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
Issues you never thought you would face. Questions you never imagined. Emotions you were unprepared for. Sound familiar? I picked up a book from PFLAG, Transitions of the Heart, which contained Moms’ stories of their transgender children. I wanted to share some quotes from the book with you today. I thought you might be heartened by these families’ struggles and their victories too… We were told that this wasn’t my fault, and the clinician diagnosed Nick with gender identity disorder. The therapists... Read more
“I think the church is on the wrong side of the gospel on this, and the wrong side of history. We claim that our purpose is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and therefore to transform the world. I’m saying, `Transform the world’? By excluding a whole group of people? Who are we kidding? That’s just myopic, blindness.” – Reverend William McElvaney Once I was in a co-op of families that had been together for several years. Some big things... Read more
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