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2/15/2020

They Were Nuts!

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​Dear Reader,

A couple weekends ago was our church's (Landmark Free Holiness Church) 5th Annual Harvest Camp Meeting. This was essentially a three day worship conference that brought in people from all over the country. It was a powerful experience to witness and worship with so many faithful/affirming Christians.

I was blessed to be able to attend after going on medical leave from my work. I was able to go and see for my self the pure energy that is the body of Christ praying, worshiping, loving, and singing together. At one point my husband, Chris, and I were overcome and shed some tears. You could see the pain many carried, but when they came to the alter to pray, they were able to share it with Christ and the rest of the church. It was beautiful to see the support and love they received from everyone in attendance, but not only that, they received healing from our Lord and Savior each and every night.

For some background, if you have followed this blog from the beginning then you'd know that I was raised Catholic. Now, in a Catholic service or mass, there is a set way of doing things. There is actually a book in every pew that outlines the lectionary readings and mass schedule for every single day of the year. The priest and masses are generally monotone; there is sometimes incense, and the mood could be described as somber in comparison to other denomination's services. Especially in compared to a Pentecostal service.

I remember the first time I went to a Landmark service. I attended with my mother who was in her wheel chair; this was prior to her leg being amputated. I was a bit taken aback at how loud and exaggerated they seemed. The preacher, Joey at the time, would run around the alter and into the pews as he preached. The members would shout, clap, or dance as the pastor really amped up his sermon. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't put off by this worship style. I just wasn't use to it. My mother, an extrovert, absolutely loved it. The pastor actually invited her up for a healing experience which entailed everyone in the church coming up to the front, laying hands on her, and praying for God to fill her up and heal her legs. My mom stated later that she felt tingling in one of her legs, it actually ended up being the appendage that was saved.

I didn't go back on a regular basis after that until last year when a pastor at a non-affirming church told my husband and I we couldn't be members due to our "gay lifestyle". There is a whole article on this that you can read by clicking here. I felt crushed. I looked up to this man and he just told me in so many words I wasn't fully welcomed. I felt shaken almost to the point of questioning my Christian faith. I prayed and felt determined not to lose my walk with God. I had worked so hard to rebuild my relationship with Christ. I decided I would fight for my faith.

I tried a few other LGBTQ+ affirming churches but none felt right. We wanted something that used the literal interpretation of the Bible while also understanding the importance of context and social norms of the time period. I kept praying throughout this time and kept being drawn back to Landmark Free Holiness Church. I finally brought up wanting to go to a service with Chris. He was a bit hesitant given my retelling of my first and only service experience. After some coaxing, he agreed to attend. He was a bit overwhelmed, but after we visited a few times we both got past those feelings.

We soon grew to enjoy the preaching and even got to know the members more. They became our chosen family. I have never met people so loving and filled with the Holy Spirit. My work schedule doesn't always allow me to attend services often, but luckily they stream on Facebook so I don't miss much. My new family stays in communication with us and genuinely cares about our lives. I feel so blessed to know each and every one of them.

Now, the reason I gave you that extensive back story was to explain how the Camp Meeting services went. Even though I had been attending Landmark for a year regularly up to that point, I still hadn't been exposed to something called "shouting" from Pentecostals. It starts out as yelling "Yes God!", "Amen!", "Preach!", etc. during sermons or when the worship team hits a particular cord in someone. They really love their music. They will feel the Holy Spirit stirring and moving within them to the point they have to let it out. People will begin to dance, shake, and raise their hands in praise. This was something powerful to witness. If you have never been to a Pentecostal service, I highly recommend it! It might be intimidating at first, but it's worth it in the end.

As I mentioned, the services were emotional. At one point the song "When I Lay My Isaac Down" by C.T. and Becky Townsend and the lyrics caused me to shed some tears:

" Abraham, prayed for the day God would give him a son Blessed Isaac was name The greatest gift he'd ever known Then came the day Who would have dreamed God would say you got to give him back to me And on this mountain you must prove That it's you and Isaac Or it's me and you
When I lay my Isaac down With a broken heart But my Father's proud On this altar where he lay Just to find it wasn't him he wanted me

Most of us I'd dare to say With an Isaac in God's way On this Altar you can prove It's not your Isaac that God wants He wants you.
When I lay my Isaac down With a Broken heart but my Fathers proud On this altar where he lays Just to find it wasn't him God wanted me"

I went into the three day Camp Meeting not knowing what to expect. I spoke with various people in attendance, and they all had a reason for being there, but the general consensus was to feel God move. He sure did that. God does move, we just have to get out of His way.

