I accept the Fort Worth PFLAG Equality Award on behalf of all people who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness. It is a truly humbling moment to be recognized as an activist and minister. These are not professions and paths one chooses for status and recognition. Nevertheless, I thank you from the deepest regions of my soul. What an honor to be chosen for this award by PFLAG Fort Worth. You are an amazing group of... Read more
Though I find it dreadful and disgusting, this whole Phil Robertson/Duck Dynasty controversy over the past week has not been all that shocking to me. In fact, I grew up with Phil Robertson. Not literally of course, but I have always known people like Phil who make hateful homophobic and bigoted comments and claim to be speaking the words of Jesus. In southern culture, it seems like churches founded on hateful homophobic and bigoted comments are as prevalent as... Read more
Is there any doubt that birth is the theme of this time of year? My wife Emily and I welcomed our third child Quinley into the world just last week. We will celebrate the birth of Jesus in a few weeks. It seems that everywhere we turn there is talk of birth. Tonight will be no different. The only difference is the birth I invite you to experience and celebrate will be your own. When we talk about... Read more
Birth and the Queer Toward the end of the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we find Elizabeth and Zechariah about to welcome a son named John. You can substitute the names Bob or Elaine for Elizabeth or Zechariah or take away names and make the people whoever or whatever relationship status or sexuality you want, but the fact remains that these were individuals about to welcome a child into their family and just like in... Read more
In Luke 1:39-56, a baby named John leaps inside of Elizabeth at the sight of Mary and then Mary praises God for the baby growing inside her named Jesus. In John 1:1, Jesus is called the word that was, is and will be God. These passages both describe beautiful divine mysteries and reveal speak of the word, truth, love and hope. In our lives this morning, let us listen for the word, truth, love and hope. Words help us... Read more
“You are the light of the world.” -Matthew 5:14 Jesus spoke these words in the infamous Sermon on the Mount. Throughout my life, these words have signified what I have tried so hard to be…light. I have constantly sought light. Early this morning, I jumped into a birthing pool in our living room to hold my wife Emily as she labored to give birth to our third child. In the midst of the pushing and throes of... Read more
This morning we begin our adventure into a Queer Christmas. In the initial scenes of the Gospel of Luke, a priest named Zechariah and his wife named Elizabeth are blessed with a child named John (later John the Baptist), who ultimately becomes the great forerunning prophet of Jesus. This being a parallel queer version of the story, I would like to introduce you to Bob and Tommy who ultimately have a daughter named John, who becomes the great forerunning prophet... Read more
World AIDS Day 2013 In the end of the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus mentions taking care of the sick and judges the nations based on a simple premise, “what you have failed to do for the least of these you have failed to do for me.” Jesus consistently incarnates or becomes the sick, mistreated and vulnerable. According to the World Health Organization, over 35.3 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV/AIDS, an estimated 1.6... Read more
if god be in the sky then what good is such a god for those who can’t fly if god be in the ocean then what good is such a god for those who can’t swim if god be in silence then what good is such a god for those whose minds can’t stop creating sound if god be in truth then what good is such a god for those whose lives are lived in spaces of grey if... Read more
What a stunning Easter in November! It is freezing, sleeting and possibly snowing outside and there is little indication of the vibrant warmth of Spring that we usually associate with Easter, but we have come to the end of our journey through the Gospel of John and so we press on into the resurrection story. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb or the coffin or the grave or whatever you want to call it to find the body of... Read more
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