Customer Reviews

Calling the Rainbow Nation Home: A Story of Acceptance and Affirmation

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Rev. Sundby's work "Calling the Rainbow Nation Home" is flat out the best book out there today on this subject (I also highly recommend Miner's book "The Children are Free"). Rev. Sundby begins with her own personal journey to find God's will in this matter. The book follows that journey with each chapter set aside to handle a major issue faced along the way. Issues like: Salvation, what is sin to God?, the policy of "non practicing" (i.e. celibacy), the 8 clobber passages some use against homosexuals, the "fruit" of the spirit and the character evident within the lives of the members of the gay Christian community. She devouts a chapter to what she has witnessed while ministering within the gay Christian community. Simply amazing stuff.

But she doesn't stop there. Laying down her case, point after point until the reader can see beyond any shadow of a doubt that God has indeed "welcomed home" the gay community. Just as they are. She finishes her work by demonstrating the similarities between the present struggle for acceptance the gay (GLBT) community is going through with the rejection other groups have faced before. Jesus with the Pharisees, the Gentiles with the Jews, the Reformation with the Catholic Church, the rejection of the Anabaptists, the holiness movement, the issue of slavery, Azusa street, the Faith and Charismatic movement, women in ministry and on and on it goes. All of these moves were persecuted by the church and by people using erroneously using Scripture to bludgeon the group God was calling home.

She points out there we are in a critical moment of the Churches evolution with Christ working within the Body of Christ today to tear down walls of discrimination and exclusion and welcome everyone home. Who can stop God when He/She sovereignly moves? Nobody. In the words of Gamaliel; if this move is of God "you will not be able to stop it; (and if you try) you will only find yourself fighting against God."

Excellent book that is destined to become a classic.

This is one of those rare books that strives to be painstakingly honest, with no pre-conceived agenda. I'm a very conservative, straight Baptist woman who also happens to be a physician AND to have many gay friends, whom I love dearly. I have to say this one reference has been more helpful for me than any other source I have read--and I think I've read almost all of them! This is such a difficult issue and so divisive for so many. If everyone read this one book, I think that might not be the case anymore. Rev. Sundby has stayed true to the Biblical passages, using the original Greek translations. I think this book could be one way God has employed for healing relationships that have been troubled by the "gay vs. straight" controversy. We're all sinners and we all need His grace. Rev. Sundby deals with this beautifully.

This book, unlike many I have read delves deeper into how the Holy Spirit is moving in the GLBT world. This is an excellent book of the life altering changes the Rev. Sundby undertook to remain true to both herself and to the call of God.
I recommend this book to anyone who is GLBT and so a citizen of the Rainbow nation, or anyone with friends or family who are, and also to those who take the instruction of Micah 6:3 to heart: "And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
This book will help us all on our walk.

I found this book to be well written and very helpful. My son recently "came out" to my wife and I. One of my concerns was how he could bring his sexual orientation in line with his religious beliefs. This book showed that it can be done.

CALLING THE RAINBOW NATION HOME is the fascinating personal story of Sundby's journey to truth and peace as a Christian about her lesbian nature by finding the answers to questions such as: Is homosexuality a sin? If not, is partnership a sin? Am I going to hell? Must I be celibate? What does God tell me in the Bible? Her discussions are very thorough and clear. Those searching for truth and/or peace about homosexuality will be grateful for this volume.

I recieved this book as a gift, and did not know what to expect from it; when I finally had some time to pick it up, I read 40 pages the first night! I really felt the Presence of the Spirit in this! My spouse, who tends to pooh-pooh anything religious LOVES the book. I would not even call it a "religious" book; it is about an authentic, sometimes painful journey into being gay and a committed Christian; something some people feel is a dicotomy. It is also not a diatribe against other Christians who may not share the same views as she does (Many similiar books end up in this cesspool of division)- In this book, Elaine Sundby acts as a guide through a perilous journey that few people have to make....a must-have for anyone who deals with the issue of homosexuality and faith.

I found Rev Sundby's book, Calling the Rainbow Nation Home, one of the best Christian books I have ever read and I have read quite a few. Rev Sundby is obviously a person who takes her commitment to Christ very seriously and she did not approach the topic of being Gay and Christian lightly when she set out to discover for herself why she felt the way she did.
Her journey through her life of faith is quite different from my own. I originally embraced the gay life wholeheartedly from the outset with no reservations because it seemed right and I did not question God about it. I had been brought up in a devoutly Christian family and was considered just a bit of a black sheep by my family who were patient with me in spite of the fact that I was different from them. I was later convicted by the straight world of being gay and became angry with the world and the church about that. God saved me from myself on that 13 years ago, but I could not get over the fact that I seemed to be in trouble if I considered my sexual orientation to be okay. I hid in the closet for 13 years and just tried to live out a life to please God as a single person and failed miserably at it.

God started working on me about that and eventually got me "straightened out" on that, too. Then I found Rev Sundby's book and I discovered why I really should have no doubts about the attitude of God about me and my sexual orientation and how much He would like to use me to help others see the light on this, too.

Thank you so much Rev Sundby for your courageous book and may God bless you immensely.

ET Sundby's book is an excellent read! There are so many scholastic books on the Bible and homosexuality, but Sundby's book takes a unique approach guiding the reader through personal storytelling. By no means, though, is this filled with "fluff". In her story and journey we find a depth of study and wrestling with faith and tradition that is transparent and honest. This is a must read for LGBT Christians.

Justin R. Cannon
Editor, Sanctified: An Anthology of Poetry by LGBT Christians
Author, The Bible, Christianity, & Homosexuality

This book is a wonderful resource that has helped me to understand the issues surrounding homosexuality and the Christian faith in an honest and scripture-based way.

Unlike Oliver's review, this book is not a "feel good" book where the author just dismisses what the Bible says about this topic, and what it DOESN'T say about it. Nor does Sundby just read the bible to only hear what she wants to. Reverend Sundby goes through ALL the motions of studying scripture accurately and with the willingness to accept the truth it is speaking to her, including a possible "anti-gay relationship" interpretation that Oliver believes is the only right interpretation.

What makes this book refreshing is not only is it scholarly, but it is written in the context of her life story. For many readers this book will help them understand a lesbian Christian's life and her quest to understand what God is saying about her life. Highly recommended!

After recently going through a dark time in my life, I have found this book to be very uplifting. I read this book in only a few days because I could not stop myself from reading it (note: reading is not my favorite hobby). The book is well written and easy to follow, even for a novice, such as myself.
I recommend it for any GLBT who is questioning their place in the christian community, or in the eyes of God.