A Foot Massage and Cuddles

A Foot Massage and Cuddles

The Gospel tells us Jesus had a foot massage from a sinful woman and routine cuddles from his beloved.

That’s part of the Gospel message that has had its true meaning suppressed. We need teachers, preachers, ministers, priests (men and women priests) who will preach the full truth.

Year of Prayer for Priests

Today I announce the “Year of Prayer for Priests” in the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit, Philippines, the Diocese of which I have been appointed bishop. It will be a year of prayer for vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese – holy priests who will teach LGBT people in the Philippines that love, massages, cuddles are God’s gift to us all, and that happiness, holiness, and liberation from moral slavery is God’s will for all.

You are reading this because you have the potential to be a priest. As you read these semi auto biographical descriptions of how many LGBT persons are being harmed, ask yourself, or pray, am I called to be part of the solution.

I came here in 1991 to be part of the solution. I can’t be the solution alone. Even three hardworking pastors in MCC Manila, MCC Quezon City, and MCC Baguio can’t solve the situation for 9 million LGBT people of the Philippines. We need more MCC’s. We need more zealous ministers to preach the full truth of the Gospel.

The Foot Massage Gospel reading

Today’s Gospel reading is one of my favorites. Jesus got a wonderful foot massage from a sinful woman.
Luke 7:36-50

36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with Him, so He went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is-that she is a sinner."
40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Now isn’t that interesting? How do the people handle this -- the people who want to take Jesus up into some angelic bodiless state, completely free of any bodily pleasures. These were the same people who screamed bloody murder when famous theologians first taught that Jesus had a penis.

Imagine Jesus without a penis. What would be there? For God’s sake, it was God’s idea for Jesus to be a human, an “incarnation” of God, a “coming of God in the flesh.” Stupid as it is, for a half second try to imagine Jesus without a penis. It baffles the imagination. Not a hermaphrodite, not a male, not a female. What?

Of course, Jesus was fully human. He enjoyed a foot massage from a sinful woman.

Why did the Son of God need, want, or tolerate a FOOT MASSAGE? Why did he accept it from a sinful woman? Why in the world was he associating with a sinful woman? Did he hear the sneers of the Pharisees, “if he were a prophet, he would know” that this woman is a sinful woman – and should not even be in his presence. He did know. And that’s the way he was. He was fully human and he did not sneer at the sinful woman. He accepted her love and loved her in return.

Cuddle?

Did they cuddle? No, there is no account of that. She kissed his feet, but he had his cuddles with somebody else, his best friend, his beloved. Haha, you think I am writing another Da Vinci Code, and taking the fictional limelight off Mary Magdalene. No, again. I am not making up any fictional story. I am referring to something that was mentioned eight times in the Gospel, non fiction, the Gospel itself.

Eight times the Gospel refers to the “one whom Jesus loved,” the beloved disciple, the one who was allowed to lie with his head on Jesus’ chest. Now, I did not make that up. It’s the Gospel, and it sounds a lot like cuddling to me – the one who was allowed to lie with his head on the heart of Jesus.

So Jesus enjoyed a foot massage from a sinful woman and cuddles from his beloved disciple. What does that tell us about Jesus? Just that. We should not “over-interpret” it. It means that Jesus enjoyed a foot massage from a sinful woman and cuddles from the one whom he loved. And it means he was very human just like we are. And, guess what? It means it is ok to be human, to have a body, to have bodily pleasure.

Look at the other account about “Jesus and feet.”

John 13:1-17 (New International Version)

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.[a]
2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Jesus not only received a foot massage, but again showed his humanity and humility when at the Last Supper he washed one by one the feet of his 12 apostles. The significance of this is not lost. In human relationships there is a moment for receiving and a moment for giving, for love and service received and love and service given.

He graciously received the sinful woman’s love, forgave her sins and assured her she was saved. He put aside all godly attributes and showed his love to the Apostles by washing their feet.

St. Aelred and Human Divine Love

In Mirror of Love St. Aelred gives us the sublime description of a true Friend – one who gives us the great joy and consolation of affection. In short form some of the characteristics of a True Friend as described by St. Aelred are the following: One with whom I am deeply united in the bonds of love, with whom my weary spirit can find rest, to whom I may pour out my heart, whose conversation is as sweet as a song, whose presence is a harbor of calm, to whom I can lay bare all my secrets, whose spirit will give me the comforting kiss that heals all the sickness of my troubled heart, who will cry with me and rejoice with me, to whom I can turn for advice, who is so closely bound to my heart and soul that even when far away is together with me in spirit, with our souls embraced in absolute peace, our hearts united in oneness and the closet ties of love.

He gave this wonderful man to man true friend description to the 500 monks in his monastery. Notice the very bodily, very human, images in many of the lines. And then he asked, “Does it seem strange that one man should love another man in this manner? Let the love of Jesus for his beloved disciple be your model.”

Human Love is not Bodiless

So what is the point? There are those who would teach us that the further away we get from the body and human pleasure, the closer we get to Jesus. Jesus never ran from his body. Why should we believe that He Who became fully human expects us to become less human, bodiless like angels?