Thank you for reading,

Written by Alexander M. Burchnell
Edited by Christopher J. Burchnell

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2/15/2020

How was the Bible Created?

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Dear Reader,

I have often wondered why we read the biblical texts that we do. I know there were other scriptures used, so why do we just use the 66 now? What happened? According to Biblica.com no one church created the canonized Bible as we know it today. It says that over time believers accepted the list of books. It wasn't until 367 AD that Father Athanasius first provided the complete canon Holy Bible. He was the first to hold this new canon version as the ultimate truth and all the others were incorrect.

The Old Testament partially came from the Torah or Pentateuch and was the first to be canon, however, the prophets were not brought in until around 200 BC and the rest of the Old Testament came much much later. The Old Testament really wasn't fully recognized until right before Christ's birth. But why canonize it in the first place? By the time Jesus came the Jewish people were scattered all over and needed a sense of community wholeness. With the creation of one scripture it bonded them all together as ONE. But what about the new Testament?

After Jesus' death and for the next few centuries there were tons of writings and epistles circulating among the ancient Christians. These writings were used by churches but in huge variety none were the same. Eventually it came to be understood they needed something solid for their foundation that united them much like the ancient Jews and their Torah. Some Christians thought others were heretical for using the Gospel of Thomas, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the Epistle of Barnabas. Eventually some scriptures were deemed truth and the others fiction thus the Holy Bible was born!

The fact that I am even writing about the canonization may infuriate some but I feel it is important to discuss especially for those of us in the faith who are LGBTQ+. We can see how culture and time has shaped our modern Christian understanding and how our black and white views are not entirely accurate. This article is in no way meant to tarnish our beliefs but to show that our faith has a long and deep history that is worth exploring. I hope to dive more into our faith via context and historical references. I appreciate every single one of you for reading and getting this far.

Blessings to you all!
Written by Alexander Burchnell
Edited by Christopher Burchnell
​

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2/15/2020

Superficial VS Real

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Growing up in this generation, around my peers, in the church, in my family; I grew up hiding. I hid behind you. Anyone that was in my life, even someone new. I would unnoticeably move behind them, leaving them with the superficial version of myself that everyone loves, that everyone adores. For a long time, I even gave Jesus that version of me.

Hanging out with friends, gathering with family, going to church. I would see the real Alisha behind the friend, behind the family member, behind Jesus. At certain times while talking to different loved ones, she would ask to come out. She would ask to be free. But the superficial Alisha would reject her out of fear, out of pain, out of hurt. Because see, the superficial Alisha knew who the real Alisha was. The real Alisha is someone who my family, my church, and even some of my friends would see as disgusting, horribly distorted, and sinful. And Jesus, oh the superficial Alisha knew that He would do away with the real Alisha and leave her, never having a second thought about the child whom He created.

So, the superficial Alisha pushed the real Alisha back, far away from anyone that loves her or that ever will love her, because superficial Alisha loves you, loves Jesus more than she loves the real Alisha. Superficial Alisha could never bare the thought of losing anyone that she loves and will love. So the real Alisha, walking farther and farther away, eventually disappeared, leaving superficial Alisha alone as she desired. Superficial Alisha would soon forget about the real Alisha and would begin to think she is the real Alisha, that the other was created by the devil.

At the age of 19, “real” Alisha would come to embrace Jesus, who is the pure and true definition of Love. But as she embraced Him, she could see a figure far away in the distance moving towards her. But she became so overwhelmed by His presence that she removed her focus away from the figure in the distance, to Jesus. “Real” Alisha became a disciple of Jesus. Learning of Him, studying His Word, being taught Love from Love Himself. Yet, still every now and then she would still see the figure approaching her in the distance, still unsure of what it is, but Jesus would distract her with learning and love. She would fall into His presence every time.

