The World's Okayest Pastor

What follows below is a paper I wrote for a worship class on weddings from 2008. I'm happy to say that civil unions (same sex marriage) is now legal in 19 states, the federal government has agreed to recognize all civil unions and DOMA laws are now being legal challenged in all of the states that have not allowed same sex marriage.            As one stands in line at the grocery check out line, you will find at least one magazine devoted to marriage, specifically brides. There’s usually a picture of the happy bride, sometimes with the groom, with headlines such as how to have a grand wedding for only a grand and so on. Young children are encouraged to play out fantasies about getting married with dolls [1] . Marriage in the United States has become a vast marketing opportunity, which is a multi-million dollar a year industry. The Church has to rethink what is appropriate. The American Church has to find ways to bridge the function of the state and t...

The armor we choose to surround ourselves in is different for every person. It's there for reasons that are personal and sometimes deeply rooted. Some choose to only wear certain types of clothes. I know members of clergy that are so attached to their robes and collared shirts that you wonder if they sleep in them too.  Others hide behind a certain thing: their hair, their glasses, that certain makeup product, their title - you've met that person that's always their title then name. My armor is my size. I make it literally difficult for people to get close to me because I choose to maintain the size I am. Now I will never be a size 0, however, the size I am is an unhealthy armor. It keeps people from truly getting to know me. It's there as a bad coping skill - feel something and eat. When I don't fill my life with good it's pretty easy to fill myself with food in a vain attempt to feel something or to patch the cracks in my life. In all honesty this armor is p...

If you know me and/or are observant you'll notice that I have tattoos. I have 4 to be exact and I'll probably get at least 1 more in my life time. The latest 1 I put on my left wrist. The other 3 or on different places on my back. I got them in places that are easily covered and not really out for people to see. I wanted to get them so I did but I was concerned that having a visible tattoo would not be well received by people in the church. All of my tattoos are religious symbols so it's not like I'm showing off something that would be inappropriate. However, I felt that stigma of trying to live up to what other people wanted a pastor to be. But this last tattoo has been interesting. 1) not as many people have even noticed it. 2) Another clergy person decided that it was their job to give me a lecture on the fact that my tattoo was not a Christian symbol. The first reaction has helped me realize that not as many people care as I thought. I think there's a shift in t...