Volume 16, Issue 5
Letting Go
Cover Stories
The Prison of Grudges
By Rev. Candace Chellew
There are three little words we must embrace and live into if we are ever to bust out of this prison of grudges. These three little words are often the hardest to say — and the hardest to mean — when someone has betrayed us. What are those three little words? “Let it go.”
The Last Word
By Lori Heine
If we hold onto our resentments for too long, we become defined by them.
Why Let Go?
By Rev. Suzie Chamness
We come to a point where we allow those we love and care for to accept responsibility for their actions and practice love and stop doing for them what they are capable of doing for themselves. Let their actions be just that — theirs.
Making All Things New
By John H. Campbell
The more we are able to let go of old mistakes, old negative ideas, and accept ourselves with the same type of Unconditional Love God Has for all of us, the more purpose and meaning our lives will develop, the better served and prepared we will be to become conduits for God’s Love to flow unrestricted through us to others, and the closer we are to God.
Tearing up the Lists
By Simyona Deanova
We cannot expect all of our enemies to stop being such simply because we lo ve them and forgive all their trespasses — though what a brighter day will come for those transformed by love! — but we will certainly be much healthier people if we do.
The Full Measure of My Value and Worth
By Tania Venter
We all struggle with letting go. We all have good reasons, too.
Features
A Marriage Made in Heaven
By Jo Hudson
If, as those who like to quote the Bible say, we’re all children of God, made in God’s likeness and image, then why deny full access to marriage based on sexuality?
A House of Cards
By Rev. Paul M. Turner
The “religious right” and Exodus International have spent so much time trying to eliminate the LGBTQIA community; they have missed the vast majority of people in the community who lead wonderfully wholesome lives.
Will the “Culture Wars” Work Again?
By Dr. Robert N. Minor
We know what the “Culture Wars” and “War against Religion” really are. It’s the diversion used to bring the religious right-wing to the polls and to move progressives off their strongest issues by responding to the outrageous things the right-wing says.
Conservative Christians Play “Victim” Card
By Warren J. Blumenfeld
While conservative Christian theologians like Bishop Jackson pose as victims in this drama, most campus non-discrimination politics now include sexual identity and gender identity and expression as enumerated categories. By opposing the basic civil rights of LGBT people, Chick-fil-A and its allied organizations clearly fall under the definition of discrimination according to campus policies.
The Pathology of the Gay Conservative
By Rev. Dr. Jerry S. Maneker
When a gay person aligns with the political party that seeks to prevent same-sex marriage, that largely demonizes LGBT people, that is quite comfortable with the fact that there are absolutely no federal civil rights protections for LGBT people, it calls into question what manifestation of self-loathing or self-denigration would foster such an alliance and, even, an allegiance.
Rome Pokes Canterbury in the Eye — Again
By Peter W. Williams
Episcopalians, traditionally divided into Low Church (evangelical), High Church (Anglo-Catholic) and Broad Church (ecumenical liberal), have experienced attrition from the first two groupings over issues of Book of Common Prayer revision and women’s ordination and, more recently, the acceptance of gay clergy, bishops, and marriage.
From the Pulpit
From Jailbird to Freebird: The Prison of Selfishness
By Rev. Candace Chellew
Selfishness springs from a deeper place that says there is not enough of you to go around — that what you really lack is the ability to be whole — to be the person that God has called you to be.
Via Creativa: What Now? Acceptance
By Rev. Candace Chellew
This is how you know that you have fully accepted life as it as and can creatively answer the question “What now?” You stop barking at life.
Via Creativa: What Now? Mystery
By Rev. Candace Chellew
This is the mystery that we are invited to live in to — not the one where God has a blueprint of our lives or even Hers — but the mystery where even God is sometimes surprised — and always willing to go another way when She needs to.