“Real” Alisha grew deeper in the love of God, deeper in the understanding of herself and people. She was enjoying Him until one day she finally could see what was approaching her. It was a man, and she looked beside the man and saw the real Alisha. “Real” Alisha began to panic, she became frustrated, but Jesus embraced her. He embraced all of her. But “real” Alisha couldn’t keep her eyes off the real Alisha approaching. She became so focused on the real Alisha that when she looked around she couldn’t find Jesus.

“Real” Alisha wept, shouted, mourned over the loss of her True Love. She knew she failed Him, and she knew it was because of the real Alisha resurfacing. She looked back up to see the real Alisha, alone, still approaching her. “Real” Alisha got up in an angry fury and ran to the real Alisha. As she reached her she raved, she shouted, she fought, she hit her, and not once did the real Alisha fight back. “Real” Alisha angrily said, “Why won’t you just die? I want you dead!” she shouted with tears in her eyes. “Because of you, I lost the one person that has loved me unconditionally my entire life. I hate you, and everything that you are, and so does He.”

The real Alisha looked at “real” Alisha and said, “I love you.” She then looked away from her and looked at the man approaching that was walking with her and said, “And so does He.”

“Real” Alisha looked at the Man and saw it was Jesus. She became shocked and said to Him, “Jesus, why were you walking with her? You don’t love her. You hate her.”

Jesus looked at “real” Alisha and said, “I’ve never told you that I hated her. Don’t you understand, this is you.”

“Real” Alisha, confused, says “No, your Word says you hate that Alisha.”

“My Word says no such thing!” Jesus exclaims. “Let me show you what my Word truly says.” He helps the real Alisha up, “Come with us on a journey, a discovery of Love. Let Me show who I am.” Jesus holds out His hand, but “real” Alisha looks at the real Alisha and cries. Jesus looks at her and says, “You were taught My Love by My people according to their understanding. Now let Me show you My Love through My people with My guidance.” Jesus looks deeply at her, “Will you come?”

“Real” Alisha thinks for a short moment; she looks at the real Alisha and shakes her head. But then she looks at Jesus and holds her head down and begins to walk to Him. But as she begins to walk to Him, she stops as Jesus speaks to her, “Do not come if you do not trust Me. For in this journey, none of your loved ones and even those you will come to know, they will not be able to fully understand. Not until I am done.” He reaches out His hand towards “real” Alisha, “Will you trust Me?”

“Real” Alisha contemplates as she looks at His hand. She thinks about everything she has learned everything that she was taught by her True Love. She went over and hugged Jesus. She realized His embrace was the same as it was before, and she looked up while holding Him and said, “I trust You.” Jesus then guided both “real” Alisha and the real Alisha on a deeper spiritual journey. While on this journey, the two Alisha’s would walk in front of Jesus as they were guided by Him. Eventually “real” Alisha would come to love the real Alisha. They would hold hands, gaze at each other, laugh with one another, and fall into God’s embrace together when the journey became travail. Then without noticing, without a fight, “real” Alisha and the real Alisha became one person. Every time when falling into God’s embrace, Jesus united them, making them one because for now, they are both needed. But with God only truth will remain.

This is the true Alisha that writes now. I let my family, the church, and society split me into two people. Society says I was born this way. The church says that it is a sin and I will be thrown into the lake of fire. But I talked to the Man that never changes. I read His Word for myself and He bestowed wisdom upon me. And His Word didn’t tell me I am a Heterosexual nor a Homosexual. It didn’t tell me I am Bisexual nor a Lesbian. No, His Word tells me that in the beginning during the creation of this world, my soul was made in His image.

Genesis 1:27 says He made us “male and female”. Theologians believe this is Adam and Eve physically. But no, God showed me they did not become physical until Genesis 2, along with all the plants and animals of earth. When He said “male and female”, He is saying masculine and feminine. He created our soul first, and then He “formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breathe of life, and man became a living being.” Gen. 2:7. God’s breath is our spirit, and when He takes His breath back we die. The spirit returns to the Lord who gave it, and our body returns to dust, Ecc. 12:7. But our soul, our immortal soul, stays until the day of judgement.

