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citrussunrises · 2 months
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Every time I have ever found God it has been from a group of outsiders.
Every picture of God that has ever looks like him has been made by people who never saw a Jesus that looked like themselves
I have never felt more at home than when listening to a gay person talk about God. I have never understood someone better than the lesbian Catholics who love to veil, or the transgender episcoples who see their transition as an opportunity to share in God's creation, or anyone who found God and then carved their own way to him.
When I sit in chapel, and the worship music feels like noise, I know there is a hymn being sung with a shaking voice that sounds just like Christ calling out for his father. When I see lessons written in script, I know there are sheets of construction paper printed in stock fonts on a family's kitchen table sent home from Sunday school teaching the same. When I get a hand out with Bible verses bought from Amazon, I know that someone has written the same verse in craft glue and collage and their blood.
I think God is present the most when the process of finding him is distinctly human; because I think he knows us, and makes the way he finds us human.
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gaynglican · 2 months
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I work in an art gallery with some amazing works by Vincent Van Gogh, and I keep find myself defending his honor. People frustrate me to no end.
Some people look at his artwork, which is full of immense love for the world, and go, "Oh, how sad. He was crazy. Isn't this painting SAD?" And, it's one of the most joyful paintings on earth.
The worst people are those who mock his artwork because he was "crazy". Upon looking at a beautiful, delicate, loving, and meditative artwork, a father nudged his son. "Isn't this the crazy guy who cut off his own ear?" The son laughed. "That's disgusting," the son said, and they laughed together.
Vincent Van Gogh wanted to be a priest. He felt God's love in everything and everyone. The priesthood didn't work out, but nevertheless Vincent especially felt God's love in the unloved. He painted every breeze in the air, and the veins in the unnoticed laborer's hands.
I don't think Van Gogh's swirling spirals are crazy. I think they're meditations on God's love, breathed through all Creation. To me, these paintings are a prayer.
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Saint John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND
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Really struggling with my beliefs and faith is starting to falter...
Please pray for me 🙏
TIA
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doeofdevotion · 3 months
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i went to a thrift store today and oh my mom. there were at least a hundred if not more ceramic / glass / wooden / etc. statues of the Madonna and Child. when i saw the first one i was like omg cool! and then i saw another and another and soon i was going down an aisle where i saw 15 all together on a shelf.
yes i know it’s literally christmas in 2 days but unless this store has been sitting on every Madonna and Child they’ve received all year long, i am convinced these were all someone’s massive collection.
i searched for every one i could find and agonized over which ones i could afford to take home. there were literally so many! different styles, sizes, colors, some were music boxes and others had bulbs inside, some were meant to hold flowers or candles, i was surrounded by the mother of God and the Christ child!!!
i ended up getting only these three which are so so beautiful. i hope when i have a chance to go back there will still be some left!!
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stpaulsdayton · 4 months
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“Americans, steeped in the ideal of religious freedom, take it for granted that orthodoxy without room for heresy is dangerous. Think of the Inquisition, they say, or the trial of Galileo, or (a little closer to home) the Puritan witch hunts. Yet heresy without room for orthodoxy turns out to be dangerous as well. Many of the overlapping crises in American life, from our foreign policy disasters to the housing bubble to the rate of out-of-wedlock births, can be traced to the impulse to emphasize one particular element of traditional Christianity—one insight, one doctrine, one teaching or tradition—at the expense of all the others. The goal is always progress: a belief system that’s simpler or more reasonable, more authentic or more up-to-date. Yet the results often vindicate the older Christian synthesis. Heresy sets out to be simpler and more appealing and more rational, but it often ends up being more extreme.”
Ross Douthat, “Bad Religion”
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aprillikesthings · 5 months
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There is something deeply funny to me about the fact that, of people who pray the rosary (at least in the United States); the Catholics tend to be super conservative, and the Episcopalians/Anglicans tend to be gay.
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A Message to Queer People Hurt by the Church.
I don't know if I am in a place to do this, however I would like to apologise on behalf of Christians everywhere for our treatment, present and past, of the LGBTQ+ community.
I have faced homophobic discrimination at the hands of my churches under various justifications. None of it was okay. None of it will ever be okay.
Homophobia is hate. Transphobia is hate.
Jesus taught love. Jesus teaches love.
Love is love. Love comes in many forms. If you cannot see that, and choose to hate on those for whom they love, while still saying you're Christian, kindly, get your head out of your crusty asshole and read the bible.
LGBTQ+ Christians; I see you, I love you, and I am praying for you. Jesus loves you. God, in all their beautiful forms, loves you. You were made in God's image. You do not need to change for anyone.
Nga mihi
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000xana · 1 year
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heresylog · 4 months
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Hi! Anglican here (Episcopalian’s British cousins). Overall the services are very similar in basic structure- a thing that has thrown catholic friends of mine before is that we do have slight variations of some of the prayers (someplacesthe Lord’s Prayer ends in ‘for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory’ rather than ‘deliver us from evil’ and I believe the creed is slightly different!) and in my own experience quite different hymnals. Idk if you’d want to take communion but probably a good idea to ask the vicar first- most churches are okay with it as long as you’re some kind of confirmed Christian. Usually you can take the pamphlet thing they give you up to the alter to indicate you just want a blessing! Keeping your arms down and if needs be asking also tend to work- most anglicans and Episcopalians I know tend to prefer having the host put in their hands. Most churches have near obligatory cake and coffee at the end, it’s either bad or the best thing you’ve had. Usually worth the gamble! There might be a lot of variation- our tradition focuses a lot on compromise so some low churches seem very ‘Protestant’ while others can be really high church so my apologies for the generality of the advice! I hope you have a good service and a lovely week!
