We live in a world of headlines and sound bytes on an array of hot topics, but many of these are really complicated and confusing issues that we need more time and wisdom to grapple with as followers of Jesus. One such issue is transgenderism. Chances are someone close to you or close to someone in your family has been impacted by it. And God has placed us in all of our relationships to commend the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can not put our head in the sand; we must do what we can to learn so as to engage.
For a variety of reasons, the endeavor to learn about transgenderism intimidates many. There are new terms to understand, difficult conversations to have in love, and biblical issues to wrestle with. However, we have nothing to fear in bringing such challenges and questions to God because he sets us free through his truth and his love. What is more, God has provided gifts to the church in the form of scholars who have searched the Scriptures, studied the culture, and engaged with people to help us think through this issue.
One such scholar is Preston Sprinkle, who has written Embodied and will be the keynote speaker at a conference in Sacramento on February 8th and 9th. He is gracious. He is wise. He is thoughtful. As a result, his book is incredibly helpful, as he orients the reader to the terms and the biblical perspective without losing sight of how transgenderism impacts real people. While I do not expect that everyone in our church family will agree with everything he says, I do believe that his book and his upcoming conference will help us to do the following:
Learn about the key issues involved with transgenderism
Engage the Scriptures with those questions
Challenge us to love in this environment.
If you are interested in Preston Sprinkle’s book, Embodied, you can order it from Amazon here. If you are interested in the conference that can be attended in-person or online, you can register here [registration closed].
So, count this as your invitation to join me in learning more about transgenderism. I’ve read the book and I plan on attending the conference, and I’d love to sit over a coffee and interact about either one with you. That way, we both can grow to be more skilled in commending the hope we have in Jesus!
Enjoying the learning journey with you,
Steve Luxa
Senior Pastor