We are all God’s image. God is Love, therefore we are love. “Male and female He made them.” God created us masculine and feminine, spiritually together like Adam and Eve were. Before sin entered the world, my soul was united. It was one with the masculine, and the masculine was one with the feminine, but sin separated the masculine and the feminine. This leaves us as people feeling alone, empty, incomplete in this world filled with people. But finding True Love and embracing Him leads us back to our counterpart, our helper, the one whom our soul has loved since the beginning. The one whom God created us with. My soul was knitted back together like the souls of Jonathan and David, and even Jesus and John. Their souls were in love with each other, but most of all with their Creator. Love knows no race, culture, status, nor gender because Love is spiritual, which includes romantic love. Shame on us for believing otherwise.

God has shown me that I do not have to identify or label my sexuality because He didn’t. When asked, “What is my sexuality?” I tell people, “I am a follower of Jesus.” I Love whomever He tells me to Love. Why? Because “I am Spirit led” Rom. 8:14. I “walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor. 5:7. He knows what is good and perfect and pleasing for my life, Rom. 12:2. He is my Father and I trust Him with all of me!
It’s time to let Love love.

By Alicia Knight
​

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2/15/2020

Tales of Nailan: In the Firelight

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​Aira sat panting near her fire. It had taken her far longer than she had anticipated finding wood dry enough to catch and the night was cold. Her fire was not large enough to do more than warm her toes and her hands, which held her knees tightly to her chest.

Staring into the flickering orange flames, she tried to comprehend what had happened. Trish, her best friend and only confidant, had called the city guard. For her own good, she had said. As if being imprisoned and beaten until she resembled what her city thought a woman should be would benefit her in the slightest.

Her boots shifted in the dirt as she tried to compact herself tighter into her legs. It wasn’t her fault she felt this way, was it? And if Nailan hated what she was, why had he saved her? It didn’t make sense. Perhaps it had been a ruse, a trick, to make her vulnerable and then he would tell her how awful she was in his sight.

“I didn’t mean to. I really didn’t. She was my friend and I thought I could trust her…” Aira whispered to the fire.

It had been Trish that had pushed everything to a boiling point. Trish was a human, destined to live a short life without access to any Power whatsoever or the ability to shift into an animal. She was, by many standards, completely boring. Aira, herself, was a werewolf, able to turn into a wolf at will, able to access Nightforce Power. The only drawback was that during a full moon, Aira had to transform into a wolf whether she wanted to or not. Despite Trish’s boring humanity, Aira was enchanted by her. Her rounded ears, her flat teeth, her… Aira’s cheeks flushed and she squeezed her eyes shut.

That had been the problem. Aira’s heart had always fluttered near Trish, and her stomach always felt in knots. But she couldn’t stay away. They became fast friends and Aira began to feel herself relax more and more around Trish. The human didn’t mind that she wore pants, though she teased Aira mercilessly about how the trousers clung to her form. Aira’s stomach did somersaults for weeks after that. After Trish had offered her a bed in her house, Aira had hoped that Trish cared for her as Aira did. But that had been naive. No, worse than naive, stupid. Aira should have known it was too good to be true. She should have known!

“What are you doing out here?"

Aira leaped to her feet, her hand jumping to the long dagger at her waist, wrenched from her thoughts. A man stood on the other side of the fire, his black hair sweeping across green and black eyes. He smiled and Aira noticed that he had pointed teeth like hers. So, he was a creature.

“What are you doing walking up on my fire?” she snarled, easing her dagger in its sheath.

“I was taking an evening flight and spotted you. You seemed alone and out of sorts so I thought I’d come down and see if you needed help.” he shrugged and sat cross-legged in the dirt, adjusting his coat so that he did not sit on it. It was emerald green, and she thought she saw dragons embroidered in gold along his sleeves. Dragons and… wolves?.

“Hey! I didn’t say you could stay here! You make a habit of creeping up on women in the dark?” That would put him off balance. He would run away quickly once he realized she wasn’t a man! Either that or try to drag her back to Nefti and force her into a dress, or worse.

To her complete surprise, he did not start at the pronouncement of her gender. In fact, now that she thought about it, he hadn’t even blinked at her clothing. Had she crossed into some alternate plane of existence when she crossed the river? In Nefti, a man would be calling for the guards or trying to arrest her if he found out. This man though…

“Not particularly. As I said, I saw you alone, I thought you might need some help. Your mental state--”

“My mental state is none of your business! You can just jump back into the air and go back where you came from!”

