"Come Unto Me, All You Who Are Weary, And I Will Give You Rest"

In the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the first question is this: "What is the chief end of man (sic)? Our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy God forever."

That's why we were all created in God's image: to glorify, to worship God, and enjoy God and the life and world God has given us forever.

This holds true for all people, straight and LGBTQ alike; able-bodied and disabled alike; women and men, young and old, rich and poor, universally, because we are all created in God's image.

At the Church where I've been called to be their interim pastor we are wrestling with what it means that I am a pastor who is an openly gay man in a 13 year-old relationship, with two children, two dogs, a mortgage, cars, land, debts, salt-and-pepper hair, and still runs marathons and leads pilgrimages around the world. The Church--which currently has other gay and lesbian members though closeted--is struggling with abounding grace to come to terms with what the 21st century is looking like: a place where we who are LGBTQ are no longer living in closets of Don't Ask Don't Tell. It will take some time for us at this Church. After all, this is another moment of "coming out," and it takes some people longer than others to get used to the very idea of being an out gay pastor.

Who is leading the way? The One who welcomes the weary outsider.

The hope? That we will be a Church well-known in the geographical for our inclusivity of all God's people.

Behold: God is doing something new in northeastern North Carolina!

Peace!

B

A Question Before Me

Question: can a Presbyterian Church (USA) pastor--who has been ordained for 25 years, served eight churches as pastor or interim pastor while working as a seminary professor, writer, and entrepreneur, raised a family of two kids and two dogs, along with a former wife and living in an open, committed relationship with another man for 13 years, traveled around the world, written 8 published books, with two more under contract, numerous articles, preached and presented papers before thousands of people--be an interim pastor in a church--where God has called him through an extensive search process and affirmation by the Committee on Ministry--that is located in what the church members call a "conservative town" in northern North Carolina?

Yes. I've learned again that the Spirit of God will blow wherever the Spirt wills. Such is the Spirit of Love.

Pace!

B

Sen. Obama's Shout-Out to LGBTQ People

We were all gathered around the television--Philip, Jason, Dean, Wayne, and I--and the shout-out came from Sen. Obama:

“I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in a hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.”

He said it! He included us! While we would all have liked him to say more about same-sex marriage, affirming it of course because this is the 21st century, and LBTGQ relationships--be it civil union, domestic partnership, or marriage--are here to stay, that he mentioned us was truly amazing.

You guy, Barack!

Pace!

B

President Clinton's Shout Out to Gays?!

Along with Sen. Kennedy, President Clinton, a.k.a., Bill, a.k.a., Bubba, who brought us DADT, had a shout-out to gays in his speech last night. He also suggested that along with stepped up efforts to stop the spread of AIDS/HIV in foreign countries, we step up efforts in this country. I guess abstinence-only sex ed. programs just don't seem to be doing the job the Bush Administration proposed...a big thanks to all the conservative religious zealots who pushed that idea upon this Administration, much to the detriment and loss of life of hundreds of thousands of young people now infected with a STD.

And there are stories of LGBTQ gatherings with Michelle Obama, with my LGBTQ and straight friends who supported Hillary Clinton trying to reconcile Obama's win.

With the shout-outs and presence of the major players of the Democratic party hobnobbing with LGBTQ folks at the DNC gathering in Denver, CO, it will be interesting to see what the RNC gathering is like next week in two of my favorite cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. I'll be listening, much to my family's consternation.

pace, B

Welcoming Churches

I'm working on a study for the Presbyterian Pub. Co. latest curriculum for the Church, "The Thoughtful Christian," which my good friend David Maxwell edits. The study is on the practices of the Church being more welcome to people with disabilities. Having a history of writing and speaking out on the subject of people with disabilities in the Church, I am, yes, aware of the parallel with being an advocate for the inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Church.

Very aware.

Psychologically, I am aware that what I was writing about people with disabilities in the Church could easily be translated or generalized to people who are LTBGQ.

Very aware.

I noticed this announcement about Seven Straight Nights and Jay Bakker (son of Tammy Faye and Jimmy of Heritage USA fame). It is a ministry of welcoming and bringing together LGBTQ people with straight people. The much-pierced and tattooed evangelist is trying to bring a community together through the act of welcoming.

Click here for more.

Pace, B

Being Gay in Iraq

In Newsweek on-line, there was a story of being gay in Iraq: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Do Kill" (click here). There is a sense of "if I think we have it rough..." The article is an emphatic reminder of how we are treated not only here in the States--which is often equally violent--but also in other lands, cultures, and people.

Pace, B

Sen. Ted Kennedy's Shout-Out to Gays

While watching last night's television coverage of the Democratic convention (Hi, I'm Brett. I'm a newsaholic), we were all agog when Sen. Ted Kennedy mentioned "gays and straights" in his remarks! What was also interesting was the deafening silence after including us in his speech. There was no roar of the crowd, or uptick in applause. Yet he did mention us!

On queerty.com and towleroad.com, there was coverage of Andy Tobias, the openly gay treasurer of the Democratic party. And there have been other visible signs of the LGBTQ community at the Democratic convention in leadership and speaking positions, though you have to go to CSPAN to capture many of those moments--darn you other cable shows and MSM. Click here for Andy Tobias comments.

It is time to be seen, known, and heard.

Pace, B