Why do we expend so much effort in the Center for the Study of Spirituality and Sexuality discussing, explaining, promoting “the integration of spirituality and sexuality.” Why do we teach seminars and cyber seminars on the subject? Why do we have full fledged study courses on the subject?

Well, if spirituality has anything to do with trying to be like Jesus, you have the answer. Those who pray and receive Holy Communion, and recognize God as the Leader and Light of their life can also be like Jesus who enjoyed a foot massage from a sinful woman and cuddles from his beloved. That’s a first step toward unifying (integrating, bringing together) spirituality and sexuality.

When people come to me for help with their same-sex wedding, I make sure they know that God loves them just the way they are. Jesus throughout his life story in the four Gospels never ever showed prejudice. But he sure showed a lot of love and compassion for people that other people were prejudiced against, for example the sinful woman in the Gospel story we talked about. Love and compassion was deeply ingrained in his spirituality. It can well be part of who we are, too.

The Wondeministry of MCCrful affirming
Last year I saw the following fine description of MCC ministry. I don’t know where I found it, but it does a good job of describing Jesus.

Gay-friendly Church Asks
'Would Jesus Discriminate?'

A liberal church movement has launched a new campaign designed to ask people whether Jesus would discriminate against others.

The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), which has congregations in more than 20 countries, is strongly committed to gay rights and supports same-sex marriage.

Five of its churches in Texas have produced two posters, each claiming that stories in the Bible showed Jesus did not disapprove of homosexuality.
MCC claims that verses in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 refer to a centurion who is gay, saying the word used to describe his sick servant - pais - is an ancient Greek word for same-sex partner. In the story, Jesus cured the man, which, according to MCC, shows he did not discriminate against gays.

Another verse, Acts 8:26-40, sees Philip baptizing a eunuch. MCC claims it is obvious the eunuch is gay.

A statement on the church's website says: "Throughout the history of Christianity, many religious institutions have used their interpretation of the Bible to justify discrimination against women, ethnic minorities, and people with a different sexual orientation and/or identity issues.

"People of faith probably would not imagine that Jesus would discriminate, but no one has previously asked the question. Many still maintain discriminatory beliefs, not because they think it is right, but because they have never actually examined their own beliefs closely.

"This campaign asks the question and initiates the dialogue around the question: 'Would Jesus discriminate?' Our viewpoint is that discrimination was not a part of Jesus' message, nor is it part of the best of any Christian church's ministry. This campaign seeks to educate people through active dialogue and friendly discussion."




The Caring, Affirming Ministry of Bishop Burch in CDOS

Bishop James Burch of the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit, in his Seminar for Pastors, present the gruesome picture of God as God is sometimes represented by churches. Then he wonderfully describes God as God really is:

“A God who is the one that Jesus tells us about, who IS love, and who expresses God’s own Self as everything that we see and know to exist, and every human person. This God is the power that set all of the universe – God’s expression – into existence about 13.7 billion years ago, and consciously keeps it in existence at every moment of every day. This God IS love and so every expression of this God IS love. We all live within a mammoth bubble of love.

“But in this bubble which is all-love, we human beings have the great gift of free will, the wonderful gift of choice … all so that we can experience our way back to who we are. Never let go by God’s loving presence, we are, nevertheless, able to distance ourselves a little or a lot from the Wholeness of God, and for a little while or for a long while. We know that we are capable of experiencing this Wholeness of God, because we have both tasted it ourselves, and we have recognized it as completely matured in Jesus, who told us that we are just like him in nature, and will one day be just like him in experience.”

There is nonsense all around us. When it was suggested that a highly respected, popular gay man, television personality Boy Abunda, might be appointed to new President Aquino’s cabinet, these same, anti-foot massage, anti-cuddling, anti-gay people screamed bloody murder, “He’s a homosexual; he’s only a homosexual.” And, we triumphantly add, a very accomplished and successful gay man.

The injustice of society and the churches is so blatant that the By Laws of the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit explicitly condemn discrimination against LGBT people and women. “Anti-Discrimination / Loving Acceptance for ALL God’s people. Gays and lesbians are especially demonized by much of society, as anti-Christian as any practice could be. Many of our members are leaders against such human abuse. Helping women to reach innate equality in society and church is fundamental justice.”
Statement in CDOS By Laws
Bishop Burch issued a pastoral letter directly addressing justice to LGBT people. “PASTORAL LETTER
HOMOSEXUALITY
The Catholic Diocese of One Spirit
November 15, 2006
(Reissued several times in ensuing years)

(This is one in a series of pastoral letters put out by the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit. There is no obligation on the part of ordained members or others who feel themselves a part of this diocese to believe all that is written here, or in the way that it is written. This is offered by the current Coordinating Bishop of this diocese as a validly alternative Catholic Christian viewpoint, which readers may use to philosophically engage this topic.)