He raised his eyebrows and tucked some of his black hair behind an ear she now could see was pointed. “As you wish. I just thought… No matter.”

He rose and stepped back from the fire, his green-black eyes taking on an amused light. Aira shifted her stance, grounding feet into the dirt and tightening her grip on her dagger in case he rushed her. What an odd creature. Suddenly, large black wings unfurled from his back. He snapped them open and Aira could see light green webbing on the underside of the wings. He bent his knees, turning his face to the sky and leaped into the air, his wings taking him higher and higher. What was he? Some sort of Shifter, obviously, but what? A dragon? A Polivorn, able to change into many animals and shapes? She had never seen this half-transformation before, however.

Aira followed him with her eyes as he rose into the air, higher and higher. He really was leaving. That made sense, of course. He said he just wanted to help her, but if he was from Nefti, he would want to take her back in chains, more than likely. If he was from Nefti, he would hate and revile her because she was dressed like a man. If he was from Nefti, he would hate and revile her for Trish. Oh, Trish. Why did you betray me? The thought ran across Aira’s consciousness and she felt a tear run down her face. No! Focus. If this creature was from Nefti, there was nothing to stop him from striking her down and stoning her. True, a soldier in Nefti would most likely jail her rather than stone her, but if he thought she couldn’t be changed, couldn’t be made to conform, she would be executed. A shudder ran through her. Why can’t I be true to who I am? Why do they hate me? Why does Nailan hate me?

What if, a small thought said in the deepest corner of her mind, what if this man isn’t from Nefti? What if he truly does want to help?

Her mouth was so dry as she opened it to cry out, “Wait! Come back!”

She sank to her knees and hung her head. It was too late. Of course it was. But Aira felt the air stir and saw the man’s boots right back on the ground by her fire.

Written by Christine Fritzen
Edited by Chris Burchnell
Graphic Designed by Alex Burchnell

Check out Christine's other work (click here)!

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2/15/2020

Did Jesus Fulfill the Prophecies?

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​Dear Reader,

As a Christian we are always told that Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies of the Old Testament, but I personally can't name them all off. In this article I want to dive into what those prophecies were and how Christ completed them. Join me as we venture through the Bible all the way up through Jesus' death and resurrection.

According to CBN.com, the Old Testament was completed around 450 B.C. For those who don't know, B.C. stands for "Before Christ", so it was completed 450 years prior to Christ's birth! The Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies about the coming Messiah. There were over 300 requirements for Jesus to be counted as our Lord and savior. But what were they?

The first was that the Messiah must be born in Bethlehem. In Micah 5:2 it is written, "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past." Micah was an eighth century B.C. prophet who lived during the time of Amos, Hosea and Isaiah. The book of Micah shows how the wrath of God will come upon Samara and Jerusalem due to its horrific sin. Yet after He punished, He will bring them to restoration. The book describes the future where Bethlehem will birth a ruler greater than David himself. He predicts that Jerusalem will become the religious capitol of the world.

Next let's talk about the fulfillment of Micah's prophecy. The prophecy is depicted as completed in Matthew 2:1-6, "Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time, some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen His star as it arose, and we have come to worship Him.' Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. 'Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?' he asked them. 'In Bethlehem,' they said, 'for this is what the prophet wrote: "O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel."'" And it is also depicted in Luke 2:4-5, 7, 15, "And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancee, who was obviously pregnant by this time. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, 'Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'" John 7:42 sums it up, "For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born."

Another prophecy that was fulfilled through Jesus was that he needed to be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 states, "All right then, the Lord Himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Emmanuel - 'God is with us.'" Isaiah 9:6-7 also says, "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on His shoulders. These will be His royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty will guarantee this!" But who was the prophet Isaiah? Isaiah lived in Jerusalem in the eighth century B.C., just as Micah did. Chapter 7 of Isaiah was written around 735 B.C. during which King Ahaz was seated on the thrown. The prophet Isaiah sent a message he received from God that He would send Judah a sign which would be a child called "God is with us."

How did Jesus fulfill Isaiah's prophecy? All we have to do is read Matthew 1:20-23, "As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. 'Joseph, son of David,' the angel said, 'do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through His prophet: 'Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and He will be called Emmanuel (meaning God is with us)."

