Hannah, my beautiful youngest daughter, once told me she felt much more comfortable with her theater friends than with her Christian friends. She felt welcomed, included, and free – but not in her Christian group. Why? Because she could be who she is. She was safe to be Hannah without people watching for some kind of wrong action or wrong attitude. She didn’t always have to wonder if this or that was “accepted” in the group. This is a huge... Read more
Is it scandalous to say that LGBTQ are just as valuable as everyone else? Is it scandalous to open the church doors wide, to say they have a place in church and in the body of Christ? Is it scandalous to say you can be gay and Christian? In some circles it certainly is. Almost as radical as Jesus teaching parables about something the everyday farmer or lowly fisherman would understand. Almost as horrific as Jesus showing God’s presence as being like yeast in... Read more
After he came out, his mother burned his birth certificate and all his childhood photos in the front yard. She sent him a black funeral wreath that said, “In Memory of My Son.” She never talked to him again. Ever. A son’s honesty with his parents failed to yield the love, compassion and forgiveness they taught him to value. Should you always have hope? Is it ever time to let go? This is Rob, Susan’s husband, writing today. We have... Read more
“Let me begin by begging your forgiveness for the way you have been mistreated…” Wonderful readers, I share this pastor’s letter which resonates with my heart, echoing my ongoing blogs, showing us Jesus’ love. Please enjoy and take great courage from pastors like this — and there are plenty of them! – Susan An open letter to my GLBT Christian sisters and brothers and those supporting family members or friends who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender: On behalf... Read more
Vulnerability encloses me. I do not know how it happened, nor how I got here. Yet, here I stand in front of you all, laid bare. A secret I never meant to tell you all, has nearly wormed itself out of my mouth, exposing who I am, who I really am to you all. Ninety-nine peers, ninety-nine friends, ninety-nine people who I value above all else. Ninety-nine people who I now have to trust with my secret. Yet I am... Read more
This post is part of the June Synchroblog which asks the question “What would you tell your younger self if you could travel back in time?” So, here we go… Sitting in the gentle breeze out on the balcony, I am overjoyed at how much I love my life. Now, I do. But I spent a lot of time struggling against in, trying to make it more, better, or different. I wouldn’t do it over again – that’s for sure.... Read more
Why was the shoe stopped by the hall monitor? Because it was being knotty. : ) What is the church’s voice in the marriage equality issue, and how helpful is it? As I consider this question from Glad Alliance Church, I look at the church’s role overall. The church has produced immeasurable good in the culture, as Christians have followed Jesus’ call to protect the unprotected, feed the needy, stand up for the marginalized—the very things Jesus told us are... Read more
Shun your gay child? Don’t even have a meal with them? This is not the heart of God – but it is the heart of people like John MacArthur – or maybe the lack of heart. People just don’t know how hateful they are. It was easy to look at Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church and say that they were ‘extreme’ and that they didn’t represent mainstream Christianity. But what about someone like John MacArthur? Is he the new Fred... Read more
More today from my Saturday “Jesus Blog” – a word from Jesus to you… I love you. I love YOU. I LOVE you. No asterisks. No exceptions. No exclusions. No expiration. Always. Read more
Eleven years ago, I joined the ranks of honorees for Father’s Day. The previous July, my son Jason was born and put into my arms. The first Father’s Day for me was quiet with plenty of attention from friends and family, and it affirmed wonderful celebrations in the years to come. Today, for Father’s Day, I am honored to repost an article from evolequals.com, written by my friend Rob Watson, ‘a single gay Dad who cares’. Enjoy… Previously, Father’s... Read more
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