Thank you for your response.
I just got done with the service today. It was extremely modern. All white walls and very minimalist decor. The art depicting the liturgical season was absolutely gorgeous.
The music was very….well, hippie Protestant. I’m glad there was a pamphlet with the order of the liturgy. The Nicene Creed is slightly different and threw me off quite a bit.
The deacon was so nice! I’m glad I got a chance to see her in her element and outside of a professional setting. The deacon is a former catholic I work with so it was nice chatting with her afterwards.
Other things I noticed:
Name tags! Each person puts their name on there. It’s a nice touch. They also asked me to put pronouns on, too. Which was different.
Coffee and tea before service. I’ve never been somewhere that served coffee before service, usually that’s for after. I also felt strange taking it with me to the pews.
No kneelers. I’ve been informed that kneelers are at some episcopal churches. They were not present at the one I attended.
Baptism free-for-all. A new member who had just shown up that day was asked if he’d like to get baptized after service. He asked if he needed to go to classes first and they said that was optional. That kinda made my brain go fritzy.
Holy Ghost vs Holy Spirit. I knew this from watching Call the Midwife but it was still strange to hear. It makes me think of Scooby Doo or Julie and the Phantoms.
Everything is The Great. There are lots of different things described as “the Great.” The Great Amen, The Great Silence, etc etc.
Overall, interesting experience.
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thurifer-at-heart · 9 months
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Blog Introduction!
Greetings! I go by Julian (they/she); I'm a queer Episcopalian college student studying philosophy and applying to divinity school/seminary.
This is a blog about open and affirming Christianity, Episcopalian and Anglo-Catholic spirituality, theology, and Christian mysticism. I will be posting passages from books I'm reading, random musings, prayers, reflections, art, poetry, photos, and other nerdy stuff. I love reading, praying the Daily Office, thurifering, musicals, and tea.
I created this blog not only to share my spiritual journey with others, but also to support and connect with other LGBTQ+ Christians and allies. Progressive Christians need to be more vocal about their faith (and existence) because we're often in the difficult position of being rejected or mistrusted by both sides of our identity. Many people don't even know we exist! This blog is an attempt to change that.
It makes me sad and angry that the name of Christ has been so thoroughly misused for bigotry and hatred instead of love. I want to take part in pushing back against this situation. I have hope for a better future, in which we seek and serve Christ in all persons.
Currently reading:
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (translated by John W. Doberstein)
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ by Fleming Rutledge
Life in Christ: Practicing Christian Spirituality by Julia Gatta
Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr
Recently read (especially recommend the bolded):
How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans
Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis (translated by William C. Creasy)
Love Wins by Rob Bell
Please feel free to message me anytime, I'd love to chat! Peace be with you. <3
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citrussunrises · 11 days
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Ok folks raised or in the church, reblog this with your most insane church lore, drama, or scandal.
I'll go first. My church started out as a New England commune. They all shared one lawnmower.
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gaynglican · 4 months
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I went to the Washington National Cathedral :)
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wgm-beautiful-world · 7 months
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Palacio de Gaudi Astorga (Episcopal) en Astorga, León, ESPAÑA
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mothermadyson · 4 months
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i think i need to get better at praying. i'm generally bad at asking for what i want or need, even in my daily life, but sometimes i feel like it's even harder for me to talk to God about things. perhaps it's because i feel my problems are so minuscule that there's no way they could possibly care. i mean, why should an immortal, creative being care about the personal goings-on of just one of their creations? God does care, though. God, in his infinite love, has room for each and every one of our concerns, and he's so observant and attentive to his children that he can see even the most microscopic of problems. nothing is too big or too small for God.
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transboysoprano · 8 months
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I told my church choir director about my plan to transition last night. We were both several drinks deep at the bar and having a heart-to-heart. He was supportive and said he is ultimately very excited to see me becoming myself, but admitted he feels not having me as a soprano in his choir would be a huge loss. Naturally, I’m pretty conflicted about that. I really hate to inconvenience people, and I’m terrified of people pitying me when my voice isn’t what they remembered, especially when it’s inevitably going to be in that crackly unstable place for a while.
On a lighter note, when he saw me, he said he thought I had already started transitioning. I’ve lost a little weight this summer and got a good haircut so my face is a little less round than usual right now. Plus I have like, dark peach fuzz on my face naturally even without HRT, which he touched like “what is this?” I said, “It’s my mustache, any questions?” It was a weird interaction but we had a good laugh about it. I feel a real kinship with him. He’s an older gay man and really makes an effort to understand me. I think of him like a queer role model, and I think he thinks of me like a young queer to take under his wing. I’m glad we have a good rapport, and I sincerely hope I can keep singing for him while my voice changes.
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