There is a statement according to the book of Deuteronomy that the New Testament references, "This book records the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River." This verse shows how Moses went all over and spoke to the people just as Jesus did. John speaks to this statement to explain why this would even be considered a prophecy in John 7:40-42, "When the crowds heard Him say this, some of them declared, 'This man surely is the Prophet.' Others said, 'He is the Messiah.' Still others said, 'But He can't be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.'" Even Paul speaks to it in Acts 3:20-33, "Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and He will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. For He must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through His prophets. Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything He tells you.' Then Moses said, 'Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God's people and utterly destroyed.'"

I could go on and on about the prophecies and plan to add more in later articles, but I do believe this is a good stopping point. I hope this was an interesting read as it sure was fun to research. Let me know in the comments what your favorite prophecy might be! I'll see you in the next one!

Written by Alexander Burchnell
Edited by Christopher Burchnell

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2/15/2020

Unclobbering Romans

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​Dear Reader,

We here at QCFV recently received a submission requesting we discuss the passage in Romans 1 that is commonly used to harm the LGBTQ+ community. The verses in question are Romans 1:26-27, "For this cause God gave them up unto vice affections: for even their women did change the natural use to that which is against nature: And like wise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet."

Now, that passage does seem harsh to those of same-gendered attraction, however, we must NOT take it out of context with the rest of the book. Let's look at the historical side of Romans and then we can move into theology. Romans was written by Paul for two audiences, Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in Rome. This book isn't meant to be about theology, but instead is a letter to the Roman citizens as well as the Jewish Christians, explaining why Gentiles absolutely have a seat at Christ's table.

Romans 1 describes things that Gentiles are doing that have caused them to fall short of righteousness. According to Paul, the sins of the Gentiles are steeped in their idol worshiping, which has lead them to vices such as envy, gossip, murder, arrogance, and "shameful lusts". Paul understood same-gendered attraction as an over abundance of sexual lust, he had no concept of orientation nor did he see cases of partnered love. Common forms of same-gender behavior in Paul's time was pederasty and sex between a master and their salves, and the majority ALSO engaged in heterosexual behavior. Thus, this passage Romans 1:26-27 is NOT talking about committed, monogamous, sacred relationships, but rather in physical pleasure only.

Written by Alexander (Alex) Burchnell
Edited by Christopher (Chris) Burchnell

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2/15/2020

Top Surgery Postponed

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​Dear Reader,

Yes, you read that right. No, I'm not pushing it out because I want to. Let me explain what happened. I got my therapy letter and medical documents all submitted to my surgeon's office after months of work. Finally, I was done. Now all I had to do was wait for my insurance's approval and then get a date from my doctor. Well, the nurse called me and said that she had good news and bad news. The good news was that my insurance approved it, the bad news was that to have it covered I would need to have my surgery by the end of December. The problem was that all of the surgery dates were booked until the beginning of next year (2020). So that means I won't be having surgery until possibly February.

I was disappointed but not completely devastated like I thought I'd be. I don't know if I was suppressing my feelings, but I actually looked immediately on the positive side. I would have more time to save up for the cost of hotels, gas, etc. I would have the ability to plan my days off and vacation time with work. So, even though I am incredibly disappointed I have to wait longer than November like I had originally thought, I am OK. I understand the need to wait, and I fully believe God is looking out for me. He knows I financially would be stretching it if I were have had my surgery as early as I intended. He knows what is best for me and I need to trust that.

I will keep you all informed as we continue this crazy journey.

Written by Alexander (Alex) Mason Burchnell
Edited by Christopher (Chris) James Burchnell

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2/15/2020

Pronouns Are Weird!

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Dear Reader,

Pronouns are weird. I'm not saying this to attack anyone but am only saying this from my own relationship with pronouns. When I first started transitioning, I would slip up and misgender MYSELF. I would get frustrated because I KNEW how I felt, but after 20 years of hearing "she", I had to retrain myself. It took a long time before I could just refer to myself verbally in he/him pronouns. It wasn't until recently that I could call myself "Daddy" around my furbabies. It's weird. Pronouns are weird.

