Just like with other issues relative to gender roles, submission, divorce, cohabitation and premarital sex, Christians need to shed their concerns over appealing to the sensibilities of a pagan culture. The Bible is explicitly clear on the morality of same-sex romantic and sexual relationships. Any confusion on that is the result of a futile attempt to reconcile what God told us with what our culture embraces.

As someone who has spoken at a number of Christian conferences, I’m probably in at least some position of authority to tell you that the names of so many of these conferences border on the silly. The seemingly insatiable desire within American Christendom to appeal to the culture through worldly pretense – be it rock bands, language adaptation (see: “flourishing,” “do life together,” “woke,” “press into,” etc.), or hip sounding names that look good as logos (see: “Gravity,” “Refuel,” “Energize,” “Epic,” “Catalyst,” “Encounter”) – is indeed growing tiresome to many of us ready to just appeal to the world through the power of the Gospel alone.

Gavin Beers maybe put it best on Twitter:

“Some contemporary Christian buzzword book and conference titles are: Refuel, Revive, Reset…..and now Revoice. The most needed and perhaps avoided is ‘Repent’ but that might not sell too many books or conference tickets.”

Beers’ observation could not be any more on point, particularly after the conclusion of this highly publicized Revoice conference that aimed at, “Supporting, encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex-attracted, and other LGBT Christians so they can flourish while observing the historic, Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality,” according to its website. At least there was flourishing involved.

To be sure, I don’t think there has ever been a more appropriate time than now for Christians to be seeking to reposition themselves within the world of those who are trying so desperately to find a sense of identity in their sexual attractions and urges. They have been deceived not only into thinking that such an effort will be fruitful, but also that those of us preaching Christ are their enemy. We are not, and Christians need to be making that clear.

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