Category Archives: Uncategorized

This past week Pope Francis issued a statement that allows priests throughout the entire Roman Catholic Church to bless same-sex couples. This was not really a surprise, as a letter he had sent to two conservative cardinals laid the groundwork for this decision. Even so, his words sent shock waves throughout the religious community. PeopleContinue reading “The Pope Weighs In”

I have heard the story again and again. The whole family is gathered together for Thanksgiving (or Christmas, or New Year’s) and someone asks for everyone’s attention. They have an announcement to make. It may go something like this… “I want you all to know that I am gay. And my friend Stephen who isContinue reading “Now What Do I Do?”

In Western culture today, both in the “secular world” and among many Christians, the institution of marriage is a mess. Most people would say that marriage should be based in love, and by that they mean romantic love. (The Bible uses the word “eros” for this kind of love.) Love is that funny feeling youContinue reading “Marriage is a Mess”

The mass transit system in Chicago uses electric trains. The cars run on two normal tracks for the train wheels and an electrified third rail that supplies the power. I remember from little on being told by my parents to “never touch the third rail!” Apparently I have “touched the third rail” with my blogContinue reading “The Third Rail”

In my last blog post (found here) I began unpacking the controversy of drag performances in society today. In this blog I’ll move the conversation forward by looking at the key Bible passage that is often used to address the issue. But first a story… The congregation I used to serve was a multi-site church,Continue reading “A Drag Queen Walks into a Library Part II – What Does the Bible Say?”

In recent months I’ve received a bunch of questions and requests for me to post something about drag shows. Once limited to bars and late night, a whole bunch of new “drag expressions” have been in the news. From drag brunches where families are invited, to drag queens doing book readings at local libraries, whatContinue reading “A Drag Queen Walks Into a Library…”

I had the privilege of working with many amazing people during my 40+ years of full-time ministry. One of those people was a man named Jack Giles. Jack was a gifted leader, a patient teacher, and a brilliant theologian. He cared deeply for the people around him and worked hard at helping people grow moreContinue reading “Wise Words”

At a government task force meeting, two gay psychologists were discussing issues affecting the gay community. At one point one of them shared a concern that they had seen a number of gay people joining Christian churches. They speculated that there was something missing in the gay community that was not meeting the emotional, spiritual,Continue reading ““Our People””

According to Wikipedia, Psychoanalytic Theory is the “theory of personality organization and the dynamics of personality development relating to the practice of psychoanalysis.” It was developed by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century. While it has served as a foundation for many other psychological theories, it itself is no longer widely used.Continue reading “Freud, Christianity, and Being Gay”

“Is your church an affirming church?’ During my last ten years or so of ministry I got that question a lot. It came from gay and straight people alike. They were asking if our church agreed with same-sex intimacy and gay marriage (affirming) or if we said it was sin that fell short of God’sContinue reading ““Acknowledge and Accept” vs. “Agree and Affirm””