Epistle Emails, continued
January 2008
A good thing.
I came upon your site while researching a project, and I have to say that I think that what you are doing is a really great thing. I myself may not be homosexual, but I have always believed in their rights. Too often have I seen them ridiculed and belittled by my family and classmates. Please continue your work, and God bless you.
Jeremy
January 2008
I
recently stumbled across your website in my attempt to search for answers
to the "gay" question. I have been attracted to women for as long
as I can remember and also a follower and lover of Christ. However the whole
gay thing has caused me to stumble and turn away all too many times because
I did not "fit in" to the acceptable lifestyle of the church. I
have tried to reason in my mind that if I follow Christ long enough and love
god enough that eventually he will transform me and I can lead a "normal"
life. Needless to say I have never gotten very far as the idea of being with
a man forever I can not imagine. I have always felt personally that as hetero
if the relationship is built on love, trust, committment, etc that it is blessed.
That when it is based on promiscuity, and perversion and merely for the fullfilling
of the flesh that is is ungodly. Yet these verses in the bible have continued
to scream at me and accuse me. This has caused me and my partner so much conflict
as she is a recovering Jehovas witness and struggling right now as well. I
was very impressed with your interpretation of the original hebrew meaning
and would like to know more of how you came to these conclusions about the
meaning. What were your refrences to the original text and then the interpretation?
If there is one thing I have learned as I have aged its to seek and look beyond
face value. I believe that there is much room for mans influence on bible
from both directions and that the modern translation is not without a need
for a deeper look. The Ruth and Naomi and Jonathan
/David stories are compelling arguments and I have never before examined
these stories before in such a way. Please tell me more about your interpretation
and also if you can direct me to someone in my area whom I can do further
study with on these matters. I reside in St Petersburg Fl and also am in the
Atlanta area often as well to visit the woman I love. I would like to find
a place or someone there as well that we both can talk to when I go back in
march to visit her.
Sincerely
Angela
April 2008
I would really like to commend you on what you've done so far, and I must say I was very surprised to see such a wealth of information. The only complaint I have is the website layout it self. It is not user friendly. The letters are very large. Please, no offense it just doesn't look very professional.
Sozo
November 2008
Thank You
I
love this site and its firm stance for faith in Christ for gay
people. Seems lacking in many other open and affirming settings.
God bless you,
Eric
November 2008
The Epistle - Thank You!
Hi Edrick,
I came to The Epistle via a comment by Glenn on my blog, Straight-Friendly. Although I've yet to really dig down into its content, the beauty and clarity of its spirit are already apparent in what I've read.
God bless you for this fine work; I know you'll be rewarded.
I'd like to link The Epistle on Straight-Friendly, if that's okay with you. And I invite you give S-F a look as well to see if it's something you think your readers might also enjoy. If so, feel free to link it on The Epistle as well.
There's so much ground to cover--so much misinformed, damaging teaching to undo--that it's going to take all of us working together to get it done. It's an honor to discover you working beside me in this effort!
Be
blessed,
Tim
December 2008
Thank you my beloved brothers and sisters
To
all of you have listened to Father's call to be a part of this web community....thank
you. Thank you for listening to His voice in guiding you in His plan....I
am so glad for all the souls that your web site has helped and for those who
will continue to be lifted to a higher place....called His awesome grace.
You will be in my thoughts and prayers as you continue on His path. Continue
to take moments of quiet reflection....for this is where you will find Him...it
is the place where His heart will meet yours....it has now become your passion.
Listen to Him and remember He may come as a gentle whisper, that is often
muffled by this world's speak. Continue to seek Him will all your hearts....and
may the fruit of your labor be plentiful.
Peace, Love and Abundant Joy
Larry
December 2008
Thanks
to Rev Noel for the article 'Be
on your guard' which I found very helpful. May sound simple but no-one
ever explained why we had to 'stay awake' or 'watch' and it has been a problem
to me for a long time.
So as not to be too anonymous as it were I would explain that I am an Anglican
in Gloucestershire UK.
Peter Brown
December 2008
I
wanted to add my voice to the many others and say "Thank you!" for
your website. The resources you provide are educational, inspirational, and
compelling.
Again, thanks!
Mark
January 2009
Grace
and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus.
I'm so glad to have found your site. As a very straight evangelical Christian
I've wrestled for years with the attitudes of the conservative Church toward
gay people. I read, researched, prayed, reflected. Just after I decided that
there's no way that gay people - as gay people - are outside God's grace,
I find your site! I'm so glad to know that you all are "a part of the
family of God."
