Keith Olbermann after Prop 8 was passed

Investigating

About four months ago, I was interested in determining how various churches handled the "gay question." Some churches post it right on their website while others require a bit more investigating. I emailed a few pastors and got some interesting and different answers. You would probably be surprised at the variation I received within a single church but maybe not.

I also looked at the passages commonly used or referenced in relation to homosexuality in multiple translations of the Bible.  There are only a few and what they say seems to vary based on the translation. Some translations have decided to use the word homosexual but is it justified in those locations?  I don't think the specific passages really say anything specific about people who are in loving relationships with people of the same sex. They may say something about an actual sexual act. But what was meant by those words? I think that many of the passages are very specific to the time period and place they were written for and to compare it to today's definition of being gay is absurd.  But it is all up for interpretation and every church and person aptly has their own.  And mostly I am okay with that.  Diversity is a beautiful thing and productive conversations are great.  What I am not okay with is people that turn around and use their belief and/or interpretation to stop others who have a different belief and/or interpretation from their pursuit of happiness.  What is the standard for an accepted belief? Is it majority wins? 

I learned from my small and potentially expanding investigation that most churches that are actually welcome to having LGBTQQIAAP people fully participate in the church are the ones that post something on their websites. Those churches that say nothing. Or have vague statements of accepting everyone usually have a "Don't ask; Don't tell" policy when it comes to being LGBT because it won't be a big deal if nobody knows. (Cough .. Cough... HETERNORMATIVITY!!) 

How can churches/denominations of Christianity prescribe to the same god, use the same book and end up with such differing views? And why are these hot button political issues such a big deal?

Personal Note: I posted something similar to this at the end of last week .... but I was not satisfied with its incompleteness and choose to edit it down for content. This is in no way a complete answer as I could go into specifics on the verses or how different denominations hold different beliefs on this issue.  I choose not to include that because I don't want to get into a debate about specific things people interpret differently. I am not using this post to say anything specific about the churches I spoke with. Even if you ask, I won't tell you which churches or denominations I did speak with suffice it to say I spoke with multiple.  The last questions are really meant to be rhetorical because I know the answers I just wanted to ask them.

Listen and fall in LOVE with Jenna Lindbo

Three years ago I had the pleasure to meet and become friends with Jenna Lindbo. Even if you have only met her once, I guarantee you would never forget her. She is so full of life and enthusiasm. Her songs are beautiful and deeply moving.  Watching her play is ... well check it out for yourself. If you aren't drawn into her irresistableness and absolutely fall in love with her music then I think you may not be capable of ever doing it. Check out her website for more info http://jennalindbo.com/



I still fondly remember the day we spent getting coffee and then jamming in Washington Square Park in New York City.  She had her guitar and I had my journal.  As she sang out for all to hear, I played along tapping out a beat on my journal.  Random people stopped to tell her how great she was. It was such a great day! In fact it was the fourth of July and my last full day in NYC. The day would be completed with a cruise to watch the Macy fireworks, getting true New York Pizza with Jess and her mom and then taking the subway back to our dorms and running in the drenching rain huddled under one umbrella while stopping to get food for Sara. 

One day long after that trip, I found myself humming a song.  Finally, I figured out that it was a song that Jenna had played and I recorded on my camera. Although it was not one of her original songs, the "remember me" lyrics of Iron and Wine's The Trapeze Swinger was really amazing to listen to at least the part I recorded.

Since that time, I have followed Jenna's music, after she started pursuing it, and was absolutely thrilled to learn of her CD coming out soon. I can't wait to get one. Below are some of my other favorite songs.

Is this my song?

There are two songs that have been my favorite christian songs for four or five years and when I hear them, they can take me back to when I first discovered them when I first went to a christian youth group. The two songs are Audience of One and O Praise Him. I can remember listening to Audience of One on repeat for such a long long time. Here are some lyrics ...

I come on my knees
To lay down before you
Bringing all that I am
Longing only to know you
Seeking your face
And not only your hand
I find you embracing me
Just as I am


I think what I liked so much about Audience of One was the acceptance in the words, "I find you embracing me - Just as I am."  And that is after "bringing all that I am." I think those are the words that many churches could learn a lesson from. For example: a church that I have gone to, I could not become a member of. I am excluded from that title and group, not that I would want to be a part of it anyway. And it is all because I don't "[adhere] to [the] standard [that] should be the norm for a follower of Christ." That is what in their opinion is the "norm" for a follower of Christ.  Or what they think "should be" the norm.

However, all churches seem to have a different opinion of exactly what the "norm" is for a follower of Christ. When I was in middle school, I underwent a mission to try to define "normal."  I asked friends, family, and random people in chat rooms on the Internet.  I engaged in some really awesome discussions and some that lacked maturity. My findings confirmed that normal really depends on who you ask and varies based on the individual characteristics of the person answering the question. So it goes without saying that churches will vary their definition of the "norm for a follower of Christ" based on their own individual characteristics.

Of course all this begs the question, Jessica why on earth are you going to a church that would exclude you from their definition of the norm when there are so many churches that would actually accept you and all that you bring? And my answer is that I don't go to church for other people. Sure, I could find a church that lines up more closely with my own beliefs and sometime in the future I may go to one, but I go to church to worship and god embraces me just as I am after knowing all that I bring god embraces other people after knowing all that they bring. As different as my beliefs may be from other church goers, ultimately we are all there for the same reason.

I think the true "norm" for a follower of Christ can and should be found in the lyrics of this song. Can't we just embrace people for who they are?

And I say that, knowing that I don't like how the language of a "norm" will always exclude somebody.  Because the language of a norm or normal implies that some will not fit into that model. And having experienced the view from the margin, I would hate to marginalize anyone.