For All
I’m angry because people are hurting and you don’t seem to care. I’m angry because you’re afraid to speak up for those who love Jesus but are different than you. I’m angry because “fitting in” and having your nice group of friends at church is more important than calling out those around you, even the leaders of your church for not embracing those who seek community with you. Read more “I’m Sorry Church, But I’m Angry!”
For All
One of the pastors at my old church, Dr. Octavious Bishop, posted this on Facebook today: “We must care-less, what people think of us. That’s none of our business. But, how we are perceived may begin the incredibly humbling process of understanding.”
The word “may” in the last sentence is important. That’s because how you’re perceived may NOT begin that process of understanding, and much of that depends on the person doing the perceiving. And it has nothing to do with you. Read more “The Fear of Understanding”
For All
Is there a difference? Should there be?
It seems so simple.
If you love unconditionally, you must therefore be accepting unconditionally. Yet just like those sushi artists that make those paper thin slices of fish, we Christians have found a way to make a VERY thin slice between unconditional love and unconditional acceptance. The key word being UNCONDITIONAL. Read more “Unconditional Love, Unconditional Acceptance (Not so easy)”
For All
A week ago I posted an open letter to the pastors of my church on Facebook, why it was important to make room there for those who are LGBT and as a result of their silence, why I decided to leave. In the days that followed there were some comments and emails and I’d like to follow up with a couple of things: 1) God is faithful and 2) fear doesn’t equal hate. Read more “Hate, Sorrow, Love and Joy”
For All
This post started with me writing about how disappointed I was in my fellow Americans. How so many have succumbed to the fear of a virus that is not Ebola (with a 90% fatality rate), hemorrhagic fever (24-88% fatality rate) or even MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome at 41%). Our country saw Ebola on our own shore in 2014 and as deadly as it is we didn’t all suddenly duck and cover. 100,000 people died of MERS in the U.S. and million worldwide in 1969 and we still held Woodstock! Read more “It’s Worse Than Coronavirus”
For All
I was on the phone briefly with a client of mine today. I just finished setting up a laptop for her and was double checking her address in Houston before shipping it off. She lives in a nice retirement community but is pretty much restricted to her apartment with no visitors right now with the Coronavirus threat still a part of our lives. Before hanging up I told her “I’m looking forward to seeing you when you make parole” since I can’t personally deliver the computer to her these days. We had a good laugh and said goodbye. Read more “Looking Forward to Making Parole”
For All
In my Bible study today with my spiritual mom we were reading Psalm 39. This Psalm of David was written after David had sent Uriah (the husband of Bathsheba) to the front of the battle lines where he would likely be killed, which he was. So David got what he wanted, which was Bathsheba.
In Psalm 39 verses 1 and 2 David wrote “I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”
I hadn’t put 2 and 2 together when I first read it. Why would David keep his mouth shut when confronted by wicked people? After all, David was a man chosen by God to lead Israel, I didn’t get why he wouldn’t tell evil people that they were evil, that they were against God. Read more “You’re Not Gonna Like “Therefore””
For All
I don’t worry personally about the Coronavirus. I follow the guidelines, keep my distance in the store when I go (as infrequently as possible), sanitize my hands and wear gloves for whatever I touch in a client’s home.
But what almost did kill me some 30 years ago was rejection from my family and Christians, people I loved and WANTED to be close to, and now I can’t, because being transgender is apparently worse than a being a mass murderer in the minds of some, WORSE than having Coronavirus (which I don’t). Apparently being transgender is unforgivable. Nonredeemable. Someone without the hope of a Savior. Read more “CoronaVirus vs. Suicide? It made me think.”
For All
Today in one of my Facebook groups a gal who is transgender said how glad she was to find a group that focused on being a Christian and transgender. How she has struggled with “Biblical teachings”.
And right there it struck me… is it really “Biblical teaching” that some Christians use to condemn those who are transgender? Or is it an individual’s (or group’s) interpretation, regardless of the stretch, of the contemporary’s language’s translation based on copies of the originals (which no longer exist) and without taking into context the time in which it was written?
“Biblical teaching” has been used to rationalize the use of poisonous snakes in church. “Biblical teaching” has been used to tell people not to write left-handed. “Biblical teaching” has been used to exclude people who are black from joining a church, and women from speaking from the platform.
What is “Biblical teaching”? Read more “Is it Really “Biblical Teaching”? Always? Every Word?”
For All
That’s what I heard someone say this evening.
I heard a story about a family. They are a Christian family and raised three now grown children. All of them grew up in the church and knew the Lord. Read more “So Sad HE Hasn’t Changed His Heart”