Can False Prophets Bear Good Fruit?
Matt 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. This verse from Matthew is often used to describe people like me who offer apologetics for Christ's acceptance of same-sex relationships. I've been called a false prophet from an assortment of places online, sites in which fundamentalist Christians gather to pick up scripture like a burning brand with which to purge the land of the scourge of gaydom. The pass
The Struggle to Rejoice
I'm having a hard time being productive today. My heart is heavy from the news of school shootings and the arguments and division which fill the news and social media. It's hard to hold on to energy and enthusiasm, but I have to do it. The need to bring God's kingdom to earth is renewed with every news cycle, and I am called to do my part.
While scrolling through posts on my author page, I came across this talk which I gave at a beloved church we attended before moving out o
Heterosexual AND Queer
A few days ago I received the message below: I appreciate your generosity in offering them [Kindle versions of Where True Love Is] for free on Valentine's Day and made a point to download the book. I sat down at lunch to start reading it and your introduction gave me pause. Specifically, the discussion that you and your wife both identify as heterosexual, but are married to each other and also participate in and consider yourselves part of the LGBTQIAA+ community. You are ver
Who is God?
The Where True Love Is devotional is structured to lead the reader on a journey of scriptural exploration. Each week centers around a specific topic. The first week deals with the question "Who is God?"
Here's the introduction to the week, along with the first devotion. Before we begin exploring the scriptural view of the LGBTQIA+ community we must first understand the one who breathed life into the collection of books which make up the Bible. Who is this God we worship? Th
Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving: Walking the Lenten Walk
A version of this article first appeared on the author's Theology of Desire blog. Lent is the Old English word for spring, but in almost all other languages the term derives from the Latin term quadragesima or "the 40 days." 40 is the traditional number of days for discipline, devotion, and preparation. Just think of Moses on the mountain, Elijah on his travels to the cave of visions, Nineveh’s deadline to repent, and most significantly, Jesus' time in the wilderness praying,
Black History Month Queer Hero: Dr. Pauli Murray
This article originally appeared in Impact Magazine in February, 2018. Dr. Pauli Murray was a remarkable woman who shattered ceilings of glass and perhaps even iron. Articles about Murray describe her as a black queer feminist civil rights activist lawyer poet professor priest and saint. That's a lot of chapeaus to wear, but she managed them all with grace and dignity. Anna Pauline Murray was the great granddaughter of slaves. Her mother died when she was a young child, and h
Valentine’s Day: From Soft-Hearted Saint to Bay-Scented Dreams. Plus, a Book Giveaway!
St. Valentine’s Day has a rich and interesting history. February 14 is the date we celebrate because of a belief in the middle ages that birds began to pair halfway through the second month of the year. Given this belief, the date became associated with love, and was designated as a special day for lovers to send notes and small gifts to each other. But who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient ritual?
The Church recognizes at least three mar
John Piper Unwittingly Proves That Only Women Should be Seminary Teachers
This article originally appeared in Impact Magazine in January, 2018. I’ve read a number of rebuttals to John Piper’s recent declaration titled Is There a Place for Female Professors at Seminary? Each response addresses the groaningly geriatric nature of the concept that women shouldn’t teach fledgling clergy, but none of them addresses the point which seems most obvious: If you closely read what Piper demands, you have to conclude that only women should be teaching in semina
Worshiping in Spirit and Truth
The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers wi
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