Loving Before Truth-Telling: A Pastoral Response to the Nashville Statement (Sex Love God Series #5)

Voxology

Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2017

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What does true Christian love look like in our conversation around LGBTQ+ inclusion and theology? Continuing the “Sex Love God” Series, Mike Erre takes a heartfelt and theologically grounded look at the Nashville Statement, critiquing not only its theological assertions but more importantly its failure as a pastoral document. This episode serves as a call to embody a covenantal love rooted in commitment, presence, advocacy, and transformation—before truth is ever spoken.

Drawing heavily from scripture and inspired by theologian Scot McKnight’s framework for covenantal love, Mike offers his own “Suburban Columbus Statement” in response, encouraging the church to lead with love that is felt, embodied, and transformative. The result is a challenging reflection for anyone who cares about how the church engages with LGBTQ+ individuals and with the broader culture.

Key Takeaways:
• Loving Before Toward-ing – Why declaring “the truth” without showing up in love and relationship first is often perceived as coercion, not compassion.
• Covenant Over Contract – Exploring God’s love as covenantal: a commitment to be with, for, and toward another, regardless of response.
• The Problem with the Nashville Statement – Mike argues that its failure is not primarily theological, but pastoral—it lacks empathy, presence, and humility.
• Love as Action – Unpacking scripture to highlight that love is not just doctrinal correctness or affection, but lived-out commitment.
• Grace Before Truth – The biblical pattern of Jesus' ministry shows truth follows grace, not the reverse.

Resources Mentioned:
• Scot McKnight – A Fellowship of Differents
• Scripture References: Matthew 22, Luke 6, Romans 13, Galatians 5, 1 Corinthians 13, Colossians 3, 1 John 4, Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 3
• The Nashville Statement – CBMW.org/Nashville-Statement
• Voxology’s “Sex Love God” Series Archive – VoxologyPodcast.com

Let’s be a church known more for covenantal love than ideological declarations. Subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on social to continue the conversation around a more faithful and loving representation of Jesus.

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.

Our Merch Store! ETSY

Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, Internet.
0:14.5	Mike here from the World Vox headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, the suburban, suburban
0:20.1	Columbus, Ohio, mind you.
0:22.6	Andy is on vacation this week. I don't know why, but he somehow thinks that he needs
0:29.6	some rest. I'm not sure he only has three kids and carries like two different jobs. But
0:35.6	no worries. I think I can handle it I want to I want to
0:41.1	just say thank you to all of you who have emailed all of you who have been praying all
0:45.6	of you who have still supported us on Patreon for your kindness in the midst of all this
0:50.6	transition it has been hard but good and we very much miss our friends in
0:58.7	California. We very much miss Vox. And I'm recording this on a Sunday. I get to teach later in
1:04.8	the community via Skype. So I'm excited about that. But I wanted to take a break from Sex, Love God. And I wanted today, if you'll
1:15.0	indulge me, to revisit the Nashville statement on sexuality. We recorded a podcast on it a couple
1:22.0	weeks ago. But I've been kind of stewing on this thing and wondering why it chafes so much at me.
1:34.3	You know, we don't need to revisit some of the critiques.
1:38.3	I mean, it was funny, one of the signers came out a couple days ago and said, you know, there are
1:44.7	four kinds of responses.
1:47.8	Those who are certain of the Nashville statement's rightness and who are outspoken about
1:54.7	supporting it.
1:56.3	Those who are reticent about its rightness and who would be uncomfortable saying it, those uncertain about
2:02.4	its rightness without yet knowing why, who would be uncomfortable saying it, and though certain
2:07.8	of its wrongness who would be determined to repudiate it. And so he said those are the kind of the
2:14.1	four responses. And somebody on Twitter Twitter said no there there's actually
	...

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