The Silence of the Sheep

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
John 10:27-28 (NIV)

Sometimes I write to give hope to those who are transgender and seeking fellowship among other Christians. Sometimes I write in an attempt to educate those in the evangelical community about how being a Christian and transgender are not mutually exclusive.

This time it’s different, this is written to Christian friends of those who are transgender, who love, privately support, and don’t see an issue with a Christian being transgender–yet won’t speak up when a Christian who is transgender is condemned by others in their own church, or even their pastor.

Read more “The Silence of the Sheep” →

Ignorance Isn’t Bliss, It’s Life-Threatening

The expression “ignorance is bliss” is meant to imply that by not knowing something, you’re better off in a situation. The problem comes when you put your ignorance on display, and not only live your life in that ignorance, but promote it to others.

Now take it to another level. Let’s take a pastor with thousands of people listening both in a church building and also online all over the United States and beyond sharing his ignorance in a sermon, and most just take it in because “well, he’s the pastor, we like him, he must be right”. And the ignorance is now reinforced in others—and they think they’re being good Christians. Well…

Read more “Ignorance Isn’t Bliss, It’s Life-Threatening” →

God Cried Today

If our Lord knows the sparrows that fly and the number of hairs we each have on our heads, then he definitely cried today.

I can’t imagine anything harder for our Father to see, or any parent for that matter, than seeing one sibling being unthinkably cruel to another sibling. And that’s what happened today.

I listened on the phone today as a friend described to me in tears how she was told by the senior pastor of the church that if she returns, she will be escorted out by security. She has been banned, cancelled, by a church that claims to follow Christ.

Was she a child molester? Had she seduced one of the youths of the church to have sex? Had she stood up before the church membership and sworn allegiance to Satan?

Read more “God Cried Today” →

The “Welcoming” Church is Dangerous

Last Sunday a friend online posted that she was told a pastor in her town preached on “Sexuality and Gender”. And in it he said early on that “If you’re transgender, you’re welcome here.” Read more “The “Welcoming” Church is Dangerous” →

We Need a “Church of the Balls”

It’s Christmas time, and people if they don’t know the name, will certainly recognize the song “Carol of the Bells” when they hear it.

I was wondering if there was a “Church of the Bells”, and surprisingly only one church was predominant in Google, a Methodist Church toward upper New York state.

Read more “We Need a “Church of the Balls”” →

GRACE is a Two-Way Street

I saw the following post in one of the Christian LGBT Facebook groups I belong to…

A Christian girl just very kindly reminded me that “you can love someone without loving what they do”, and I feel the need to make it clear that if you view queerness as “what someone does” rather than “who they are”, then you my friend, are not the loving person you claim to be.

Others commented in agreement. But I was struck by how easy it is to be the very person they claim is NOT a loving person.

Read more “GRACE is a Two-Way Street” →

Morality Isn’t Always Engraved in Stone

This morning my pastor was giving his message and mentioned the word “morality” and “choosing right from wrong”, and I was suddenly inspired (I like to think by the Lord) to focus on that word and how we as Christians claim a “moral law” through the Bible, even when what was once considered moral by God’s people is now considered immoral (and vice versa). I’ll admit that I was so moved about the topic that I started thinking about what I would write and didn’t hear the rest of his message, and had to go back online to listen to the rest of it later. Read more “Morality Isn’t Always Engraved in Stone” →

A Tale of Two Churches

There are a couple of transgender women that I know who recently sat down with their respective pastors to let them know that they were transgender and would be transitioning. They each belonged to what would be described as “Spirit-filled” churches (though different denominations) and can be assumed to be generally conservative in their theology and look unfavorably toward those who are transgender.

But their two pastors had very different approaches in discussing it for the first time with their congregants.

Read more “A Tale of Two Churches” →

What Must I NOT do to be Saved?

I grew up in church, through college at a large Baptist church in California. As an adult a little Foursquare, then Vineyard but mostly non-denominational. One consistent theme across them was that being a Christian wasn’t about “don’t do this” and “don’t do that”. Israel in the Old Testament was under The Law as God was bringing His people into focus as a nation. Most importantly The Law was given to show that no one could live to God’s standard.

Read more “What Must I NOT do to be Saved?” →

Are We God’s Children, Or His Puppets?

Most Christians have heard the verse from Psalm 139 that says “You knitted me together in the womb”. Some Christians believe that to be literal, in that God actually, specifically and intentionally created your unique body and everything about you exactly as you are.

It’s a nice thought—that God took the time out of His busy day every day, every second for nine months to make sure you met your individual and perfect specifications when you left the womb. Read more “Are We God’s Children, Or His Puppets?” →