Category Archives: Human Sexuality

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The Marriage Trap

Marriage can be a foretaste of heaven on earth or it can be a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. There are divine resources available to our marriages that will keep them from feeling like a miserable prison. The Lord purposes that your marriage will be a source of tremendous freedom, abundant blessing, mutual joy, and life.

https://vimeo.com/622517265
The Rev. Charlie Holt, The Marriage Trap preached at Church of St. John the Divine in Houston, TX: 3 October 2021. Come visit: https://www.sjd.org/

Sermon on Mark 10:1-16

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

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Living Church: All Means All

The Rev. Eric Turner of Central Florida spoke against the resolution, proposing an amendment that would eliminate the list in the non-discrimination canon, which includes “race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities or age.”

“We need to stop this process of adding a new minority every time one becomes vogue or politically correct,” Turner said.

The Rev. Charles Holt of Central Florida supported the amendment, saying adding more categories to the canon may be counter-productive.

“One thing I can say is that we are the most welcoming Christian organization on this planet. We do not disc-

The Rev. James Lewis of South Carolina

riminate against anyone,” Holt said. “Laying down the law to force someone not to discriminate will only harden hearts. The law doesn’t soften hearts. The only way to soften hearts is to speak the truth in love.”

The Rev. Canon James Lewis of South Carolina also opposed the resolution, saying he needed more clarity on the definition of “gender identity and expression.”

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Sarah Bailey Pulliam: Momentous vote in Indy on gay marriage

“Foundational institutions in the U.S. are under assault from the culture, further fragmenting the United States,” said Charles Holt, a rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and School in Lake Mary, Fla., who spoke in opposition of the move, seeing the liturgy in contradiction to the Book of Common Prayer, which defines marriage as between a man and woman. “To change liturgies would not find acceptance in the wider church and would be an affront to unity.”

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A Statement from the Deputation of the Diocese of Central Florida

Central Florida Episcopalian: Around the Diocese

The Diocese of Central Florida is committed to making disciples of all nations and loving one another as Christ loves us.
The Deputation from the Diocese of Central Florida has an extraordinary sense of sadness and disappointment that the Episcopal Church has chosen to adopt a provisional rite for same-sex blessings.
We recognize that to the vast majority of those members participating in the councils of General Convention, this represents progress. To us, it represents a step back from the clear teachings of Holy Scripture and a disregard for the unity and teaching of the Church.
Our Lord Jesus Christ emphasized marriage between a man and a woman as a divine ordinance for the ordering human relationships. For that reason, he sternly warned against human interference with marriages. Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matt. 19:4-6)
The 77th General Convention’s decision represents denominationalism. In matters of ethics and morals, we have shown blatant disregard for the unity of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. However, we in the Diocese of Central Florida stand in solidarity with our communion partners within the Episcopal Church and within the Worldwide Anglican Communion who “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 1:3) . We deeply lament the costly repercussions that these decisions will have within the Episcopal Church and for Anglican Christians around the world especially those under anti-Christian totalitarian regime.
The actions of General Convention also represent a departure from the rubrics and worship of the Book of Common Prayer and the stated Canons of the Episcopal Church.  These liturgies are not recognized in the Diocese of Central Florida as being consistent with either the laws of the State or the canons of this Church on Marriage. The Book of Common Prayer says, “Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God. In the Episcopal Church it is required that … the marriage conform to the laws of the State and the canons of this Church.” (p. 422)
While we are greatly saddened by the General Convention’s action, we are not discouraged. We know that we are called by God to “stand firm”. If any  are discouraged,  let us bear one another’s burdens and cast our cares on the Lord in prayer for one another. Our faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord gives the strength and hope needed to serve  without compromise within the Episcopal Church and the world, “for our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh”.  (Ephesians 6:12) Our faith is not in the human institutions of the Church, but in the unwavering faithfulness of Jesus Christ our Lord—his grace is sufficient.
We stand behind our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Gregory Orrin Brewer, in his endorsement of the minority report known as the Indianapolis Statement.
  • The Rev. Charles Holt, Chair
  • The Rev. Phylis Bartle
  • The Rev. Danielle Morris
  • The Rev. James Sorvillo
  • The Rev. Eric Turner
  • Mr. Charles Armstrong
  • Mrs. Anneke Bertsch
  • Mr. Sid Glynn
  • Mr. William Grimm, esq.
  • Mrs. Sonya Shannon
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Christianity Today: Episcopal Church Approves Same-Sex Blessing Rites

Leaders in the denomination avoided attempts to change the definition of marriage as it would take significant efforts to change the Book of Common Prayer, which describes marriage as between a man and a woman.

“The debate over marriage is over technicalities, when we can call a spade a spade. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it’s a duck,” said Charles Holt, an evangelical rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and School in Lake Mary, Florida. Holt spoke against the proposal in Tuesday’s debate.

Holt described evangelicals who oppose same-sex rites but want to remain in the denomination like a similar kind of marriage.

“We want to have the spirit of Martin Luther, who wanted to reform the church from within,” he told CT, noting that Luther was eventually disciplined out of the Catholic Church. “We’re called to be faithful to the unfaithful and called to love those who would delight in our departure.”

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