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.

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.

AAAAHHHHH I LOVE BEING ANGLO-CATHOLIC I LOVE LITURGY I LOVE SACRAMENTS I LOVE THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER I LOVE INCENSE AND CANDLES AND PSALMS AND HYMNS AND THE ORGAN AND ROSARIES AND QUEERNESS AND GOD GOOD LORD!!!!!!

Saint John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

I had a dream I was in an Episcopal Church and someone from my church was there and I was hiding from them so they wouldn’t see me.

“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”

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.

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

Happy Easter and happy Trans Day of Visibility!

On this day we celebrate the beauty, resiliency, and strength of the trans community, and we celebrate the fact that the grave could not contain the Son of God.

This year more than ever, the trans community is in need of hope. With visibility comes retaliation; and we are fighting against a wave of anti-trans governmental policies across the world.

The photo was taken last night at the Great Vigil of Easter. At the Great Vigil, we light a fire to symbolize the hope of the Resurrection, and each of us sits in the dark with candles, listening to stories of hope as we wait for the moment when we can proclaim Christ’s resurrection.

I chose to use this photo to talk about the Trans Day of Visibility because we in the trans community are sitting in the dark with glimmers of hope in our hands, waiting, hoping, praying (and working) for a day when our basic human rights are no longer under attack. We are waiting for a day when all members of our community can use public bathrooms, receive medical care, have equal access to housing and employment, and so much more.

But I think the joyful dawning of Easter morning has something to say to us, too. Jesus, God’s only Son, chose to take on human flesh and live in solidarity with humanity. Just as we face political violence, so did Jesus. He was publicly executed as a political dissident, a threat to the power of empire. But even death itself could not conquer him. He rose from the grave, his body bearing the scars of the hell that could not hold him, redeeming the human condition from the hatred and cruelty, even from death itself.

In light of Jesus’ resurrection, we can rejoice that the violence against the trans community will not have the final word. Jesus rose again and is seated above all powers and governments of this world. We can (and must) stand up against state violence because God‘s love is stronger than violence, hatred, strife, and even death itself.

I went to the Washington National Cathedral :)

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.

Palacio de Gaudi Astorga (Episcopal) en Astorga, León, ESPAÑA

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

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.

Blessed Mother Mary at my church 💗