On Jun 6, 2014 ⋅ No comments
As we gear up for the 221st General Assembly, I am reminded that some communities, like youth and LGBT people, have been sitting at the margins of the church for too long. It’s time for everyone to have an equal voice in shaping the future of the church. Mieke Vandersall, John Russell Stanger and I […]
On May 13, 2014 ⋅ 42 comments
The pilgrim’s journey has been central to Christian tradition from the beginning. It’s a helpful image for the still unresolved discernment among Christians about the place of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in God’s heart and in the church. We inherited the spiritual practice from the Jews: remember Jesus’ repeated treks to Jerusalem […]
On Apr 16, 2014 ⋅ 3 comments
Holy Week offers itself to us as a time for prayerful reflection and examination of our actions, but also as a chance to engage in the Christian tradition of confession. Over the course of this past year, I have become especially aware of the straight privilege I am granted through my marriage to a man—even […]
On Mar 5, 2014 ⋅ No comments
I became aware of my trust in God when I was thirteen, during an overnight with the daughter of our church’s minister. We weren’t in the same school, but that year her dad taught our confirmation class and we became friends. We had turned the lights out—her mother had asked us to—but, as usual, we […]
On Feb 21, 2014 ⋅ No comments
So often I have encountered misconceptions about bisexuality—that bisexuals “become” straight or gay depending on the gender of our partner. In fact, I do not live an either/or life; I am simply bi, always and everywhere, wholly content to dwell in the complexity of the both/and experience. What does that look like? I recently wrote […]
On Feb 11, 2014 ⋅ 26 comments
Isaiah spoke of this moment: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6) Do you agree with me that it’s high time we turn the 21st century church over to […]
On Dec 12, 2013 ⋅ 9 comments
Advent season is upon us! In my latest piece for Believe Out Loud, I share my reflections on the attentive waiting that shaped the Advent seasons of my childhood and how it informs my outlook today, especially as we celebrate a year of incredible progress for the LGBT community. Here is an excerpt from the […]
On Dec 6, 2013 ⋅ 20 comments
Welcome to this second in a series of conversations between Christians with differing ideas about the place of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the eyes of God and the church! Dave Carver is a pastor in a local Presbyterian Church; we have been colleagues in ministry in Pittsburgh Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for more than twenty years. Dave and I don’t always agree, but I’m delighted that he decided to participate in this conversation and share his journey and understanding of faith and LGBT inclusion.
On Nov 5, 2013 ⋅ 13 comments
While I identify as bisexual, my sexual orientation has been a point of confusion for me throughout my life. In my latest Believe Out Loud piece, I explore the fluidity of my personal experience of gender and how it contributes to whom I am capable of loving.
On Sep 27, 2013 ⋅ 34 comments
It was 36 years ago that I shared my statement of faith during my ordination process. I’ve been reflecting on what I believed then and what I believe now. How has your faith changed over the years?
