Spiritual Affirmation
During Holy Week many LGBT Christians and their allies find inspiration in “The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision,” a controversial series of paintings that are newly available as a book. The images show Jesus as a gay man of today in a modern city. He is persecuted, killed and rises again in the 24…
Read MoreI am a Christian. I believe in Jesus. I believe in doing our best to follow God’s word and make it an active part of our lives. I also believe that every human being should be treated with dignity, respect and love—no if’s, and’s or but’s about it! I am heavily dismayed when I hear…
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Jesus’ Seven Last Words, sayings offered from the cross, may serve as guidance for the spiritual life. This is sixth in a series on Chris Glaser’s blog, “Progressive Christian Reflections.” Not to demean the abject nature of Jesus’ final words, according to John—but how nice to be able to say, “It is finished.” I have…
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We were sitting in Arby’s when it happened—a song played through the speakers that deeply touched my mother. She dropped her fork, closed her eyes, and began to sway back and forth. I had never before seen her behave this way. I dropped my fork and stared. At some point, still rocking in meditation, my…
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“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned…
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I hold the church personally responsible for any LGBTQ person who walks away from God and Christianity. Every week, I get emails from individuals all across the country who are full of desire to be a part of a church. They want to go on the church-wide mission trip, join the choir, serve in the…
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I went for a long walk recently. I woke up early, and I was all ready to be idle in front of the computer for hours when I heard a voice say, “Get out, it’s beautiful.” This winter was brutal, and I could’ve paid my rent for a few months if I had a dollar…
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The way of the cross is an ancient tradition that retraces the steps of Jesus, remembering his suffering but also remembering the love, hope, and promise into which we are invited to enter. During Pride Month, the United Methodist Church of the Village is following this tradition by reflecting on the ways Christ has suffered in the…
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The fact that Pentecost is occurring on the same weekend as DC Capital Pride, one of the largest Pride events on the East coast, isn’t lost on me. Pentecost is a weird spoke in the wheel of the year, but it’s an amazing one all the same. As the Orthodox hymn for the feast goes, “Blessed…
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Colors of the rainbow flag reveal the many faces of the queer Christ in the following Rainbow Christ Prayer I wrote with gay theologian Patrick S. Cheng. Rainbow flags are flying around the world in June for LGBT Pride Month. Rainbows are also an important symbol in many religious traditions. The Rainbow Christ Prayer honors…
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