by Kallie C

Earlier this spring, a friend of mine posted this picture of me in this post as a part of a mini series called Do Not Edit. This post is one I wrote a few weeks after that photo shoot in response to the powerful experience that it was.

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by Jeremiah Hinton

A deeply regrettable concession that the church has made to a culture obsessed with the exploitation of sexuality is the equation of purity with belovedness. In a bid to occupy one extreme of a culturally constructed whore/virgin dichotomy, the church has departed from the essential truth of the gospel. You are loved now. As you are. There are no special vows, requirements, rings, oaths, or behaviors needed to receive the graceful extension of God's love. The equation of sexual purity with God's acceptance of us is not only a gross misrepresentation of Jesus' boundless love, but

I’ve been obsessing all month over the SCOTUS opinions on the two historic cases around same-sex marriage.

Yesterday, I nearly missed my bus due to lingering too long over the SCOTUS blog‘s liveblog of the morning announcements. Today, I felt anxious enough that I bummed a cigarette off of someone. I was mentioning how obsessive I’ve become about this to a friend who replied, “Yeah, I’m keeping up with the announcements by watching your facebook updates.”

by Daniel Tidwell

I grew up hearing the half-whispered stories of a music minister who left his wife to live with another man. I saw the face of John Paulk on pamphlets proclaiming that “Love Won Out.” I listened to Dr. Dobson invite parents to send kids out of the room during episodes of Focus on the Family that discussed homosexuality. My parents warned me about the men who lived in the pink house at the end of the cul-de-sac. And my father–the youth minister–flipped his wrist and lisped when he spoke disdainfully about “fairies.”

by Daniel Tidwell

I am convinced that the Christian life is about formation–formation that is never meant to end.

It is a continual unfolding and expansion of our capacity and embodiment of love for God and Neighbor. It’s just this simple/complex: giving and receiving love.

by Tyler Krumland

           Hi, my name is Tyler Krumland. I am the oldest of three boys, born and raised in Washington. I love being in the woods, photography, coffee, deep conversation, and my relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing to me. Growing up I was typically seen smiling, having fun, enjoying every experience in life but deep down I was carrying a pain deeper than anyone really knew. My smile masked years of self-hatred, pain, sadness, and hopelessness. For years I kept the source of the pain secret but I’m done hiding, it’s time to be brave and that’s what this blog is an attempt at. You see the thing is I am a paradox. I am a Christian but I also happen to be gay.

by Jane Tallman 

I remember the exact day and place that I got my first period.  I was 11 years old, it was Father's Day, and I was with my family at Kentucky Fried Chicken.  My family was not chatty about the physical changes inherent in adolescence, but my mom had prepared me for this.  She desperately tried to be subtle as she handed me a pad, hushing my loud exclamations over its complex inner workings.  I remember being surprised, wondering why silence mattered in a girls-only restroom.