My church, locally and nationally, has the same problem as other Christian groups. This problem is the matter of figuring out what the Bible says about human sexuality. Some people don’t like to see church and problem in the same sentence. But the truth is that sincere Christians hold strong convictions about what the Bible says about a proper response to sexual behavior that is anything different than one man, one woman, in the context of marriage.

Mark Yarhouse borrows from Richard Mouw the phrase “convicted civility.” He says that around the issues of human sexuality there are people who are just not gracious about the way they interact with other people. They are strong on conviction and short on civility. But there are other Christians that are so strong on civility that you have no idea what they believe.

My local faith community (Newberg Friends Church) is trying to blend conviction and civility “seasoned with compassion.”

When one knows he/she is right, it is hard to listen to an opposite viewpoint. Yarhouse points out the importance of understanding the viewpoint of other people as we learn to listen and love.

The first of four videos that will serve as the basis for weekly small group discussions in April is this 28-minute presentation at Wheaton College by Mark Yarhouse: How to Care for a Pluralistic World with the Love of Christ.