According to my daily calendar that features an uplifting quotation in the spirit of “Keep Calm and Carry On,” American lieutenant general Lewis “Chesty” Puller was the one who first said, “We’re all in the same pickle.” It came to my mind as I pondered a provocative comment by a conservative pastor friend of mine.

It’s an exciting day—Alex McNeill’s first as Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians! Alex brings immense gifts and preparation to this call to inspire the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the world to embrace and proclaim in word and deed the Gospel of God’s love for all, especially for God’s LGBTQ children.

Jesus spoke of His followers as a family. He saw us as brothers and sisters and we certainly have our squabbles as all families do. What we seem to have lost is an ability in the church to call upon the healing powers of a family in order to remain the Body of Christ when we disagree. This is the church family I yearn for and feel called by God to work toward. I hope your mind and heart are touched by this podcast recording of a talk between my brother in Christ, Dave, and me. We’ve known one another for decades and had many conversations about our different perspectives on the place of LGBT in the church and in God’s eyes. As we speak together here, Dave and I are hoping that you will join us with your reflections.

What a moment! Let us rejoice that the Supreme Court has astounded many and affirmed equal protection under the law. With this week’s decision, federal benefits will be granted to legally married same-sex couples. Not only that, but same-sex marriage was also upheld in our most populous state, California. For this, we rejoice with a resounding “hazzah!”

I am grateful to share with you today my latest Believe Out Loud blog post, where I make connections between being "bi" in both spirit and body, as well as the quality of empathy I see in the Holy Spirit that fills the people on this day of Pentecost.

What a momentous thing that Jason Collins has become the first American NBA player to come out as gay! At the same time, I agree with Frank Bruni at the New York Times: This will undoubtedly bring a better day for our society, but the best day will come when matters like this are no longer a concern for anybody.

Believe Out Loud: Wholeness is what I experienced when I found the way to accurately understand my whole self as well as to describe myself to the world. My years of confusion and questioning about my sexual orientation were very much a Lenten journey through the land of my soul. Realizing who I am—a bisexual—was as freeing and life giving as Easter.Continue Reading

The intensity felt during the two days of Supreme Court hearings concerning the freedom to marry may be fading from our minds, but we cannot let it fade from our hearts. The week of March 25^th, for all the conversations it prompted both inside and outside the courtroom, will be remembered as a historic moment when the arc of history bent closer to justice for LGBT people. Here are 5 of my favorite tweets from the days following the Supreme Court hearings. What were your favorite posts?

We call it “coming out” when lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people share their full selves with others. The actual moment is often years in the making as we waken to, and then accept, ourselves enough to let the world know who we are. This is true for our loved ones and allies, too, as we have seen so dramatically this week in the public coming out of Senator Rob Portman and former Senator Hillary Clinton.

Who can deny that the heart of marriage is the love and commitment between the partners? Can you? So, it makes perfect sense to me that public opinion in the United States has moved inexorably toward supporting marriage for same-sex couples. Many who are joining a growing number of Americans in support of the freedom to marry have moved there by knowing couples like my friends, Ralph and Van.