Volume 3, Issue 2

Books That Bless

Cover Stories

Books That Bless
By Candace Chellew
These authors have, in their own ways, challenged, edified and uplifted my soul. Each of these divine bards has invited me to resist evil, to subdue the world and most importantly of all, to Be, in a very real and wonderful sense.

By Their Fruitiness Shall Ye Know Them
By Amanda Udis-Kessler
Amanda shares her annotated list of the best books for gay and lesbian Christians.

Meditations That Helped Me
By Dr. Rembert S. Truluck
This book on mediations seemed to be written for me. I identified with every statement that I read. I was amazed at how the great variety of material in the book spoke directly to me, even though I had never even heard of many of the sources that were quoted.

Stories of Faith
By Rev. Vera I. Bourne
As a child my faith was constantly bolstered by stories, both fiction and non-fiction, of those whose lives had been touched by Jesus.

Why Christian? One Book Gives Some Insight
By John Bronson
The subtitle of this work “For Those on the Edge of Faith” is an apt indicator of the worth of this book. It may be helpful in guiding those in that position away from the edge of the abyss toward a firmer, well-grounded and informed faith.

Demanding Words For Spiritual Seekers
By Hayden Smith
Words or passages will become highlighted and at times will ‘demand’ to be read again. They can assist us on our Spiritual journey and help to ‘unblock’ the clutter that gets in the way of coming closer to God.

Homospirituality

A House Divided
By Rev. Paul M. Turner
The gay, lesbian community is dead spiritually. Through no fault of our own, but rather the “Christian Church” is killing us. The methodology of killing us through its lethargy and apathy, by tolerating and perpetuating institutions and patterns of death rather than life.

Grace: Too Good To Be True?
By Grace Jannsen
Gays and lesbians often add to the burden by believing that they have to shed this “sin” of homosexuality in order for God to love them and forgive them. I contend that God’s love and forgiveness wrapped up in grace doesn’t require any such overhaul.

In the Name of God, Abba, Baba, DaDa, Father, Son, and Mother Spirit, AMEN
By Louie Crew
“Who do the crowds say that I am?” Louie, many. Mr. Crew, others. Dr. Crew, others (but only during day time hours: Dr. turns into a pumpkin at sunset). His Royal Highness Quean Lutibelle, my innercourt. Husband, Ernest alone. But Erman Crew? Only the feds call me that, and only on solemn occasions, now that my father has been dead for 16 years, the first Erman Crew.

God Is Setting It Up
By Shurron M. Farmer
I struggle with society’s view of gay people, my spirituality, and myself. I asked myself, “Am I disgrace to my family? Am I a disgrace to you, God? Lord, is your salvation and grace beyond my reach because I’m gay?

The Wilderness
By L. Louise
I personally am well acquainted with the wilderness. I was there for 22 years. I stayed there because I couldn’t allow myself to believe that you really could be a gay Christian.

Conflicts and Challenges Facing Gay and Lesbian Believers
By Chuck Collins
We encounter constant disapproval and disrespect from society as a whole. Despite the fact that Jesus saw through people and brought out what is real from within, gay people are still forced to work through the outright verbal, psychological, and spiritual abuse; and sometimes outright rejection and condemnation churches habitually and mercilessly put us through.

Special Report: The Lambeth Conference

Anglican Bishops Reject Gays
By Rex Wockner
Bishops attending the Anglican Communion’s once-a-decade Lambeth conference in Canterbury, England, rejected gay sex as “incompatible with the scripture” and said only celibate gays can be priests.

A Soulforce Response to the Sad News from Canterbury
By Rev. Mel White
The Soulforce principles of relentless nonviolent resistance (as taught by Jesus, Gandhi, and King) make one thing clear. In Gandhi’s words, “It is as much our moral obligation NOT to cooperate with evil as it is to cooperate with good.” The Lambeth decision is evil.

A Pastoral Statement to Lesbian and Gay Anglicans From Some Member Bishops of the Lambeth Conference
This letter is a sign of our commitment to listen to you and reflect with you theologically and spiritually on your lives and ministries.

Lambeth Ruling Angers Liberals
A number of liberal bishops who were largely silent in debate as the conference overwhelmingly rejected homosexual acts in any context as “incompatible with Scripture,” are speaking out strongly in the aftermath.

Features

In The Eye of the Storm: Gay Christians Tackle Mainstream Christianity
By Michael Geisterfer
“Did you choose to be gay?” I ask him. He laughs with chagrin. “Of course not. I’ve always known that I was gay, ever since I was a child. I just kept it hidden, suppressed, hoping it would go away.”

What’s It To Me?
By UTHUR from the Town by the Sea
I am not gay. But… do I have to be gay to be concerned?

UFMCC Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary
By Troy Perry
In the summer of 1968, one year prior to the Stonewall events, there was a little-reported West Coast bar action and police confrontation which served to galvanize gay activists in Los Angeles — and initiated a chain of events that directly led to the founding of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC).

Letters to the Editor

Readers Give Praise!

Family Values

What Jesus Said About Family Values
By Dr. Rembert S. Truluck
Your freedom in Christ includes your freedom to decide who your circle of closest friends will be. Freedom to chose your “family” implies your obligation to chose wisely. You can destroy a lot of your freedom by making bad choices.

Homosexuals and the Decline in Family Values
By Joe M. C.
Parents who say one thing and do another are the ones who are undermining “family values” by setting poor moral and spiritual examples to their offspring.

Youth

Dare To Be an Elihu!
By Erik Stavlund
There are only a handful of young Christians in the GLBT movement. If you are reading this you either are one, or probably know one. Are you challenging them or yourself to be an Elihu?!

From the Pulpit

The Celestine Vision
By Russell L. Bennett
I read recently that 43 percent of Americans have had some kind of mystical experience, the kind of experience that lies behind the story of the transfiguration. The title of this sermon is indicative of the growing interest in such experience. It is the title of James Redfield’s most recent work in new age spirituality.

Homecoming
By Grace Jannsen
As dreadful as physical homelessness is, I believe spiritual homelessness is even more devastating.

Confessions of a Reluctant Servant
By Candace Chellew
My excuses to avoid any of God’s calls, whether it be to preach to you today, or start an internet ministry to gay and lesbian Christians, mirror those of Moses.

Bible Study and Inspiration

Being Made Clean: A Study of Acts
By Wanda DeVine
God does not play favorites. If you take Jesus as your LORD and Savior and worship God in faith, you are the same as all other Christians. Our God is not a respecter of persons, he is a respecter of faith.

Hats, Hair and Homosexuality
By Dave Reid
We all know those verses that are trotted out to `prove’ the doctrinal soundness of the clamor for our exclusion from the assembly of the faithful – it’s as if we were coming to that particular church or fellowship rather than to Jesus for salvation and spiritual succor.

Holy Humor

The Bible According to Kids

The Bible in 50 Words

Heterosexual Questionnaire