The American Prayer Hour -- My Words At PSR

I'm speaking later this morning at the American Prayer Hour on the Pacific School of Religion's (PSR) campus. I'm so glad I could be part of this response to the National Prayer Breakfast, a gathering of religious right leaders, some of whom are behind the appalling anti-gay bill pending in Uganda.

I'm praying that the President will speak out for GLBT people when he addresses them.

Here's part of what I'm going to say in my homily this morning.

"The Family calls Jesus their strong man...but I don't understand how they identify with him at all. To use their own framework for Uganda, I would ask, WWJD? What would Jesus do?

And the gospel teaching is simply. HE WOULD LOVE THEM. HE WOULD WELCOME THEM. HE WOULD ASK THESE SO-CALLED RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO TAKE THE LOG OUT OF THEIR OWN EYE AND NOT CAST THE FIRST STONE. He would remind them that the second greatest commandment is LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. And that we are all neighbors.

He would tell them, SIN NO MORE. And that the sin is not homosexuality or transgender identity. The SIN is Heterosexism. The Sin is Homophobia. Transphobia. The SIN is when any of us -- LGBTQQI and Straight -- ANY OF US are asked to deny our God given gift of sexuality and our right to make responsible sexual choices and decisions.

I hope you'll join in one of these prayer hours across the country or join in prayer for all those oppressed because of who they are in the world. And then I hope you'll ACT.

May our hearts and prayers move us to deeds and actions to create a world where all of us can celebrate our sexuality and our sexual diversity with holiness and integrity.

Amen.