I had a trans woman in a previous congregation. Before transitioning, she had served in the military, reaching a high rank. She lost everything in the transition: job, military benefits, spouse, and was more-or-less homeless when I knew her. What she did gain by transitioning was a sense of freedom to be who she wanted to be. You don’t lose your sense of hearing when … Continue reading On Trans
Note: I’ve been telling bedtime stories to my son (age 4). Here’s one of them. Once upon a time there was a young boy named Ollie. And Ollie loved to read. He loved books of all kinds: books about animals, books about spaceships, books about cooking, books about flowers and books about the ocean. One day, Ollie wandered into his dad’s office. And he was … Continue reading Adventures of O
Being the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting which claimed 29 lives, I am thinking of the environment in which that tragedy occurred. It would be easy for me to say, ‘I wasn’t a part of that’. I live nowhere near Orlando. I am not gay. I hate dancing. The communities and people involved are quite removed from me. It doesn’t pertain to me. I … Continue reading Pulse and the Church
Everything I’ve ever learned about loving my LGBTQ neighbors as myself, I learned through the United Methodist CHurch. Everything I’ve learned about fully including, welcoming and valuing LGBTQ people in the church and society at large, I learned through the UMC. This weekend, while the church was spinning from the Judicial Council’s decision regarding Bishop Karen Oliveto, I was with the United Methodist Women training … Continue reading On Bishop Oliveto
then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. I’m thinking of this line in Deuteronomy. God’s people are regularly reminded that they were once slaves in Egypt. This reality is encoded in their law and enshrouded in their holidays. The reality of slavery even informed Jews of their inhumane … Continue reading What Christians and Americans can Learn from Judaism
At 5:30am our beloved kitty Daisy let out an odd growl/yelp. I initially thought she had caught a rodent or something, though that is completely against her character. When I found her in the closet she was toppled over against the wall. I eased her into a more comfortable position and with a few gasps, she died. She was 10 years old. She was a lovely … Continue reading Daisy
This past Sunday, as part of a service to help people process the election, I asked people to share ‘what they were hoping for when they voted’. I aked them to share these hopes by writing them down. I asked people to NOT tell me who they voted for. I encouraged their anonymity. Here is what they said: Policy to remember the less fortunate. Kind … Continue reading Why People Voted
Growing up, my parents got involved in Mercer County Youth Soccer League. My mom coached my brother. My dad coached me. My mom also became a league official and then a referee. I remember her studying the rule book and being really proud of herself for passing the physical exam. She mostly refereed under-8 league games. She was really good at teaching the rules and … Continue reading My Election Sermon
So for Father’s Day, I got an Ancestry.com DNA test kit. I spit into a little tube, mailed it off and awaited an emailed result. And the results are as intriguing as advertised. Prior to getting the results, I had my surname analyzed and found that “Raines” traces back to a village in Essex, UK called Rayne. Or it could come from Rennes in Brittany, northern … Continue reading I’m White, but I Don’t Feel Like It
Note: A year ago today, I preached this final sermon at Sunnyside-Centenary United Methodist Church. I want to begin with an apology. This apology is generally for the remaining members, but it is more specifically for Cliff Fairley our illustrious choir director. Boy, hasn’t the choir just been magnificent? Several months ago, while we were in the throes of some very difficult conversations about the … Continue reading Closing Ceremonies
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