LGBTQ and Discerning God's Will
LGBTQ and Discerning God's Will
Karen Keen and Grace Thomas discuss what it looks like to seek God amid questions of sexuality and gender identity.
Gender Stories is a series seeking to better understand the experiences of gender atypical, transgender, and nonbinary people, all from a Christian perspective. See the schedule of all live interviews.
I launched the Gender Stories series to help foster greater understanding of gender identity, specifically the experiences of gender atypical, transgender, and nonbinary people. In the second episode, I interviewed Grace Thomas, a former pastor of thirty years who is also transgender. I wanted to understand her experience, given the controversy surrounding gender identity in both church and society. I enjoyed talking with Grace so much that I continued our dialogue to address discerning God’s will.
The media portrays wild accounts that stoke people’s fears (e.g. transgender people and bathrooms), but you only need to listen to Grace for a few minutes to realize how false those wild caricatures are. Grace is one of the most gentle and thoughtful people I have met. That came through when she shared her story with me, and it comes through in this second conversation we had on discernment.
How do we go about discerning God’s will, especially when it comes to sexuality and gender identity? How do we faithfully listen to the voice of God so that we can follow in the good and holy ways of our Creator? Grace and I had a lovely conversation discussing exactly that.
This video caps off the Gender Stories series, which I’m hopeful will be a great resource for you and your church. Watch the video below or click here to view.
Reflection Questions:
How do you discern God’s will in your day to day life?
What have you been taught about discernment from others (e.g. church, school, peers, society)? Which approaches are helpful and which are not?
What insight does Grace provide when it comes to discerning God’s will? Write down 2-3 specific points.
What insight does Karen provide for discerning God’s will? Write down 2-3 specific points.
Don’t miss the national CenterPeace Conference October 24-26 in Dallas, Texas! This is an amazing time of worship and community for LGBTQ Christians, parents of LGBTQ people, allies, and pastors and ministry leaders. Come see what God is doing!
Find out more and register for the CenterPeace Conference at this link!