I serve in my local church not because I am trying to prove anything to myself or others. Not to earn love or to make up for being queer. Not to be the gay hero or the youth group leader that I needed. Not to rescue or because I feel like it is all on me…okay sometimes I serve because of that, but that's where my therapist comes in (thanks, Jessie). I serve from a place of freedom, of knowing that God not only wants to use my strengths but also my messiness for His Glory in my church. Because my God delights in the messiness. What if you believed this, too? Because then you, too, might have a 9th grader think that you are "literally the coolest."

It makes me think of some of the resistance that so many in the Revoice community have faced, along with all faithful LGBTQ+/SSA siblings in Christ who have chosen to embrace the historic Christian sexual ethic. Even despite their faithful devotion, many in our community are still looked upon with suspicion and alarm by some members of the wider Christian religious establishment. Honestly, this pains me. Very, very deeply.

I've been thinking a lot about what Michelle wrote last month in the Conference Newsletter, especially the "contradictions" in the Sermon on the Mount. I keep wondering, "How Jesus might preach his Beatitudes of Matthew 5 to our Revoice community?" The word beatitudes means blessed or even “the good life,” and it makes me wonder, how is the “Side B” community uniquely blessed by Jesus.

It is no secret that so many LGBTQ+/SSA disciples have withstood trauma, disappointment, and significant confusion about their place in God's story. This masterpiece serves as a clarion reminder that Jesus has been with you throughout every moment of suffering. Although God's plan may be unfolding differently than you imagined, God is actively writing a larger cosmic story in which you play a crucial role.

He is risen! He is risen, indeed. Happy Easter to you all.

Spring in North America is a time for planting seeds and seeing new shoots emerge from the ground. I don’t have my own garden or much of a green thumb, but I am very proud that I’ve managed to keep my fiddle-leaf fig tree alive (so far).

Lately, Jesus’ parable about planting seeds has been on my mind:

With all that in mind, I don't fault a church that asks me to get coffee when I seek clarity on their beliefs. In fact, I understand and assume that the pastor is meaning to offer me more effort and kindness, believing I deserve better than an email.

But it seems like sometimes my pastor friends feel torn between offering me clarity or kindness as if the two are mutually exclusive. But as the modern sage Brene Brown says, "Clarity is kind."

If you aren't already familiar with Henry Ossawa Tanner, I highly encourage you to meet him. He was one of the most highly-regarded African-American painters of the nineteenth century–without question a challenging time for a Black artist. Tanner is best known for his paintings of African-American life as well as his striking renditions of biblical scenes. In his generation, his perspective as a Black Christian artist was utterly unique.

As a surprise to pretty much nobody, I’m a bit of a loud person. Not just in my speaking volume, though I’ve been “shushed” in my share of environments, but in the amount of noise I create around me. My roommate often nudges me to put my earbuds on as I start chopping carrots for my dinner because my phone is blaring whatever silly little reality show I have on in the background.