Transgenderism Notes

1. Who are we talking about?

a. 2 different groups of people. 2 different approaches

i. Transgender people. Intersex.

ii. Lobbyists, activists, bloggers, etc. who use these cases to promote an agenda of doing away with gender, etc.

b. How do we respond to and interact with transgender people?

i. There is a few different reactions that we often see:

 

Lovingly, thoughtfully disagree

{——————————-I————————————-}

Hatred                                                                                                 Do whatever makes you feel good

Harsh language                                                                                            Be who you “are”

ii. We respond with love, sympathy, compassion to these people who are hurting, struggling, crying out for help. Yet we don’t fall into offering the same message that the world is offering.

c. With the lobbyists, activists, bloggers, etc. we can take a squarer stance. These people most often have an agenda and are using cases of transgender/intersex to try to erase ideas of gender from society.

2. 5 ways a Christian worldview looks different

a. Identity

i. Who am I really?

1. Transgender response says: Identity comes from within. My identity boils down to how I feel. Identity is not an objective reality that matches up with my sex. It is fluid and ultimately up to me. I am the source of defining my identity. No one can really tell me what I am or am not.

2. Christian response: God defines our identity physically at birth. Genesis tells us that He made them in his image, male and female. Our identity is bigger than we are; we are imaged in the image of God. And so, the female/male binary is important because it says something about who God is and through marriage is an image of the Gospel.

b. Creation

i. Christians: God created us. God doesn’t make mistakes. His creation is good and it works. To say that I was born male but I feel female and then to go and change my body accordingly is to say that God didn’t get it right and is to take the place of the Creator {yet because of the Fall everything is broken including sexuality and gender and the abuses that surround them}

ii. Transgender: My body doesn’t match my feelings about who I am. Something is wrong with my body that needs to be fixed (i.e. if there is a God, he messed up)

c. Re-creation

i. Christians: Yes, there is something messed up about us and we need to be recreated, but this can only happen in and through Jesus and his life, death and resurrection (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (see also: Col. 3:3; ).

ii. Transgender: My body doesn’t match my perceived gender. I need to recreate myself. Thus, hormones, etc. New identity.

I recently watched a Frontline documentary called Growing up Trans which documents the transitions and struggles of transgender kids and their families and one of the main themes that I saw come out of it was the idea of RE-CREATION.  There are a lot of YouTube channel youth stars and their followers who document their transitions to the gender opposite of what they were born with and many of them look at the first day of their hormone injections as their “birthday” as this new human that they are finally becoming. They say things like this is day 1 of my life; this is the beginning of my new self, of who I really am. And their language is that of re-creation, of being made new.

d. Mind & Body

i. Transgender: My mind/heart say I am this way so I will change my body to match.

ii. Christian: God’s word says this about me so I will change my mind to match that (I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom 12:1-2)

1. This doesn’t mean that feelings/desires will suddenly change (i.e. same sex attraction or even feeling male/female) but it does mean you can train your mind to know/do what God desires of you, whether you continue to feel like a man/woman or not.

e. Gender

i. Transgender: Gender is about you and your feelings. Self-focused.

ii. Christian: your gender is about God and his glory

1. Male/female binary is affirmed in Scripture. God made them male and female. Jesus affirms this. The Bible continually affirms the distinctions between men and women as their roles are spelled out.

Table Talk THIS Sunday (7/17)

Every third Sunday of the month there’s free food for everyone.

Every third month there’s also a seminar on some topic.

So far this year we’ve covered whether Christians and Muslims worship the same God and how Christians should engage with Media.

This Sunday we’ll be discussing the topic of Transgenderism from a biblical perspective.

Liturgy (7/17)

PRELUDE – “Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker

WELCOME & CALL TO WORSHIP – 1 Chronicles 29:10b-13

LEADER:

Blessed are you, O Lord,

the God of Israel our father,

forever and ever.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power

and the glory and the victory and the majesty,

for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.

Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,

and you are exalted as head above all.

Both riches and honor come from you,

and you rule over all.

In your hand are power and might,

and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

PEOPLE:

And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

Song –

“10,000 Reasons” by Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman

CONFESSION OF SIN – Psalm 51:16-17

You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON – Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Songs –

“You Are My King (Amazing Love)” by Billy J. Foote

“Worthy is the Lamb” by Darlene Zschech

PRAYER

CHILDREN’S BLESSING & DISMISSAL

Song –

“Jesus I Am Resting, Resting” by David Hampton and Jean Sophia Pigott

SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 103

SERMON – “Forget Not All His Benefits”

LORD’S TABLE

Songs –

“There Is A Fountain Filled with Blood” by William Cowper

“O the Love of My Redeemer” by Josh Caterer

OFFERING

Song –

“Doxology”

BENEDICTION

ANNOUNCEMENTS

POSTLUDE – “Oh! Great Is Our God” by The Sing Team

Volleyball Sunday!

This Sunday (7/10) there will be volleyball at 4:00 PM on the south side of Arrigo Park. Bring a blanket, invite a friend, have some fun!