In John 8:25, the religious leaders asked Jesus, “Who are you?” Jesus was asked the same question of identity that we often are…and often the same question of identity that we ask our selves. I sat with a young man at our church a few nights ago that had one question on his mind, “What am I?” The young man’s response to his own question was direct and rather brutal, “I am gay. That is all that I... Read more
In John 8:25, the religious leaders asked Jesus, “Who are you?” Jesus was asked the same question of identity that we often are…and often the same question of identity that we ask our selves. I sat with a young man at our church a few nights ago that had one question on his mind, “What am I?” The young man’s response to his own question was direct and rather brutal, “I am gay. That is all that I... Read more
*My sermon was read aloud in my absence at The Church at Mable Peabody’s. It is based on the second half of the first chapter of the Gospel of John. I apologize for my absence this morning. I have grown to know absence quite well this weekend. I lost my dear grandfather and friend, Ray Emory Hood. I hurt. I am tired. Later this afternoon, I will preach his funeral. It promises to be one of the more important... Read more
Last Thursday evening, I was on my way down to Livingston, Texas. I minister to a gentleman on Texas’ death row and I was headed to the state prison. Somewhere along a lonely highway, I received a phone call. My mother informed me that my grandfather was dead. I cried softly. Later, one of my church members asked, “What do you believe in at this moment?” “Absence,” I replied. I am not interested in speaking like a minister at... Read more
This is not just the beginning of a study for our church. This is a journey to the very heart of who we believe God to be. Queer folk have consistently been read, translated and interpreted out of the Bible since the beginning. This was not the message of Jesus. The message of Jesus is one of radical love for all people. Such a message is queer or not normative. How do we open the scriptures to speak as... Read more
A few months back, I led a time of sharing and healing for victims of spiritual violence. I asked people who were comfortable to share their experiences with the group. One particularly heinous story came from an older gentleman, Paul, who described being violently probed in his anus with a crucifix by members of his Catholic high school youth group. The intention of their attack was to let him see how painful being gay was. The folks gathered asked me... Read more
Fear is a dastardly construction. It creates boundaries, gives directions, and yells commands. Fear loudly tells us where we can and cannot go and what we can and cannot be. We have created this space to fight against the fear that bites at us out there. Like the disciples many years ago, we have all pilled together into this ship we call a church. We are huddled together and rowing. We know not the length of time it will take... Read more
I taught a lesson this morning based on an essay by Thomas Merton entitled, “The Root of War is Fear.” In this essay, Merton argues that fear is created by insecurity and insecurity provokes response. We can choose to respond to insecurity in a violent or nonviolent fashion. When we respond violently we are doing so because we think that it will make us secure. The problem is that when we respond violently to secure security we don’t take... Read more
Where the fuck is God when all these people die? Where the fuck is God when mothers and fathers cry? Where the fuck is God when only the cameras are there to address the pain? Where the fuck is God when nothing is ever going to be the same? I don’t know. I don’t have a clue. I just have to pray and believe that God was there with them and died and arose... Read more
“Suddenly a violent rushing wind from heaven filled the entire house where they were sitting. Tongues of fire distributed and rested on each person. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in the utterances of the Spirit. There were religious folk living in Jerusalem, from every nation on earth. When they heard the noise, they came together, amazed that they were hearing their own language. ‘These are Galileans. How is it that they are... Read more
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