In Jesus' love,
- Chad
January 2009
Hi,
I'm not GLB or T, but I truly enjoyed the "Really
Trusting God" article. I believe Edrick wrote it. Anyway, he really
said it all, and made my day so much better. I had been letting far too many
things around me really get to me. I feel good in knowing that where ever
I am in life, is where God wants me to be so I might grow in spirit. In some
ways, I had really given up on him and myself, especially where my job was
concerned. Not today! It was nice. Most of my negative thinking was gone,
and I actually enjoyed it for a change. I thank God for leading me to your
site, and for the power of its words!
Thanks,
Ed
February 2009
Epistle.us - I love your site!
As
a gay Christian I was uplifted and encouraged by your wonderful website. There
is so much negativity against gay people on the internet, much of it from
so-called "Christian" sites.
Your site gives me hope that one day, gay people will be welcomed into the
Christian family by all denominations. Until then, God Bless you and keep
up the good work.
Kieran
Newfoundland, Canada
April 2009
Hi
What a great website...one of my favourite. It has lots for Christian gays.
Thank you. Please keep it up. So many of us need this. God bless your ministry
and your hard work for Him. A huge thank you all the way from Canada.
C.B.
July 2009
Folks at the Epistle,
I
just wanted to tell you what a wonderful experience I had reading through
your site. I happened upon it while doing some research for a sermon on prayer,
and ended up spending most of the night reading through various articles.
All I read was very informative, insightful, and centered on the love of God
in a way that resonated incredibly strongly with how I have experienced God's
desire for the Kingdom to be. The dynamic of being focused on God's work in
the GLBT community was also very timely, as my church (the ELCA) is currently
struggling hard with the issue on multiple levels. What I experienced here
reinforced my conviction that God's calling is not limited to those of us
in the straight community - I hope and pray that one day soon the Church will
follow in the footsteps of our early brothers and sisters who, as recorded
in Acts 15, realized that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Gentiles
was all the evidence they needed to fully accept them as fellow workers in
the Kingdom.
Thanks to you all, and may God continue to grow and prosper the work you are
doing for the Gospel. You are an inspiration to me, and your message of God's
revolutionary love is sorely needed in our world.
Jeremiah
ELCA seminarian
September 2009
thank you
hello,
i came across your site while trying to find stories to answered prayers.
as i write this email to you i am in a very difficult financial situation
and my faith is running low. Your site gives me such hope. I am hetro/christian,
and that is difficult in and of itself. Loving God/Christ, and being gay,
must be very taxing on your faith, seeing not many in our own faith embrace
the gay community. I live in a neighborhood with many gay male couples. i
love them and wouldn't trade them for the world. I think it is wonderful that
the people on this site stand up for loving God/Christ. May he bless all that
you do.
dawn
October 2009
Thoughts
Hello from Mexico!!
I just wanted to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for the effort
put on your website and the research and time spent. I cannot begin to explain
how refreshing it all felt to me, how hopeful it made me feel and helped me
to accept myself and be at peace with my feelings. It actually gave me courage
to come out to one of my friends... well, I still fear the reaction from my
parents (especially my mother who is a devout christian and views homosexuality
as an abomination) but at least I know I'm not alone in this and I can live
a moral, respectful and normal life regardless of my sexual orientation. I
cannot explain the impact your site had on me so I can only thank you again
and hope your work reach and touch as many people.
Rafael
October 2009
Lost and Found
Greetings,
How is it that I have just now found your site? How lost I have been. Thank
you for your very interesting and informative articles.
I attend and I am a member of St, John's Episcopal Cathedral in Jacksonville,
FL. I also frequent a website named TOPIX. I will be using the articles from
here to enlighten some folks.
Many thanks,
Selecia
November 2009
"A Letter to Christians Who Don’t Like Us."
Hello,
First
I would like to say that I am not religious, but I am a bisexual
- probably best to get that out in the open first.
I was browsing for information on an essay I am writing and happened
across your article, "A
Letter to Christians Who Don’t Like Us.";
while I myself am not religious, I would like to say I found the
article very inspiring and uplifting, as writings of these sorts are
very heartening to me, and I'm sure others like me.
So, I would like to express gratitude for the efforts your community
is putting in for GLBT in general and as a whole, and encourage you to
continue your work =)
Here's hoping for a bright future for all of us,
Oliver
December 2009
I
stumbled across your web site reading about a
broken foot...how strange.
Anyway, I am 57, straight, married 36 years...and I just wanted to tell you
that I admire you for this web site.
