*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Arnold Prieto- “There are no endings, only beginnings.” For Jesus, the ending was just the beginning. For Arnold Prieto, the ending was just the beginning. What about for you? I invite you to pray the last words of Arnold Prieto: “There are no endings, only beginnings.” Amen. Read more
*Adapted from a sermon preached at Pilgrims in the Park in Bryan, Texas on March 22, 2015. The Pharisees caught a man and woman fucking. Under the religious law of the time, fucking outside of marriage was a capital offense. So the Pharisees brought the woman and slung her in the dirt at the feet of Jesus. Notice, I said the woman. Where in the fuck was the man? The Pharisees were a bunch of pampered religious leaders... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Miguel Angel Paredes: “I hope you let go of all of the hate because of all my actions.” How do you pray for those who hate you with good reason? When we name hate we probably make the hater hate us more. Yet, how can we not name hate for what it is. If we have been freed, how can we let... Read more
*I delivered this keynote address at the LGBTQ Religious Experience Summit at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas on March 21, 2015. May this be a wild experience for us all…perhaps even a queer experience if we are lucky. Let’s begin by talking about theology. What is theology? Most people think that theology is primarily about doctrines and dogmas. Folks, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Theology is an exploration and adventure in being. Learning to be. Theology... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Lisa Coleman- “Tell them I finished strong.” Life is about finishing strong. Do not let the failures and disappointments distract you. You are capable, but you must stay committed. Despite her circumstances, Lisa Coleman stayed committed and finished strong. I pray that we will follow her lead. With thoughts about how you want to finish, I invite you to pray the last... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Willie Trottie- “Find it in your hearts to forgive me.” People are desperate for forgiveness. Who do we think we are to deny them? In Matthew 6:14, Jesus taught that those who forgive will be forgiven. When Willie Trottie was about to die, he asked for people to find it in their hearts to forgive him. Who would deny a dying man... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Jose Villegas- “I am at peace.” In a world of violence and fear, we work so hard for peace. Unfortunately, I think that peace is far more about being and trusting than it is working. Jose Villegas understood that lesson. In his final moments, Villegas wanted the world to know that he was at peace. After you stop working, I invite you... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Ramiro Hernandez– “All I have is love.” We go through life thinking we need so much. Unfortunately, the more we accumulate the more we think we need. People fail to realize that love will make you richer than anything else one could ever accumulate. When Ramiro Hernandez was strapped to the gurney and asked for final words, everything had been taken from... Read more
Jason Harrison is dead. Jason Harrison is not dead because he was holding a screwdriver and made a movement toward Dallas police. Jason Harrison is dead because we live in a society that refuses to value and protect the lives of the mentally ill. If Dallas police officers had engaged the situation with the needed care and restraint of dealing with someone who is sick and in desperate need of help, Jason Harrison would have been restrained in a... Read more
*I wrote this post for the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and the original can be found at http://www.awab.org/wablog/archives/03-2015 The most terrifying substance known to our world is difference. When people can’t control or contain it, they want to destroy it. The fall of humanity is centered on a failure to love and respect queerness. The God that exists queer beyond our normative ways of being and thinking must be weeping. 50 years after Selma, queers are still being... Read more
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