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Meditations of a Traveling Nun
Divorced and Celibate: Reflections from the Other Side of Marriage (Guest Post)
Christian attitudes toward divorce and remarriage have been largely redefined in the past century. Historically, Christians were never permitted to remarry with the church, even in the case of a lawful divorce, even if you were the innocent party. Divorced people were...
Boy Erased: An Open Letter to the Gospel Coalition (Guest Post)
Last week, the Gospel Coalition published a review of Boy Erased, a movie depicting the true story of Garrard (Jared) Conley's experiences at a conversion therapy facility called Love in Action. I'd encourage you to read the review by Brett McCracken before...
Coming Out: Why Jesus Delights in LGBT+ Stories
We are the people who hide. The ones who slouch our way through Bible studies and small groups. The ones who cling to Christian respectability and mask our stories beneath a facade of normalcy. We are the people who, rejected by the church, hide again in the...
Marriage Idolatry: Exposing The Christian Version of Consent Culture
Marriage idolatry may be one of the most concerning spiritual conditions of the church today. But this can be incredibly difficult for people to wrap their minds around because people see the elevation of marriage as a defense against the "attack on family values."...
Revoice: The Conference We Need
This post is a review of Revoice, not a defense. I really have no interest in the debate currently raging online over the merits of this conference (and I think people far more qualified than me have already responded). While I obviously support the conference, my...
See You at Revoice!
The Revoice Conference in St. Louis starts tomorrow, and I'm so excited to see what's in store! If you haven't heard about it yet or don't know much about it, Revoice is a conference for LGBT+ people who adhere to the traditional sexual ethic of Scripture. The...
LGBT+ Christians: When Unlikely People Are God’s Champions
This is the final post in a month-long series on “celibate gay pride,” exploring the glory of God as revealed in the lives of celibate gay Christians. If you'd like to read the full series, check out the links below! Also, I’m specifically talking about and...
God’s Unique Blessings in the LGBT+ Experience of Christians
This is the sixth post in a month-long series on “celibate gay pride,” exploring the glory of God as revealed in the lives of celibate gay Christians. I’d like to publish about 1-2 posts every week over the month of June. But I need your help! The more feedback I get,...
Same-Sex Love is Good and Beautiful
This is the fifth post in a month-long series on “celibate gay pride,” exploring the glory of God as revealed in the lives of celibate gay Christians. I’d like to publish about 1-2 posts every week over the month of June. But I need your help! The more feedback I get,...
Gay People Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
This is the fourth post in a month-long series on “celibate gay pride,” exploring the glory of God as revealed in the lives of celibate gay Christians. I’d like to publish about 1-2 posts every week over the month of June. But I need your help! The more feedback I...
Gay Attractions Create the Context for More Than Just Sin
This is the third post in a month-long series on “celibate gay pride,” exploring the glory of God as revealed in the lives of celibate gay Christians. I’d like to publish about 1-2 posts every week over the month of June. But I need your help! The more feedback I get,...
Take It From an Expert: Same-Sex-Attraction Is More Than Just Sexual
This is the second post in a month-long series on “celibate gay pride,” exploring the glory of God as revealed in the lives of celibate gay Christians. I’d like to publish about 1-2 posts every week over the month of June. But I need your help! The more feedback I...
Heavy Burdens
Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church
Heavy Burdens
***Foreword INDIES 2021 Finalist for Religion***
Religious faith reduces the risk of suicide for virtually every American demographic except one: LGBTQ people. It’s past time that Christians confronted the ongoing and devastating effects of this legacy.
Rivera calls to mind Jesus’s woe to religious leaders: “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them” (Matt. 23:4). Heavy Burdens provides an honest account of seven ways LGBTQ people experience discrimination in the church, helping Christians grapple with hard realities and empowering churches across the theological spectrum to navigate better paths forward.
Breaking down the issues both historically and socially, Heavy Burdens (Brazos Press, 2021) provides an honest account of the ways in which LGBTQ people experience discrimination in the church, helping Christians grapple with hard realities and empowering churches to navigate a better path forward.
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