WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Sitting here, fighting sleep, with a cold drink and a WW muffin, reflecting back on a very good evening. We had our small group tonight and it was excellent. What a great group of people! I've got so that I really look forward to seeing each of them over in darkest East Patchogue.

We chatted for a while tonight about the encouragement to be radically inclusive that Bill Hybels gave in one section of the DVD teaching that made up Part 4 of Just Walk Across The Room. While we were discussing that I remembered a good example of it from Jonathan and Donna's wedding (our son and daughter-in-law for the uninitiated!).

Jonathan works in the fashion industry and had invited a number of friends from work to be guests, several of whom were gay. When one of them asked if it was okay for him and his friend to dance together, Jonathan told them to go ahead and they had a blast. We also had a good time getting to know them. We did not ostracize them because of a lifestyle we do not condone, we accepted them as people and were radically inclusive.

One of the guys there that day ultimately came to faith, was helped by a ministry that reaches out to homosexuals and was married last year. I dare to believe that the fact that Jonathan and others opened their hearts and homes to him played a significant role in his life being turned around.

Radically inclusive!

That's a great phrase.