kinship

Why Go on a Gay Men's Christian Retreat?
Why Go on a Gay Men’s Christian Retreat?
While I do not want to ignore the subject of temptation and what to do with it, I think it would be more relevant to talk about the positives of this weekend retreat spent with my brothers in Christ. A better question to ask and answer about our YOBBERS retreat would be: "Why do you gather together?" And also the question: "What is the fruit of such a gathering?" Perhaps by looking at something more culturally familiar, we can draw a parallel to our experience as gay/SSA "Side B" Christians.
Sick of Gay Men No Longer?
Sick of Gay Men No Longer?
Frankly, all this relational turmoil boiled to the point that I thought: You know what? I'm sick of gay men. Tired of the super sensitive personalities, tired of the drama queens. Heck, the emotionless or stoic personalities of most straight men started to feel preferable to what I'd found lately with other gay/SSA men. Nonetheless, with our YOBBERS retreat coming up I needed to put aside my negativity as best I could.
To Unite and Cheer On One Another in Our Burdens
To Unite and Cheer On One Another in Our Burdens
More than anything, though, what struck me about this year's retreat was a deep sense of unity. As I looked around the room of forty brothers, I considered how what unites us all is our crazy decision to make Jesus our everything – not just to follow Christ in a church on Sunday, but to take a devotion to Him into every single second of our lives.
What Your Other Brothers is All About
What Your Other Brothers is All About
I was anxious our "vibe" would be too new, too foreign, too strange, and too uncomfortable for too many people. Would the ratio just be off? Would our vibe be off after 27 months apart? Beyond logistics and numbers, I felt anxious about the purpose of this retreat more than either of our previous ones. It all goes back to that nebulous definition of YOB: what are we here for?
Your Other Brothers Podcast | 083
YOBcast 083: Covenant Friendship w/ Dr. Paul Eddy
Dr. Paul Eddy of Bethel University joins us for our "season finale" of sorts to discuss covenant – particularly the covenant of friendship. Paul lays out the components of covenant, including terms and signs and witnesses, and translates this particular covenant to the grander scheme of God's eternal covenant with His people. Afterward Tom, Ryan, and Aaron "debrief" the discussion: do we desire covenant friendships in our lives, or how likely do they seem? What are the draws and challenges of covenant friendship, and should we as gay/SSA believers be concerned about the perception of such friendships?
Your Other Brothers ConvoCast • 032
YOB ConvoCast 032: Tom & Marshall Move for the People!
Tom welcomes back Marshall after a long YOB hiatus! They chat about delicious gourmet pop-tarts, and Marshall catches us up on life post-pandemic, including losing his father. The guys also talk about spiritual family, growing older and staying single, and moving multiple times around the country more for community than careers.
Rethinking Nudity and Cuddling with Other Men
Rethinking Nudity and Cuddling with Other Men
It's now been three to four years since I've written those blogs on cuddling and nudity, and I've shared many cuddles since with guys I've met through YOB. But have any of my thoughts changed since I wrote those posts?
To Where Do I Turn in the Church?
To Where Do I Turn in the Church?
There is no one group that is "for" my existence as a celibate SSA Christian, nor is there a specific group "against" it. It can feel like I have no clear place to turn to in the Church, because every place is equally likely to attack some part of who I am or what I do. Meanwhile, all I strive to be is a sold out follower of Christ.
Your Other Brothers Podcast | 081
YOBcast 081: Pride Month
June is widely recognized as LGBT+ Pride Month. How do we as Jesus-followers engage with Pride Month – or is it even ours to engage with? How do we participate or spectate this month as gay/SSA believers with a traditional sexual ethic? Is there a place for us at this table and a space for us to be proud? Join Tom, Ryan, and Aaron for a discussion on Pride Month. Have we ever been to Pride, or would we ever go to Pride? And what would be our motivations for doing so?
Where Are My Celibate Straight Friends?
Where Are My Celibate Straight Friends?
It seems the only celibate communities forming are only by fellow "Side B" gay Christians, done so out of necessity. That really bothers me. Don't misunderstand me: it is good for celibate gay Christians to form communities. What bothers me, though, is that those communities should have already been started by celibate straight people.
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