Saturday, August 21, 2009:  Twelve long years of grief, rejection and feelings of worthlessness have dogged my partner's life, ever since the ELCA Lutheran Church revoked her clergy credentials and removed her from the pastorate. Why? For being a pastor in a committed, monogamous relationship with her partner, while serving as associate pastor, youth leader, choir leader and covering for the pastor on sabbatical.  That's right, she was doing the work of FOUR people.  Her health was going to "that place" in a handbasket, as she struggled to serve God and serve the faithful, at the expense of her own well being.

Her reward?  Not just being removed from the work into which she poured her own soul, heart and being... but in addition to this, the church itself forced on her the shame of being blackmailed into resigning.  You heard me: they gave her an ultimatum to turn in a letter of resignation, or else... because she the integrity to admit that she was in a committed, monogamous relationship.  With a woman. 

Why is is that mainline christian churches universally condemn anyone they can, pounding and quoting Old Testament scriptures, yet these same "Christians" cannot seem to grasp that Jesus himself came to live among us, specifically to teach us NOT to follow the old laws, but to love one another and to refrain from judging each other.  Seems to me that many mainline churches teach more about human hatred than about spiritual love, when it comes to their discussions about gay & lesbian Christians. 

We, too, were raised in loving, straight families. We, too, would love to be the way everyone else is. We simply were not created that way.  We do not choose to live a gay "lifestyle".  Who in their right mind would choose to live life as a freak?  Straight society does not have to suffer for being created straight; but those of us who were created homosexual suffer daily for being true to our nature.

Those of us who are gay and living in committed, monogamous relationships, paying our taxes (more taxes than others, btw...) and worshipping in Christian churches, just as we were raised to do... we only want to live as normal a life as we can.  We want to serve others and give love back to society, have friends and neighbors just like everyone else. Yet we are judged and shunned, condemned especially by religious leaders.

Today, there is good news in my FAMILY.  My family consists of myself, my partner, and my mother (who is straight, but we still love her).  Today, in our family, we found out that my partner's credentials as a member of the clergy - which she earned just like straight people - are now considered just as valid as theirs.  Not only that, but today, my mother showed us that her crepe myrtle, which has never blossomed before, has its first bright red bloom. It was my mother who said to us that it's a sign that miracles are happening in this world. If Mom believes that, and shares her faith with us, how can we not rejoice? Today, we give thanks to God for moving among all the faithful.