God- You said to Moses, “אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה.” You will be who you will be. You will do what you will do. And we who believe, in part or whole, be that You alone define who you are. We believe You say who You are. Grant us the strength, wisdom, and grace to do the… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Trans Visibility and Equality
Yesterday was International Transgender Visibility Day—a day to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness of discrimination faced by trans people around the world. Like International Women’s Day, Worlds AIDS Day, and International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, one day isn’t enough. Sex Workers, AIDS, Women, and Transgender folks—we all deserve more than 1/365th… Read More
Not an “Issue”
One of the hardest parts about being a person of faith committed to justice is when basic human dignity is made a political issue. Transgender people are not an “issue,” and their humanity is not up for debate. Transgender people, like all other people, are human beings, created in the image of God, deserving of… Read More
Resistance and Resilience
Two nights before the election, I found out that Steven, a former student of mine, had died at the age of 27. This young man had been a warrior for LGBTQ justice in high school. He endured the worst kinds of bullying as an out gay kid in a very unaccepting place. And yet… he… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Who Reigns? Edition
Christ the King Sunday has long been my least favorite day in the church year. To begin with, most of us haven’t had any experiences with kings aside from characters in fairy tales or movies. I don’t like to think of the Messiah as being comparable to, say the King of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.… Read More
Pastoral is Political: Casting Out Fear
Last week a colleague from Australia asked me via Facebook a question that I imagine a lot of non-U.S. folks are asking about the United States these days. “What is going on over there?” She was referring to the bills in Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas and now Mississippi that basically criminalize being transgender and (in… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Foolish Hope?
On Sunday, like most of the members of this RevGal group, I have to preach an Advent word into a world that seems to become more violent and more broken by the minute. It’s hard to know just how to do that faithfully. Certainly the season of Advent is about hope, but hope seems like… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political Is Personal: Transgender People Are Sacred
I’m going to say it explicitly: I am a transgender person. I’m saying this from a place of privilege: I’m saying this as a white, middle class person who owns a home. I’m saying this as someone who has what’s known as “passing privilege” – that most people don’t assume I’m transgender just by looking… Read More
Friday Prayer: ‘Cause We Need It
All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Cor. 3:22-23 We are together. We are together in Christ. We are together in Christ and Christ is of God. We have a… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political – Our Finest Gifts: Affirmation, Inclusion, and Solidarity for Transgender People
We’re approaching Epiphany. Whether you observe this twelfth day of Christmas on January 5 or January 6, it’s a day for remembering those who came to see the Christ child and recognized him as a king, despite the outward signs of humble birth. In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem… Read More
