Sunday, April 29, 2:00 pm, Sanctuary
The prophet Isaiah tells us, “Come now, and let us reason together.” This is sage advice. The Inclusivity Committee plans to follow it.
On Sunday, April 29 the Inclusivity Committee is presenting a panel discussion on sex, gender, and sexuality. A biologist, psychologist, and sociologist will be on the panel. Each will give us a 25 minute presentation on the latest knowledge and developments on questions of sex, gender, and sexuality in their respective fields. This will be followed by Q&A and discussion. The panel discussion will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Our entire Mountain View Family is invited to attend, participate, and learn.
We have three highly qualified panelists. Samuel Flaxman is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado. Matthew C. Brown got his Ph.D. in 2003 in sociology at the CU, where he teaches sex, gender, and sexuality in the Department of Sociology. Glenda Russell is a clinical psychologist and also a Research Associate and Lecturer at CU.
Two of our panelists have special connections to Mountain View and Methodism. Sam Flaxman’s kids attend our neighboring Horizons school where they perform community service by helping at Mt. View’s Community Table. Glenda Russell does clinical work and research on the LGBTQ community in mainstream Methodist churches that have become reconciling congregations. Matt Brown comes to us with a special life’s journey. From his start growing up on a farm in Ohio he has traveled through teaching and research all the way to performing comedy improv in Denver.
The Inclusivity Committee was charged with “using the Wesleyan quadrilateral of experience, tradition, reason, and Scripture to guide the LGBTQ conversation at Mountain View.” Was Isaiah John Wesley’s inspiration for including reason in his quadrilateral? Reason and faith are certainly closely linked. According to George Weigel, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, “Reason purifies faith. Faith without reason risks descending into superstition; reason without faith builds a world without windows, doors, or skylights.”
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, April 29. It will be enlightening. We anticipate a conversation that is open, honest, respectful and lively.