God Bless You
February 2010
Outsider for Decades
For years, I was a devout Christian and a strong believer - until I realized I was "one of them thangs" so many Christians were blasting to hell and back, using the "Bible As A Weapon Of Mass Damnation". I had written a beautiful Christian rock opera, praising Jesus and His salvation, only to shelve it permanently and forget it for decades. With all the right-wing fundamentalist hatred and poison spewing from the pulpits and on television, along with other news media and Christians marching against LGBT human rights and equality, it's no wonder I dropped the whole "Christian thing". My faith which had once been so strong quickly dissolved as I saw more and more venom flowing against us.
Yours is a bold new approach to Christianity. I really want to believe and feel loved by God and by Christ, but all those anti-gay scriptures being hurled at us makes me really wonder if maybe they could be right. You do seem to have some very strong points, which I hope are correct.
I'm a Viet Nam veteran, a 9/11 Survivor and a Lover/Partner with the same wonderful man for over thirty years. I did not choose to be gay, any more than I choose to breathe. Who wants the entire Christian right-wing down your throat, the Federal Government and the lawmakers denying and blocking any and all rights towards equality? Who in his or her right mind would? It's like begging for punishment and rejection big time.
Maybe you can help me find my way back into the "fold". I've been away for decades already, feeling like an outsider to God's grace and forgiveness. I might even consider re-writing my musical to be about LGBT who are actually loved and accepted by God, with your help. I simply don't understand how people can turn something so wonderful into something so hurtful, ugly and painful for us. But, if you think about it, there are several scriptures about judging others and hurting people. I have a saying which you can use, "While you're pointing the finger of blame at me, remember - aimed right back at you are three!"
July 2010
I would like to make a short comment on one point in your article, "The Real Reason Straight Americans Can’t Accept Gay Americans."
The author of the article stated, "There is a subliminal and subtle prejudice of anything feminine. Of course the hatred for transgender folks is even worse. Men who appear as women are looked on with laughter and ridicule, yet women who look like men are not even noticed. Women with short hair, flat shoes, slacks...are practical. Less feminine is good, more masculine is better."
I have suffered ridicule from a number of people over the years because I am a large female. I am muscular because I was raised on a farm and did a quite a bit of hard, "masculine" type work. When I was younger, some of my favorite attire was blue jeans and t-shirts. I had short hair, and was something of a tom-boy type. Other girls at school had boyfriends; I did not. At summer retreats, most of the girls were paired up with their boyfriend for the week. Not me! I was one of the oddballs. Because of some of these things, boys or men and some others would say, "She must be lesbian." One man even referred to me as an "Amazon bitch."
Perhaps some more masculine looking women are more accepted now than this used to be in the past. Yet I think there is still stigma there with a number of people. However, I think you have made some accurate observations about the attitudes of some men in your article.
August 2010
"Cookie Cutter Christians"
Isn't it a shame and a crime that so many so-called Christians (Right-wing Fundamentalists) seem to need someone to hate and we're it.
What harsh judgements and sentencing they carry out on us. What a waste of energy and time, but most of all, alienating us and pushing us outside the church. It would be so great if they could channel all that negative energy into positive and create a world in which we could all prosper, but nothing doing. If the so-called "family structure" is crumbing, it is entirely from within and with no help from the gay community.
Instead of inclusion, theirs is a gospel of exclusion and punishment for anyone of anything that differs from their concept of "normal."
Last but certainly not the least of it is that sexual orientation is not a choice, but religion and intolerance are. So are love and acceptance. Until these self-righteous prophets of doom realize we are all God's children and created by Him and by His will, we will continue to be on the fringes of society. Sorry, but we can't all be "Straight, Cookie-Cutter Christians" !!!
James
September 2010
I stumbled across your site looking for some sermon inspiration.... I want to tell you that I love what you say. I am a straight, married mother of two kids and not all Christians don't like gay people. God is so much bigger than we can imagine and we try to box him in and I am tired of this. We cannot know his mind. We cannot know what other people have to live through. We (including me) should just aim to get ourselves into His presence and listen to him and I think that many Christians will be very surprised at what they hear.
Bless you whoever you are who does this site and all who come into a closer relationship with Christ via your website.
