A Talk At The Church Door - Reflection In The Making

[VickySGV]

I have recounted some of my recent experiences here in other posts, so most of you will know that I am fully out and transitioning in a church where I had been a member for over 20 years. One of the customs of our church is that our priest is at the church door to meet all of us after our major services, and it is fine to have brief talks with her if we like to. I am usually the last person to exit the church on any given Sunday since I do sit up nearest the Santuary in order to hear what goes on there, (I have a hearing loss that I should be using hearing aids for, but pride is a sin to be confessed) so I have gotten into some chats with my priest that do last for some time. My priest is the mother of a Lesbian who is proud of her daughter and her daughter in law, so my being part of the GLBT clan simply comes under good talk that is easy and enlightening to both of us.

On the DOR Sunday, I stopped to talk to MJ about what I was going to do later that day, and I also mentioned that I had read the book True Selves by Dr. Mildred Brown. I was telling about the fact that I had had to spend some time during the week I was reading the book, going out in my backyard and just having a good cry over some of what I had read, because the book does talk about the dishonesty and deceit that we TG people have to practice in our lives until we finally come out. Our worship point that day had dealt with the honesty that we owe God and Christ, and since it had been the feast of Christ The King, the honesty that we owed our supreme ruler of life. MJ told me that she too had been reading a book on the Spirituality of GLBT Christians, and in a couple of weeks we will swap the books with each other. The point of her book is that people in the Queer fringes (GLBT, but the book uses the term Queer) of the Christian Church may in fact be closer to the type of honesty that Christ is looking for, and poses the question of "Where did Christ actually do his earthly ministry?" We know the stories of Jesus butting heads and booting rear ends with the "proper" church officials of His day, so where does that really mean that Jesus was ministering? Where are we most likely to meet him today. Maybe He is the one waiting at our closet door when we have put on our true nature and come out in our deepest honesty and greatest fear. Cis and Hetero folks do not see the need to reach and struggle for honesty and openness, we will die if we do not come to it. Our change when we come out is possibly a Resurrection experience, since we have died to our prior lying and covering up and selves that were less than we were meant to be. Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Bi, Androgyne, we all have been in a closet, but could it also be a sacristy where all we have to do is open the doors to find our true vestments of faith and love?

Our conversation was far shorter than it took me to write this, but it is something to think about when we hear intolerant christians calling themselves the followers of Christ. They may kneel to their king, but do they follow Him and serve Him or just wave as he goes by and think they have done all they need to?

The peace of the Lord be always with you!

[Guest John Chiv]

Vicky,

To me only HIS approval matters and I believe he created me as I am, loves me unconditionally and accepts me. And that is all that matters. I am so happy for you and your wonderful church.

I have written the following in one of my early posts and it is something worth repeating again.

John 112-13

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

My parish and some other Christians I know practice this and some day those that use HIS name to discriminate will see that they are not following HIS Word.

The peace of the Lord be with your spirit as well.

John

[Guest GinaInside]

I have prayed to God all my life, to somehow end this Nightmare.

And, it's always the same for me.

Hugz,

Gina Renee

[Sally]

Our conversation was far shorter than it took me to write this, but it is something to think about when we hear intolerant christians calling themselves the followers of Christ. They may kneel to their king, but do they follow Him and serve Him or just wave as he goes by and think they have done all they need to?

This statement reminded me of one of the songs from Jesus Christ Superstar, as he was entering the city the crowds were lined up and their song made me think about what are "Christians" really thinking as they go about their daily lives?

"Christ, you know I love you.

Did you see I waved?

I believe in you and God

so tell me I am saved."

Have the courage to live the life if you are going to call yourself a Christian.

Go through life in peace,

Sally

[JJ]

And it reminded me of a verse from an old Waylon Jennings song "I Do Believe"-which I really like by the way

"there's a man in that old building

he's a holy man, they say

he keeps talking about tomorrow

while I keep struggling with today

he preaches hell, fire and brimstone

and heaven seems so far away"

By the way I think maybe i sounded like I was trying to promote the Methodist Church and I didn't mean to do so. Yes, I appreciate their tolerance and acceptance but I was just using them as an example that many mainstream churches are supportive of us and see no problem with TG and Christianity. While I attend that church my own beliefs are much more complex and not defined by any one church or institution

Johnny

[Guest heatherf]

I'm about as conservative as a Christian as they come, but about 2 weeks ago I acknowledged to myself that I'm also a transsexual. That has caused a lot of head spinning for me as I come to terms to what that means. I'll be doing more reading than talking, but I did want to share something.

With fresh ears last week, I heard the story of the prodigal son in the sermon. I was amazed at how the pastor skipped over these parts:

1. The father poured out his love on the lost son before the son repented.

2. The father was actively looking for his son. He did not wait for his son to show up at the door of the house one day.

3. The father's house was somewhere the son knew he would be better off at the house even if his father punished him.

None of that seems applicable to my church.

We also sang a song by Casting Crowns -- If we are the body. You can google for the lyrics, but the second section seemed applicable:

A traveler is far away from home

He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row

The weight of their judgemental glances

Tells him that his chances are better out on the road