Queer Theology

Fr. Shay recently wrote an article about why you should make spiritual resolutions and in this episode of the podcast, we respond to a reader question and dive into how you can go about doing that. Read the transcript (PDF) In this episode, we reference: Rob Bell’s What Is The Bible? Sanctuary Collective The post Community Question: How do you make spiritual resolutions? appeared first on Queer Theology.

The Gospel of Mark — the earliest written of the gospels — jumps right into the action with the arrest of John the Baptist and the start of Jesus’s public ministry. He calls his first disciples and asks them to change their heart, change their life, and trust the good news. What did that mean for them and what does it mean for us? Read the transcript (PDF) In this episode, we reference Jesus describing his “good news” in Luke 4. Here’s some more on that. Mark 1:14-20 After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” As Jesus passed alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. After going a little farther, he saw James and John, Zebedee’s sons, in their boat repairing the fishing nets. At that very moment he called them. They followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers. Photo by paladinsf The post Change your heart & your life – Mark 1:14-20 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Brian and Fr. Shay experience this passage in two different ways — and that’s ok! For some, this passage is comforting and for others this is creepy and overbearing. It’s a passage that’s been used against queer and trans people but also maybe has a poetic message that can connect you with King David and resonate with you. Read the transcript (PDF) Psalm 139 1-6; 13-18 Lord, you have examined me.     You know me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up.     Even from far away, you comprehend my plans. You study my traveling and resting.     You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways. There isn’t a word on my tongue, Lord,     that you don’t already know completely. You surround me—front and back.     You put your hand on me. That kind of knowledge is too much for me;     it’s so high above me that I can’t fathom it. You are the one who created my innermost parts;     you knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb. I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.     Your works are wonderful—I know that very well. My bones weren’t hidden from you     when I was being put together in a secret place,     when I was being woven together in the deep parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my embryo,     and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me,     before any one of them had yet happened. God, your plans are incomprehensible to me!     Their total number is countless! If I tried to count them—they outnumber grains of sand!     If I came to the very end—I’d still be with you. Photo by Kaptain Kobold The post You knit me together – Psalm 139 appeared first on Queer Theology.

Happy New Year from Fr. Shay and Brian! In this week’s episode, we’re talking all about the start of the year and how to enter it with intention without setting a bunch of overwhelming resolutions. This might sound a bit “secular” but living with intention is important for our spiritual life as well, and we talk about that too. It’s also time for this year’s Queer Theology Synchroblog! The prompt for this year is, “What does your queerness or transness call you to do and be in the world?” You can get all the info on how to participate at queertheology.com/synchroblog And we’re just about to start a new book in Sanctuary Collective. This month, we’re reading Juliet Takes A Breath by Gaby Rivera. We’ve love for you to join us! Read the transcript (PDF) Photo by T@H!R – طاھر The post New Year, New You appeared first on Queer Theology.

  This week’s passage is part of Mary’s Magnificat — a badass hymn that shows how she understands God. Already, before Jesus is even born, we see the seeds of what will become his ministry planted and nurtured by his mother Mary. Holidays can be tough for LGBTQ folks with unaffirming families or churches. We put together a 3-part video series to help you through it. Get it here. Read the transcript (PDF) Luke 1:47-55     In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant. Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations. He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.” The post Mary’s understanding of God – Luke 1:47-55 appeared first on Queer Theology.

This passage from Isaiah will become the opening thesis of Jesus’s ministry (as told in Luke 4). In it, we get a sense of God’s priorities (and what will become the priorities of Jesus as well). This is the work that we’re called to be part of. Read the transcript (PDF) Isaiah 61:1-4 The Lord God’s spirit is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives, and liberation for prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and a day of vindication for our God, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for Zion’s mourners, to give them a crown in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, a mantle of praise in place of discouragement. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, planted by the Lord to glorify himself. They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore formerly deserted places; they will renew ruined cities, places deserted in generations past. The post This is God’s good news – Isaiah 61:1-4 appeared first on Queer Theology.

