2/26 I was recently asked by a new minister friend about how I received the calling to speak out for GLBT inclusion in the church or, as he phrased it, “From where does your passion arise?” I can’t remember anyone asking me this before. What came to my mind were people. First, I thought of […]

2/5 I met Cindy long after she had raised her children, divorced and found work that brought focus to her life. Some years after we became friends she met Joe, a doctor at a hospital where she was a volunteer. They hit it off immediately and fell in love, but were hesitant to marry because […]

2/5 For longer than I can remember, our weekly prayer group has opened with a prayer written by Howard Thurman that begins and ends with the stirring plea, “Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart (United Methodist Hymnal, 401).” Last week, as I listened to Admiral Mullen’s public testimony in favor of […]

1/22 The federal trial of Perry vs. Schwarzenegger began last week in a San Francisco courtroom. Many have been amazed to discover that George W. Bush’s former Solicitor General, Ted Olson is leading this challenge to the constitutionality of Prop 8, California’s ban on marriage for two men or two women. The developments during the […]

1/15 I was actually traveling in Africa when the controversy over draconian laws against gays and lesbians in Uganda appeared in my e-mail inbox. Since my son started as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2008, I had worked toward visiting him during his service in Africa. The highlight was a week on the coast of […]

1/8/10 Among my friends there is some confusion about what is happening in Washington these days with regard to GLBT civil rights. Many worked hard for the Matthew Shepherd-James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Bill and were thrilled when it was passed and signed by President Obama. They think the work in Congress is done, […]

1/1 As I reflected this week upon the approach of the New Year, I woke the other morning thinking of one of the ads run by the No on 1 Campaign in Maine, which strove to preserve the courageous passage of marriage equality by the Maine state legislature. In the ad, an 86-year-old World War […]

12/25 May this Christmas be a blessed day for you! I confess that, as a mother, I played down Santa Claus with my children. We never went to the mall for pictures or the chance to give Santa a list of things they wanted. When they asked about Santa I would always say, “There is […]

11/18 In my last post responding to the Manhattan Declaration, I emphasized the need for progressives to reclaim our Christian heritage and values. So it is interesting to note that one of the key Bible passages cited in the declaration’s section on marriage is the story of the wedding at Cana — the very same […]

12/11 A group of conservatives recently put forth a manifesto called the Manhattan Declaration, admonishing Christians to join the political cause of the religious right. I was grateful, a few days later, to see that the Progressive Christian Alliance had issued a thoughtful response. Their response was significant to me because, all too often, we […]