It starts with something called ‘human flourishing’ Every morning, we wake up with an incredible opportunity before us. Whatever else the day holds, we know we will have the chance to choose love over hatred, kindness over cruelty, generosity over selfishness and greed, hospitality and
The Gospels are understandably spare in their recounting of the life of Jesus. The expense and trouble involved in producing and promulgating the written word two millennia ago meant every word counted in a way that is almost unfathomable to us now. Mark, the briefest
Should you stay, or should you go? It continues to be one of the major crises for religious believers today. What should we do with “these people” whom our denomination has marginalized for centuries? For some it’s LGBTQ+ people. The United Methodist Church, for example,
The ego strikes back I’m going to be honest, as a lesbian woman, I didn’t feel much like celebrating the Fourth of July this year. Supreme Court decisions ending affirmative action, codifying discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in public services, the rise in anti-transgender (and LGB)
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13-14 NIV) Society has a problem with gender differences. People whose
Translating the triggers: A handy primer Of course, we want to believe that everyone means what they say. We’d love to believe that more educating and presentations of the facts convinces people. We think that explaining ourselves repeatedly and spending a lot of energy to
What’s it like to develop an entire identity around the sexual sin you desire? (Twitter user “Dave”) I’ve often thought about what it means to be human and to step into the person I’ve been created to be. However, we often don’t think about what
Pat Robertson saying it in the name of Jesus didn’t make it Christian Probably the most used basis for justifying discrimination, whether it’s against LGBTQ+ people or others, is the appeal to religious claims. But is religion any more than a scapegoat to hide everything
Dear Bro, As you know, I came out to myself at the age of 40, but I keep wondering if I should have known earlier in my life. I have asked many gay folks, “When did you know?” Most knew by the time they hit
Spoiler: Your average affirming church might be resting on its laurels With every passing moment, it becomes increasingly less revolutionary for a progressive Christian congregation to label itself as some combination of open, affirming or welcoming. Denominational schisms notwithstanding, more and more Christians are saying