On Jul 16, 2010 ⋅ 4 comments
7/16 The 219th General Assembly — a roller coaster ride, if there ever was one — has barely been written in the Book of Life as I participate in the annual gathering of some of the most faithful Christians I know: gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians who deeply feel a call from God to […]
On Jul 9, 2010 ⋅ 4 comments
7/9 It’s been a typical week at a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly, full of intense conversations, raucous reunions with friends not seen since the last General Assembly, long meetings with complicated procedures, and above all, a shared desire for the church to embrace our deeply held convictions about God’s will for us. As I […]
On Jun 11, 2010 ⋅ 3 comments
6/11 Arcane errors in the translation of 16th-century German religious texts are not typically something to get worked up over. So why is the restoration of the Heidelberg Catechism — a topic before our General Assembly this summer — so important to many in the PCUSA, myself included? This is a question that even I […]
On Jun 4, 2010 ⋅ 6 comments
6/4 As I watched the historic steps taken last week toward the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – the policy that bans GLBT people from serving openly in our country’s military – I was reminded of the Presbyterian Church’s policies concerning those called to serve the church. Successful service in the military and the […]
On May 7, 2010 ⋅ 9 comments
5/7 Start reminiscing with anyone who attended the PCUSA 218th General Assembly in San Jose, CA and the rainbow scarves worn by so many there will undoubtedly come up. Attractive, colorful and practical for the air conditioned chill of a convention center meeting room, they spread by word of mouth: someone without one asked someone […]
On Mar 12, 2010 ⋅ 2 comments
3/12 Last week the District of Columbia began accepting applications for marriage licenses from GLBT couples and, this week, after a mandatory waiting period, the weddings have begun. Now, amidst the first celebrations, the question is being asked again, as it was in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and, for a time, California: What […]
On Oct 2, 2009 ⋅ 5 comments
10/2 I confess it has been difficult for me to wrap my mind around the Preliminary Report of the Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage released last week. But I found clarity in the committee’s illuminating comparison between life in the church and the human institution of marriage. As they […]
On Aug 28, 2009 ⋅ No comments
8/28 Last weekend was a good one for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Christians. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to allow GLBT pastors to serve with the same requirement as all other pastors: celibacy or a committed monogamous relationship. And on Saturday, in my Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), another pastor was acquitted of […]
On Jul 24, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments
7/24 I was utterly blessed this past weekend by the privilege of living and worshipping with about twenty gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (and yes, every single one of these widely different possibilities were present) Presbyterians called to ministry. All are heading to, currently studying in, or have graduated from theological seminary. All are at […]
On Jul 17, 2009 ⋅ No comments
7/17 I was talking recently with a colleague of mine in the Presbyterian Church who voted against 08-B, the amendment that would have opened our church to the possibility of ordaining gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) members. Although his view prevailed — in the end, the overture was defeated — he was glum because […]