It is VERY important to respect other individual's pronouns because it can cause their dysphoria to take off at light speed. Most of the time we understand mistakes, we are learning as well. It is, however, a problem when you make it obvious you aren't trying or brush our frustrations off. We need this! Our brains are sending signals telling us that our bodies aren't right and it causes depression, anxiety, etc. Please, for the love of God, try to use the right name and pronouns!

Sorry, I went on a rant there for a second. I just remember how miserable I was early on in my transition. I wanted to disappear. Yes, I was one of the lucky ones. I had a loving family who TRIED. They weren't perfect and were willing to learn and talk with me, but it took them nearly two years to get it right. It wasn't until I started hormones that things fell into place for them. My family told me it was easier to use the right name and pronouns after seeing me physically change. This shouldn't be the factor that makes you adapt to other's needs. What about non-binary people or those who can't physically transition for whatever reason? How would that work for them? That isn't the right way to go about it.

We as a society are so caught up on the gender binary. I can't step into any store without seeing it, especially with children. When kids are young they generally don't care until they learn that girls and boys don't play together. They learn that certain toys are for girls and others for boys. They learn it! Why can't a boy play with a doll? What? You don't want him to learn behaviors that could make him a good caregiver in the future? Maybe it'll help him to be a good parent? Or maybe Sally wants to play with trucks and will eventually become an amazing mechanic! Don't stop these kids over something as small as toys. Toys!

Again, sorry for the rant. I just don't get our society sometimes. Pronouns are weird.

Written by Alexander Burchnell
Edited by Christopher Burchnell

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2/15/2020

Tales of Nalan: Aira's Flight

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Aira ran. She ran as fast as she could, her breath coming in bursts as she tried to direct enough air into her lungs. It would not be enough. Despite her long legs, they were coming for her and they would catch her.

A small whisper on the wind caught her pointy ear, causing it to quiver. Turn here, it seemed to say. Why she should follow this voice was beyond her, but in a world of dragons and shifters and elves and magic, she had no reason to disbelieve that someone could really be talking to her.

She skidded as she turned, her short dark hair flopping in her green eyes before streaming back as she began to run again. She bared pointed teeth as she saw a river up ahead. Even from this distance, she could see the current rising up in wisps of white. How could she cross it? The voice had led her to a dead end!

Trust. The voice whispered once more, and Aira saw a man standing on the opposite bank of the river. She could make out a shepherd’s crook in one hand and a slight smile on his face.

Were they connected?

Why? She thought at the voice. Who are you?

I am Nailan. I am the beginning and the end. I am your creator. I am your redeemer. I am Nailan.

Shock nearly caused her to fall to her face. Just as she felt herself lose balance, something seemed to catch her and keep her on her feet. Nailan? Why was Nailan trying to help her escape? The kingdom of Nefti had strict laws, and her very clothing broke them. They said it was Nailan’s will that women wore dresses and men trousers. They said it kept things holy. Why would he be helping her?

A glance behind her saw the soldiers nearing. They would catch her against the river. They would reach her even if she tried to run along it. But the water was too deep, too wild, too wide. Even the rock that protruded above the water was too slippery, too far. If she reached it, she knew she would fall, that her foot could not grip the wet surface. Her eyes shot forward and saw Nailan on the opposite bank, a soft smile curving his lips, his eyes seeming to shine.

Trust.

Aira inhaled deeply, reaching the near bank. Okay. She closed her eyes and jumped. Her body felt cushioned by something, held in the air longer than a natural jump would last, and suddenly her feet landed on the rock. Keeping her eyes closed, she trusted that Nailan would help her keep her footing and pushed off once more. She landed on the sandy bank and rolled, jumping up to her feet as fast as she could and looked around. Nailan was clothed in a soft tan robe, the shepherd’s crook at his feet, and he smiled at her. He had saved her. He had helped her escape. She shook her head, trying to rid her eyes of the tears that threatened to fall. He had saved her.

“Go, my child. You are not away yet. They will try to cross, but you have a chance now. Go and know that I am with you. Go.”

She nodded and began trotting away from the river, away from the shouting soldiers. She had a chance. Nailan had provided a chance, and she would take it.

Written by C.F. (Partner Writer)
Edited by Christopher James ​

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2/15/2020

The Diversity of Christ

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