The Gospel of Mark opens with a political statement and goes on to connect the ministry of Jesus to work that has come before. In this week’s podcast, we examine the context and implications of this gospel message and how that relates to our lives and work today. Read the transcript (PDF) In this episode, we talk about … Connecting our work to those who have come before us Queer Christians wrestle with faith and the divine in the same way that Jesus and his earliest followers The differences between the 4 Gospels The political context of Mark’s gospel, the importance of the word “gospel” and the meaning of the phrase “God’s son” The First Christmas by John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg How a Christian “should” look and respectability politics Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, happened just as it was written about in the prophecy of Isaiah: Look, I am sending my messenger before you. He will prepare your way, a voice shouting in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight.” John the Baptist was in the wilderness calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. Everyone in Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to the Jordan River and were being baptized by John as they confessed their sins. John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. He announced, “One stronger than I am is coming after me. I’m not even worthy to bend over and loosen the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The post John the Baptist & Building on Queer Activism – Mark 1:1-8 appeared first on Queer Theology.

We hold a few things in tension with this passage: the beauty of the poetry, the devastation of their situation; our identification with suffering, our disagreement with who is “at fault” here. We dive into it all! Read the transcript (PDF) Show Notes In this episode, we talk about… parallels between the ancient Hebrew community and the modern queer community… both of which are small and vulnerable holy queer magic! the feeling that God has abandoned us (and what to do with that) queer people are part of the story of faith that has been told for millennia how this passage has been used to tell people that they are wretched and awful how this passage has been used to remove people from their agency you have talents, gifts, and skills that you need to use! the temptation for oppressed and marginalized to turn inward and ask “What did we do wrong to deserve this?” (and why that’s so dangerous) where God is in the midst of all this Isaiah 64:1-9 If only you would tear open the heavens and come down! Mountains would quake before you like fire igniting brushwood or making water boil. If you would make your name known to your enemies, the nations would tremble in your presence. When you accomplished wonders beyond all our expectations; when you came down, mountains quaked before you. From ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any god but you who acts on behalf of those who wait for him! You look after those who gladly do right; they will praise you for your ways. But you were angry when we sinned; you hid yourself when we did wrong. We have all become like the unclean; all our righteous deeds are like a menstrual rag. All of us wither like a leaf; our sins, like the wind, carry us away. No one calls on your name; no one bothers to hold on to you, for you have hidden yourself from us, and have handed us over to our sin. But now, Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. All of us are the work of your hand. Don’t rage so fiercely, Lord; don’t hold our sins against us forever, but gaze now on your people, all of us: Photo by -Reji The post Your oppression is not your fault – Isaiah 64:1-9 appeared first on Queer Theology.

This passage in Matthew has some pretty harsh words about God separating out the sheep from the goats, and damning the latter to eternal fire. But who exactly are the goats? And what does one do to end up there? You may have been told that people who haven’t accepted Jesus are the ones damned to hell, but this passage gives a very different explanation. Read the transcript (PDF) Show Notes In this episode, we look at… “You cannot get from this passage, ‘Just say a prayer and ask Jesus into your heart and then you are good to go.’” where we see the type of community described in this passage in our lives today how we live out the Gospel in our lives how religion doesn’t factor into this passage the emphasis on right behavior the fear of eternal punishment because of who we are that many LGBTQ people feel the question isn’t can you be transgender and Christian, it’s can you be a transphobe and Christian! Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Photo by Thomas Hawk The post Can you be anti-LGBTQ and a Christian? – Matthew 25:31-46 appeared first on Queer Theology.

This week, we take a look at a few listener questions about the intersections of transgender identity and Christian faith. Do you have a question you’d like to see covered? Email connect@queertheology.com. Read the transcript (PDF) The post Listener Questions: How do you know it’s OK to be transgender? appeared first on Queer Theology.