Much love in Christ
Barbara Falkiner (France)
October 2010
Dear sir or madam,
As I write this message, I have to often backspace and correct because of the tears streaming from my eyes. All I have to say is that your site is inspirational, especially with such contributers as Mr. John Allen, who wrote a poignant letter to his friends and family about losing his life partner who was a woman, although he was by nature a gay man. He gave such insight and was so honest about the sacrifices he made that for that relationship; for love. You see, I have been in a relationship with a man who I know is gay for over 5 years now...he won't admit it, but nonetheless, he is. Mr. Allen answered for me the question that has been burning in my mind for years: WHY? The answer is: because love knows no bounds. If it weren't for this "chance" occurance, I never would have stumbled across his article, and found the solice I so desperately needed(and by chance, I mean God's will). Please thank him for me, and God Bless.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
January 2011
Dear all,
I have recently re-discovered, with delight, the website and have to note that at nearly 56 years of age and having accepted Christ in 1977, I still find myself, at times, in a tenuous spot with my faith re: my orientation. Rediscovering, this evening, Bruce Gerig's "The Clobber Passages: Reexamined," I am shedding a few light but heartfelt tears as it seems to me like returning to a reassuring friend, telling me, "Hey...did you forget about this? And what about that...look...read..."
I cannot put into words how much it means to feel some rejuvenation and a spark of optimism again...and mostly, a sense that my being a Gay man who had one of those (too common) horribly and nearly tragic childhoods and young adult lives dealing with the gap I perceived between me and God--though bridged by Christ's forgiveness--the world and the church made that bridge and that forgiveness seem conditional and anything but love.
Yet, there are times, finally, when I realize that the very struggle was a gift that God used to call me to Him in a way that I might have not heard otherwise. I oft times think had I been heterosexual, and given my stubborn character, I might not have felt the need for a savior so profoundly. I might not have sensed the distance from God, if the trappings of my life suggested otherwise. Meaning, I may have been jaded by my own intellect and advantages and never have known what it was like to need to beg, as I did on 10/17/77, "oh, please come in!" Never sensing, as I did, how outside of my heart Jesus was.
"Clobber" is right....so many times, though I count myself fortunate and happy, there has been a cloud over me...a reluctance to draw close to Him because of what I preferred not to think about. The clobbering has often been unconscious and background, but definitely there. It makes me wonder about how many LGBT Christians who are outside of true fellowship with Christ because of the same sense of dissonance and condemnation. I know I struggle with so many things in my life simply because I have trouble maintaining that close fellowship or finding a church home in which I can find--and be--the support that is needed by everyone.
So...thank-you for bumping up the lights and reminding me of things I needed to be reminded of. Perhaps I can pass on that light in my own way a bit better, now.
God bless you and thank-you for not just what you have done for me this evening, but for what you do for so many.
Paul
Owosso, Michigan
March 2011
I googled the words "too afraid of God to love Him" and was brought to your article "Afraid of God" written by Edrick. I am not a GLBT Christian, but I have been afraid of God since I was 9 years old when I was told that God was sending me to Hell because I wasn't a Christian. I have spent a lifetime doing all the things that were said in that article, trying to figure out how God could hate a 9 year old girl so much. I am sure its going to take more than one article to change the fear I have but I was encouraged by this article. Perhaps I can find a way to truly love Jesus as my savior. I plan on reading through more articles on your website.
Sincerely,
Debbie
June 2011
Hi there,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note after I visited your page. This is probably way out of left field, but I am the proud mother of my wonderful gay son. He is the light in my life and a total inspiration to me. When he first came out to my husband and me, I was never ashamed of him, but I was torn between the love of my son and my Christian faith. I was lucky enough to meet someone who was able to help guide me in finding an affirming church where my whole family could worship and feel accepted. We also participate in a group that meets once a month to support each other and our gay loved ones in our spiritual journeys. I ran across your page while trying to find some helpful resources and reading for a new member in our group. It's so great that there are people on the net that are trying to pass along actual educational info instead of the usual useless drivel and ignorance that one finds on the net hahaha :-)
Gen
February 2012
I am a non-religious lesbian woman/ single mother with 1 daughter. I really enjoyed the article written in 2006 speaking about why america hates gays. I wish they would post at least an excerpt of that essay onto billboards in all major cities to spread the knowledge you throughly researched. I commend your work. I am not a religious woman at all, but I do believe in a higher power, I feel that there are too many religions to just settle and follow one.. so I am better off not joining any. But I dont hate anyone because they are atheist. That is their choice. Why would I feel compelled to be upset at a choice you made? Some people are just so narrow-minded, I admire whomever wrote that article and I send much appreciation for what was said. Live your life happily and freely. One love.
February 2012
I really like your website. I am a bisexual woman.
I would like prayer for me. I suffer greatly from anxiety
related to past abuse issues. Please do not use my name.
I feel in many ways I am at a breaking point, and am angry
that I have suffered so greatly while so many have not. So many
turned their backs on me and kept themselves safe and warm
while I suffered. I have tremendous anger at people and sometimes
at God, too.
Thank you for listening.
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