Posts by Believe Out Loud
Christians Fall Short Of Christ’s Healing Legacy
The New Testament records Jesus performing a staggering number of miracles for the benefit of those around Him. He fed a multitude with a paltry quantity of food, walked on water, calmed storms, and changed water to wine. But the majority of Jesus’ miracles have to do with curing the sick. Healing is Christ’s legacy,…
Read MoreThe Difficulty Of Self Care
Each morning, the first time I rise the sky is still inky blue and outside still smells like night time. I brush my teeth and sit in my meditation corner. I pray in love for peace and preparation. I ask our Creator that if lives must be sacrificed for change, that this change is forever…
Read MoreRev. Dr. Karen Oliveto Becomes United Methodist Church’s First Openly Lesbian Bishop
Reconciling Ministries Network celebrates with great joy the election of the first openly lesbian bishop in The United Methodist Church (The UMC). This is an historic moment in the movement of LGBTQ persons for spiritual and civil equality both in the church and the public square. The election of Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto of Glide…
Read MoreHope Hurts
We know about hope. Hope was the promise that was presented to us when Obama was in office. It was the change that we could believe in. We betted on hope and applauded ourselves on making change happen and embodying progress by electing the first African American man into the White House. We know this…
Read MoreRecap: The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s 222nd General Assembly
The past few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster as tragic news comes in from every corner of our world. We have watched in horror as the European Union has been divided, as bombs have killed hundreds in holy sites, as a man with a gun slaughtered our kinfolk at a gay bar, as…
Read MoreWhite LGBTQ Community: I Need Your Help Against Police Harassment
I am always worried to the point of nail-biting when my spouse leaves in the morning for Boston Medical Center if she’ll return home to me, because she’s always stopped by the Cambridge or Boston police. They don’t see Dr. Thea James. Her gender non-conforming appearance and driving a brand new BMW, that many cops…
Read MoreSr. Jeannine Gramick Decries Catholic Silence After Orlando Massacre
49 people were murdered one month ago at Pulse, a LGBT nightclub in Orlando, and 53 more were wounded. These victims, constituting the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, have stirred conversations about anti-LGBT prejudice and violence and prompted many Catholics to memorialize the victims. Sr. Jeannine Gramick, Co-Founder of New Ways Ministry, says…
Read MoreIt’s Okay To Not Be Okay
On July 8th, I wanted to scream at a little kid on the subway. Usually, I love kids. I have been babysitting since I was ten years old. My first job out of college was as a youth leader. I currently spend my days either working with children or planning programs so that I can…
Read MoreWeeping As Jesus Wept
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 This week we stepped into a period of mourning, overwhelmed by a string of deaths that remind us again that we live in a…
Read MoreI’m A Lesbian Christian Unlearning Shame
I’m writing here about what I always, somehow, write about: the unlearning of shame. This is the topic on which I’m most focused. It’s my focus, for in the process of unlearning shame, we simultaneously remember our worth, which connects us to Love. And Love—the inherent sense that we’re both loved and emanations of Love—is…
Read More