It’s the weekend again! Thank you all for the thought-provoking comments this week. We always enjoy hearing from you. The discussion and email feedback have been fantastic. Feel free to keep it coming!
Because we have been getting many of the same questions multiple times within our first month of blogging, our site now features a Frequently Asked Questions page. If there is a question you think we have inadvertently left out, you can let us know via our Contact Us form. We’re also featuring an Ask Us! form where readers can submit topic ideas.
We were also very grateful for the opportunity to write a guest post for Morgan Guyton’s blog, Mercy Not Sacrifice. Morgan asked us if we would be interested in sharing a bit more about our relationship with his readers, so we said yes, and he published Our Journey As a Celibate LGBT Christian Couple on Wednesday. Thanks for helping us to share our story, Morgan!
Now, here’s a new “Saturday Symposium” question.
How this works: It’s very simple. We ask a multi-part question related to a topic we’ve blogged about during the past week or are considering blogging about in the near future, and you, our readers, share your responses in the comments section. Feel free to be open, reflective, and vulnerable…and to challenge us. But as always, be mindful of the comment policy that ends each of our posts. Usually, we respond fairly quickly to each comment, but in order to give you time to think, come back, add more later if you want, and discuss with other readers, we will wait until after Monday to respond to comments on Saturday Symposium questions.
This week’s Saturday Symposium question: This week, we published two reflections that dealt with the topic of LGBT Christians’ being perceived differently than straight Christians, either by clergy, lay people, or both. In Avoid Every Appearance of Evil? and Expectations of Perfection, we reflected on some double standards we have seen applied in the pastoral care of LGBT people and how these messages can adversely affect trust in spiritual directors and the Church itself. What do you think members of the clergy, lay ministers, and spiritual directors could do differently to ensure that the pastoral care needs of LGBT people are met adequately? What are some examples of times that church leaders have excelled in this area? If you are an LGBT Christian, what are your greatest fears and concerns about seeking pastoral care when you need it? Pastors, priests, spiritual directors, and church leaders: what are you greatest fears and concerns about providing adequate pastoral care for LGBT members of your faith communities?
We look forward to reading your responses. If you’re concerned about having your comment publicly associated with your name, please consider using the Contact Us page to submit your comment. We can post it under a pseudonym (i.e. John says, “your comment”) or summarize your comment in our own words (i.e. One person observed…). Participating in this kind of public dialogue can be risky, and we want to do what we can to protect you even if that means we preserve your anonymity. Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings,
Sarah and Lindsey
Comment Policy: Please remember that we, and all others commenting on this blog, are people. Practice kindness. Practice generosity. Practice asking questions. Practice showing love. Practice being human. If your comment is rude, it will be deleted. If you are constantly negative, argumentative, or bullish, you will not be able to comment anymore. We are the sole moderators of the combox.