This sermon was given by the Revd Alan Brooks at the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for our monthly Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The readings were Acts 10:34-43 and John 20:1-18

The Revd Alan Brooks is a dear friend of Open Table Liverpool, a retired Head Teacher and part of the community at Crosby All Saints with St Frideswyde which hosts Open Table Sefton

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

This sermon was given by the Revd Dr Colin Hart at the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for our monthly Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ community. The readings were Romans 15: 1-7 and Mark: 2:23-3:6.

Rev Dr Colin Hart has research degrees in both New Testament and Ethics, and taught both subjects for many years at St John’s College, Nottingham, a Church of England theological college. He has also been a vicar and taught in Grammar schools and a sixth-form college.

Colin has written four Grove Booklets on New Testament Ethics and has more recently co-authored school textbooks on Critical Thinking. He is currently Principal Examiner in Thinking Skills for Cambridge International and has permission to officiate in the Diocese of Chester. He is a member of the Liverpool and Wirral Open Table congregations.

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

We were delighted to welcome the Revd Dr Colin Hart to Open Table and St Bride’s to share a lecture on this important topic.

In his lecture, Colin looked in detail at the (sparse) New Testament teaching about same-sex attraction, sexual acts and relationships, in order to assess the widely-held view that “Bible-believing Christians” must condemn some or all of these.

Rev Dr Colin Hart has research degrees in both New Testament and Ethics, and taught both subjects for many years at St John’s College, Nottingham, a Church of England theological college. He has also been a vicar and taught in Grammar schools and a sixth-form college.

Colin has written four Grove Booklets on New Testament Ethics and has more recently co-authored school textbooks on Critical Thinking. He is currently Principal Examiner in Thinking Skills for Cambridge International and has permission to officiate in the Diocese of Chester. He is a member of the Liverpool and Wirral Open Table congregations.

To download a PDF copy of Colin's Powerpoint please click here.

To download a copy of the handouts Colin shared please click here.

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