Yesterday, I wrote to encourage moms. Today, I’d like to take apart the misapplication of the Proverbs 31 woman and her endless abilities, piling a terrible load of guilt on women over the centuries. She pops up every Mother’s Day, like a taunt, a symbol of all that we’ve failed to do, all that we can never do, even though we pour our heart and soul into our family. It’s crazy-making. Well-meaning pastors have unwittingly piled expectations on us as women for generations... Read more
Moms, would you sit with me here for a minute? I posted yesterday about a damaged mother-child relationship. Mother’s Day came and went. You went to brunch with family, got a call from the kids, maybe opened a card or a present. Or not. If you got a card, it is quite likely that reading those words of appreciation brought simultaneous joy and guilt! Seems to be the nature of motherhood. Please, come sit. I’d like to talk to you as a mom. Mother’s Day is supposed to make us feel... Read more
More today from my Saturday “Jesus Blog” – a word from Jesus to you… How is your sleep going? Do you sleep well at night, or do you toss and turn, worrying about what is ahead for you? You may fear you never have enough: time, money, rest, love. When I’m your guide, you don’t lack any of these things. (That’s what David meant when he said “The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing.”) You don’t have to get yourself all... Read more
“What’s it to you?” I am asked frequently about me being an LGBTQ ally — sometimes by friends who care about me, sometimes by people who don’t, sometimes by people who can’t grasp why I as a Christian should care about this issue. Seriously. I get the distinct impression that they are personally offended that I am an ally. I wish they could see things through the eyes of love. So, let me turn the tables here and ask the... Read more
“I’m a Jesus Freak and I’m also gay and that is just the way God made me.” The following is an email I received from a teenage girl. Her story is tragic and awful and beautiful and inspirational, and I had to share it with you here… Hi Susan, I’m a friend of your daughter. I actually think you and I met back at one of the theater shows we were in. But I just wanted to say how much... Read more
“I can’t remember a time that I didn’t know that I was a girl.” Janet Mock, on HBO’s “The Out List“ When I came out of the closet as a Mom of an LGBTQ child and an ally, T was not really part of my experience. I had never met a trans person (that I knew of) in my life. In the last year, on this circuitous route my life has taken, I’ve come to know quite a few people in... Read more
Michelle and her daughter Lizzy watched “Cosmos,” in which an astronomer (a precursor to Copernicus), is burned at the stake for daring to say that the earth is not the center of the universe. Lizzy (14) asked her mom: “So, who, exactly, put this guy to death?” Michelle: “The church.” Lizzy: “The church? The church burned people at the stake?? But it’s the CHURCH!!!” Michelle explained that this kind of thing is why their family has steered clear of the church, because... Read more
You have a gay child. Lots of new issues and challenges and late-night conversations. Some don’t go so well. Sometimes you disagree. What do you do? I have shared Jonathan’s story on my blog. Here he writes another good question about how to deal with two parents on somewhat different pages with their gay child. Jonathan’s letter: Susan, Since Hunter has come out, my wife and I are very supportive but we are not on the same page. We are walking this out... Read more
More today from my Saturday “Jesus Blog” – a word from Jesus to you… My beloved child, you are mine. You are my treasure. I love you exactly the way you are. I want you to stop striving to be better. Stop trying to be perfect. You are perfect exactly where you are. By perfect I mean fully formed, mature, exactly where you’re supposed to be. When you read Matthew 5:48, read it to say, “Be fully formed, therefore, even... Read more
“We need to attend church somewhere that is farther along in wrestling with these complex issues, somewhere John and any of his LGBT friends can join us if they wish and hear about God’s grace without having to feel defensive or ‘less than.'” This is a letter my friend wrote to their church. It beautifully expresses the need for churches to love LGBTQ. It’s quite long, but worth the read. Dear Pastor, Last time we talked with you, we said we... Read more
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