We should be happy that [Jesus] did not say, “Like your enemies.” It is almost impossible to like some people. (Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love) I was in third grade when I acquired my first enemy. Her name was Linda. She was a
“We are under fire,” proclaimed Rev. Dr. Joan M. Martin at the opening session of Witness Our Welcome 2000. Knowing nods spread through the 1,000 or so attendees. As members of the Welcoming Church Movement whose goal is to move denominations to openly welcome GLBT
The Christian religion never saved anyone nor gave anyone life. The Christian religion should not be confused as the hope of the world. Our faith centers on grace. It was grace and truth that came through Jesus. (R. Kirby Godsey, When We Talk About God,
Gentle Spirit Christian Church, Atlanta, Ga. Readings: Isaiah 56:3-8, Matthew 23:29-40, Acts 11:1-18 Before I came to Gentle Spirit Christian Church, I spent a few months church shopping. My criterion for a good church was a place that I would feel totally comfortable. “I’ll know
It’s a typical parent’s dilemma. Their child comes home from a trip with friends with a whole new look. Shorter hair, different clothes, new attitude — it’s a combination sure to equal parental stress. “I had short hair before I left!” the daughter notes indignantly.
A new online book tackling the thorny question of homosexuality and Christianity is literally a dream come true. Alicia Dean, Education Minister of Northaven United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, was the one who had the dream. “In September 99, Alicia came to me and
During the reign of Hezekiah from 726-697 the southern kingdom of Judah was prosperous. Judah had been made a vassal state of Assyria after the Syrio-Ephraimite war in 734-732 and was flourishing under these conditions despite paying heavy tribute to Assyria. Material wealth among the
My life is a listening, [God’s] is a speaking. My salvation is to hear and respond. For this, my life must be silent. Hence my silence is my salvation. (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude) When I was in high school my class took the Armed
Sixty-seven United Methodist ministers will not face trial for participating in a holy union of two lesbians in Sacramento, California. After a three-day hearing, an investigative committee decided on February 11, 2000, not to pursue further action against the clergy members. “It’s a relief, but
The highest use of a shaken time is to discover the unshakable. (Harry Emerson Fosdick, A Faith for Tough Times) As GLBT Christians we live in a shaken time. As the 20th century draws to a close and a new millennium dawns, the instability of