Posts Tagged ‘Religion and Sexuality’
Trans Still Speaking in the United Church of Christ
“…for not with you alone am I making this covenant, but both with those who stand here with us today, before our God, and with those who are not here with us today.” Deuteronomy 29:14-15 The sages say that God gave Torah to the people in the wilderness because, without the teaching, the world is a…
Read MoreHistoric LGBTQ+ Church Leaders to Celebrate 50 Years of Advocacy
The Rolling The Stone Away Conference in St. Louis, October 31 – November 2, 2017, will bring together LGBTQ+ Christian leaders in many organizations including Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Metropolitan Community Churches, and United Church of Christ communities to share stories and celebrate. For over 50 years, LGBTQ+ faith leaders have been breaking ground for full…
Read MoreReconciling United Methodists of Texas Conference Statement of Support for Bishop Karen Oliveto
Reconciling United Methodists of Texas Conference unreservedly supports Bishop Karen Oliveto of the Mountain Sky Area. We pray her episcopacy will be long and fruitful—resulting in many disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We give thanks for vocal disciples in the Western Jurisdiction nominating, electing, consecrating, and assigning Bishop Oliveto. We…
Read MoreIt’s Time to Canonize Fr. Mychal Judge: Seeking Personal Testimony
The time has come to begin the initial research to make Franciscan Fr. Mychal Judge, OFM, a canonized saint in the Catholic Church. We need people like you to spread the word about such a possibility so we can gather evidence about Fr. Judge’s life and ministry. On September 11, 2001, Fr. Judge, who was a chaplain…
Read MoreQueering the Creation Story: Painting Tiamat/Tehom
In Genesis 1 we read, “In beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” It is the creation narrative held dear, formative, and meaningful for countless Jews and Christians.…
Read MoreGrowing Up As An Asexual Christian
I grew up in a Methodist Church in a small town in North Carolina. When I reached my pre-teen years, I moved from the children’s programming to Methodist Youth Fellowship, or MYF. Most of the time, I felt comfortable with the lessons they were teaching. Except for the talks about sex and sexual purity. The…
Read MoreQueer, Trans, & Deacon: A Reflection on Being Commissioned
In her book The United Methodist Deacon, Rev. Dr. Margaret Ann Crain explains, “Because deacons are also ordained but usually do not do what elders do, we are challenged to think about ordination as identity rather than function.” This understanding of ordination as identity deeply characterizes much of where my awe, overflowing joy, and gratitude come…
Read MoreA Coming Out Guide for Parents of Queer Kids
“Every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family. You must tell your relatives. You must tell your friends, if indeed they are your friends.” -Harvey Milk Harvey Milk’s historic call to LGBTQ+ people in the 1970s to come out of the closet was predicated on the…
Read MoreUnitarian Universalist General Assembly Votes To Change UU Bylaws To Include Non-Binary People
On June 24, 2017, delegates to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly in New Orleans overwhelmingly voted to approve language to make Unitarian Universalism’s second source more inclusive of people of all genders. Unitarian Universalism affirms and promotes seven principles, drawn from six sources of our faith. The current language of the second source, as…
Read MoreMeet The Mississippi Baker Who Refuses To Discriminate
As a baker and small business owner, I meet all kinds of people. I am truly blessed to have a job where I get to wake up each day and make people happy. People come into my bakery looking for sweets to celebrate life’s most special moments. Since 1962, we have been baking up delicious…
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