🙂

By: TwisterJover

TwisterJover — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:28:14 +0000

Thanks Phil. Most of us see the issue of homosexuality and other publicized sins as impossible… Indeed, Homosexuality and all the rest are big questions on how we should deal with it all… Yep, It’s a sin… and we are not compromising the sin by putting it on another label. However, treating this people is another issue… Sometimes, Jesus would say – “If anyone is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her…” Sometimes, Jesus would say of a person that it is better for him to be dead, or would be so “angry” that He would make a big commotion in the place of worship-turned-marketplace… Were these sins grander than other sins? I believe a sin is a sin; stealing a penny is still like stealing millions… And so goes with disrespecting parents, witchcraft and homosexuality… The way Jesus treated people is quite simpler: He simply adjusted it to what would give God maximum glory… All sin are being judged by God as wrong, and death is its proper place… But we Christians, the mirrors to Life, should do everything -by God’s grace – to give Glory to God. Whether it be being holy and grace-full and loving… The reactions of the homosexuals and patrons of it, for Christians being “judgmental” and “harsh” (“too much hell!”) is quite a crucial issue – people will really dislike being told that they’re sinners… We tell them that’s sin – but we don’t go beyond it… We show them love by telling the truth… But we don’t overdo it as if we’re God who judges all things… leave it all to Jesus… We just live as salt and light, not to the point of pushing people to do this or that… hihi… Living as Salt and Light are mere understatements however… Because through these, even the worst of sinners can see a clear mirror of who Jesus is… and when they do – the impossible turns to glory…

By: JJ

JJ — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 06:46:55 +0000

Phillip Yancey is soft on homosexuality!!!!!!

Thank God. How many more of the hard and uncompromising types can we handle. That stance would only really work if you had perfect knowledge of an issue, and even Jesus, who some say did, couldn’t be characterized as “hard and uncompromising”.

Oh wait, except when he was around religious conservatives.

Thanks PY for helping to teach us how to be soft.

By: Ryan Galanaugh

Ryan Galanaugh — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:15:27 +0000

Philip-

Thank you for your support and your presence at the Hunger Blues BBQ. With the help of you and the other 250 people that participated on Sunday, we were able to raise over $50,000 and 30,000 pounds of food. It is wonderful play a small role in God’s greater plan for the redemption of His creation.

By: Jon Abercrombie

Jon Abercrombie — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:38:46 +0000

It is good to see Philip’s thoughts and viewpoints on the internet, no matter how understandably reluctant he may have been. His comments on a church that allows people to participate in the public grace of God, no matter how outcast those people might be, is refreshing. I look forward to reading his blog in the future.