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Meditations of a Traveling Nun
Are Celibate Gay Christians Allowed to Have Pride?
This is the first 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,...
Taking the Family of God Seriously
The following article was originally published over at Equip Your Community. Equip is a Christian non-profit which seeks to help church leaders better serve those who are sexual minorities. If you'd like to learn more about Equip, check out their website and subscribe...
Longing & Loss | Reflections from Call Me By Your Name
I'm excited to share these reflections from guest writer Pieter Valk on the popular movie Call Me By Your Name. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts below, keeping in mind that reactions to this film vary across the spectrum, and that's okay. We look...
Redeeming Singleness: A Helpful Resource for the Unmarried Life
I'm in the process of reading an excellent book called Redeeming Singleness by Barry Danylak. While it can be a bit dense at times, I'm finding it to be incredibly helpful in developing a theological defense of the unmarried life as better suited for the kingdom of...
Finding Love in the Church When You’re Gay, Christian, and Celibate
In this post and others, I'm attempting to build a case for changing the culture of the church, because much of our current atmosphere makes celibacy feel like a death sentence. If we ever hope to achieve a biblical vision of community, this absolutely needs to...
A Celibate Lesbian’s Cold Hard Look at Sexual Immorality in the Church
What I'm saying in this post regarding sexual desire is pretty simple, but it's difficult for people to swallow. I'm saying that sexual fulfillment does not come through a sexual relationship but instead through sublimation to Christ. It's astonishing to me that this...
The Love Language of Physical Touch in a Sexualized World
In my recent post on physical touch between members of the same-sex, I mentioned something that deserves a bit of clarification. I said, “It might be easy for heterosexuals to rein in their affection and keep their ‘personal boundaries.’ But it’s hardly healthy. And...
What Christians Don’t Want to Admit About Celibacy and Homosexuality
In my last post, I discussed the loss of physical touch in American culture and the role it's played in stripping gay people (and everyone else) of access to non-sexual affection. Today, I want to talk about an even deeper trend. The decline of social capital. There’s...
There’s Nothing Sexual About Same-Sex Affection
The rise of gay people as a recognizable group is one of the most defining features of contemporary times. Historically-speaking, gays and lesbians emerged onto the social battlefield overnight. Go back 150 years, and they didn’t even exist as a recognizable category....
Just Because You’re Celibate Doesn’t Make You Single
I'm digging a little deeper into the discussion of celibacy here, focusing on the question of love and intimacy in a celibate person's life. I've found that intimacy is one of the biggest impasses that many people have when it comes to being celibate, but it doesn't...
Where Have All the Celibates Gone? The Crisis We Face
I'd like to spend the next few posts talking specifically about marriage, celibacy, and singleness. I don't plan on doing a series, but I do want to zero-in on issues related to celibacy. Please feel free to comment! Or if you prefer something private, send me an...
Gay or Same-Sex-Attracted? Answering Some Lingering Questions
This post is the final in a 7-part series called “Gay or Same-Sex-Attracted?” Each post covers a reason to use the words “gay” and “lesbian” as a Christian. Please share your thoughts in the comments or through my contact page. I look forward to hearing from you! To...
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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