Locally, some of my old friends and I re-organized a kind of gay men's Bible study. It had started over 9 years ago, and just reorganized as "Gay Men of Faith." just over a year ago. The original group is where I met Dennis, a former manager here who will always be remembered fondly.

Anywho, we are meeting in Williamsport every other Monday night, usually doing a book study or a Bible study. We recently went into what some call "The Clobber Passages," that small handfull of misquoted, out of context verses that the church uses to beat us over the head with.

I am probably the most cynical of the group. My faith has evolved and changed over the years, not so much due to the gay issue. I just see things differently these days. A bumper sticker on the road the other day described me pretty well. It said, "I want to believe."

Maybe more about that later, but what I want to ask here is this; Has anyone ever done the forty day book study called "The Purpose Driven Life?" That's what the group has decided on for our next study and we are gathering the books together this week. It sounds like it could be good, but it also could be just more right wing Christian poopy caca.

Anyone here done this study and know what it's about?

Thanks!
David

David,

I have read this over a year ago and am positive about the book. Very good friends, a couple, attend a church where they followed the program fo the book and read a chapter a day for the 40 days. They also met and discussed it. They shared this at dinner one evening and later they gave me a copy of the book which I appreciated.

Now, let me tell you first that I take things for what I can find they offer me and not literally for everything they say. So I did not follow anything like the 40 day process to read the book - at times I read a couple-three chapters and then didn't pick it up for a week or two. I guess I read it as it seemed to call me. Many parts I found good and a few just didn't connect for me.

Mostly it is a modern-day application of biblical items blended together with today's motivational messages from current psychology. I appreciate that it is simply one interpretation and found value in it. I have heard Christian radio pooh-pooh it because it blends in current day messages that you could say are from secular sources. Frankly I think this brings it to more people in practical terms that they may understand better.

One chapter really made an impact on me. The primary subject was Submission; submission to God or God's will. It discussed how submission is not really subjecting yourself to what someone else wants but to letting go and accepting what is - To me this is submitting to God's will, not as another but as aligning with the way things were created to be.

As I am still married I continue to wrestle with what direction to live my life. The topic of submitting honestly led me to a new level of introspective about what direction to take. I sat quietly and aware, listening and feeling while contemplating this idea of submitting to God's will and simply understanding God's will for me. It was one of the most memorable times when I felt clearly that God made me the way I am (including gay) for a purpose and that submitting is not squashing what I want to do but aligning with what is planned for me so that I can accomplish far more than I am with the path I'm on.

You can tell by my words (or at least their length) that this book made an impact on me.

I'm sure you will find something from it or something from the discussion it creates for your group.

Best, George