CLGS

Yes, that’s a typo. But it’s intentional. The verse from Proverbs should read, “Without vision, the people perish” (29:18). As I was typing up some lecture notes for the “queer religious leadership” class I’m teaching this semester at PSR, I typed out that verse, but with the typo – “parish.” It was a perfect Freudian slip. It also worked really well to make the point I wanted to stress that day in class.

“Queer” is, of course, a highly charged word and with more than a little controversy swirling around its usage. I use it my classes to try to inspire a way of thinking theologically and of doing ministry “outside of the box,” a way of being Christian that doesn’t “fit” with standard expectations and moves well beyond questions of inclusion and acceptance for LGBT people. Reclaiming “queer” is a way to notice the insights and gifts of one’s “outsider” status that everyone on the “inside” actually needs. In that sense, the Christian Gospel seems very queer to me indeed.

The tight bond between Christianity and mainstream western society has derailed Christian ministry for far too long. The exclusion of LGBT people from so many faith communities is just one symptom among many of that larger problem. Queerly enough, the insights, sensibilities, and experiences of many LGBT-identified people offer exactly what Christian faith communities need to invigorate their witness and ministry in the world. Not just for the sake of welcoming and including LGBT people but for energizing a fresh vision of Christian witness for the whole community.

That’s why that typo in my lecture notes worked so well. Yes, without vision, people do perish; sadly, many find themselves in a parish, without any vision. Religious leaders of any kind will also “perish” without a vision to sustain their vocation, just as President George H. W. Bush lamented his own inability to get the “vision thing.” Just keeping up with the day-to-day tasks of a faith community can quickly plunge a religious leader into “maintenance mode.” But maintaining a community is not the same thing as leading one. Religious leaders and faith communities alike will thrive only when fueled by a compelling vision. But what kind of vision is it?

Welcoming the once-excluded will always change a community. Maintaining the status quo – even if it feels comfortable – will not create a welcoming and affirming environment. This is true across the spectrum, for racial/ethnic diversity, socio-economic diversity, cultural and linguistic diversity, and of course for sexual and gender diversity. New postures of inclusion will always change the status quo. Always.

I’m excited to be offering an intensive course on LGBT experience and constructive theology next month in Portland, Oregon, where we’ll address these key questions of communal welcome and change directly. This course is part of a pilot project CLGS began in Tampa, Florida, last summer, which we’re now expanding to Portland. We’re hoping to create satellite locations for academic coursework off the PSR campus that can help to inspire the “vision” all of us need for our faithful witness in the world. (Feel free to email me for more information about this course: jjohnson[at]clgs[dot]org.)

This pilot project is just one among many examples of how CLGS is working hard every day to fuel new and compelling visions for lively religious faith today. CLGS is doing this with its Racial/Ethnic Roundtable Project, the Bay Area Coalition of Welcoming Congregations, and the development of congregational curricular resources, to name just a few of our efforts. I’m happy to say, these programs and projects are working. We hear from individuals, communities, organizations, and congregations all the time who are eager for the work we do precisely because it fuels our collective vision. But we need help. CLGS cannot do this alone. The demand for what CLGS does far exceeds our staff and financial capacity.

Yes, without vision, people perish. Just as important, without financial help, the vision will whither on the vine. It’s as simple and as urgent as that. Like every other non-profit organization, CLGS is feeling the tight squeeze of today’s economic troubles. Everyone is tightening the money belt, including foundations, whose portfolios have been hard hit. Quite frankly, I don’t usually like asking for money; who does? But I am more than happy to ask for money for CLGS. I’ve seen what this Center does and it is quite literally transforming and even life-saving. Every single dollar contributed makes a difference.

That’s why I don’t just work for CLGS; I’m also a financial contributor. Please join me. No gift is too small – really. From congregations in Florida to Oregon, and from the halls of activist organizations to classrooms at PSR, CLGS makes a difference. I hear this every day. CLGS is fanning the fires of a compelling and life-changing vision. Please consider helping us fan that fire into a bright beacon, a vision of what people of faith can do to change the world. Make a contribution today.