“Of all the arguments throughout the centuries, pro and con, regarding homosexuality, this topic is actually illuminated by one quick insight, a singular truth. So this pastoral letter is short, in order to not confuse the essential reality with scattered arguments.

“The life and teachings of Jesus was about loving and accepting all people. Jesus said not one word about homosexuality, and very little about sexual matters at all. To say the least, this was not his preoccupation. What he certainly did, however, was to bring a New Message of love, a radical turning on its head of the judgmentalism of the past, into a recognition of Divinity Within and of God's equal and unequivocal love for every human being.

“The Roman Catholic Bishops of the United States, meeting a couple of years ago in Baltimore, freshly condemned homosexuality all over again, saying that it is "objectively disordered," "not [in] accord with the natural purpose of sexuality" (as though that were evident on its face), and that homosexual acts are "sinful" and "never morally acceptable." These are the same group of men who continue to tell women the details of regulating their feminine bodies. This group of overwhelmingly elderly men, who are supposed to have no contact with sexuality, also tell homosexuals that their way of life "do[es] not lead to true human happiness."

“How sad. There is another Catholic way, a "truer" Catholic way.

“God is love, according to the most fundamental teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, and so, to feel love is to experience God. Sometimes the feeling of love can be light and fleeting, sometimes passionate, sometimes rapturously consuming. But always, in some way or another, it is the experience of God, who is love. This is, then, the end of the debate about whether such experience comes from God, and whether or not God loves homosexuals and accepts their loving style. The God who gives love, loves its recipients.

“God is not much more interested in genitalia than in earlobes or elbows. God gives all things as tools for us to use to become more loving people. God is concerned with the direction of our hearts. God loves every one of us, each on our unique journey of experiencing the Divinity which infuses us with life and purpose.”


James H. Burch
Coordinating Bishop
The Catholic Diocese of One Spirit
www.OneSpiritCatholic.org
Jim@ContemporaryCatholic.org

People are Listening to Common Sense these days

I am pleased, actually thrilled, that so many people are “figuring it out” these days. Unfortunately they are not getting help from the pulpit, and probably not in the confessional. And, to tell the truth, people who have been told that God hates their sexuality (them) over and over again eventually reach the point where they feel they have heard it enough, and skip the visit to the “condemnation box.”

For years and years I was overcome with guilt every time the force of nature (hormones) brought me to the point of (almost involuntary) masturbation. The shame was overwhelming. I carried that guilt and shame till after I was forty. And then a good and wise priest helped me understand that God is not like that. God is not watching my every move to zap me into hell if I feel the pleasure of the release of nature’s own power. I can be God’s friend even if it happens.

But it took me a long time to get going in that direction. I was in my forties when I discovered it was true that I was attracted to other men (same-sex attraction). I had just learned to cope with masturbation. Now this.

That same priest who helped me deal with the biological-physiological fact of masturbation not too long after that, helped me to know that I still had the same loving, non-condemning God if I had loving attraction to and sexual pleasure with another man. What a relief!

But in my case I was not instantly cured of the effects of the guilt and shame that I suffered for so many years. It took help to realize that massages (even with happy endings) and cuddles (even with orgasm) did not make me hated by God.

It took me awhile; with the help of that good priest and my idol, Rev. Troy Perry, the founder of the gay and lesbian affirming Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in 1968, nine months before the Stonewall riots of 1969. No one person, no one institution has done more since that time to liberate LGBT people from the chains of sex negative theology. The autobiography of Rev. Perry and my close personal work and association with him (as a co-minister and friend) was a major influence in my life.

And then, much later, there were my friends, Father Norman Pittenger and Fr. John McNeill and many others. In fact it was a long while until I reached the point of not only knowing what God is really like, but also being able to help others reach that point.

We need more priests to help with that work. There are 9 million LGBT in the country’s front ranks. And so few priests and ministers who can help them know that God loves them as they are. “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

IS There Sin? What is Sinful?

Of course, it was tempting to begin to think that nothing was sin. I made many mistakes, sins, before I got the point of sorting it all out: some things are sin, and some things are not sin. I thought masturbation and making love was a sin. When I realized that was false moralizing, I still had to come around to recognize that I was still sometimes sinning.

And what was that? This is tell-all time. The biggest help I got from books at that time was in the wonderful autobiography of Rev. Perry, The Lord is My Shepherd and He knows I am Gay. That was followed by the books on sexuality written by my friend the great, internationally acclaimed theologian, Fr. Norman Pittenger. It’s another story, but it was my friendship with him that brought me to write my first book on sexuality at his urging.) (Many more great theologians and great writers, such as Fr. John McNeill (The Church and the Homosexual), have come along since then.

To make a long story short, Father Pittenger described sin as flowing from harm and force (using or abusing another person). He summed it up in one place by saying: ask yourself when dressing to go home in the morning, “Am I leaving a person whom I have loved, or a body which I have used?”

So, gradually I began to distinguish one from the other. No problem with love and pleasure. But I had to learn the hard way that there is sin and abuse and using people.

And when I, in reverse, had been used enough times, it began to sink in. There is nothing wrong with love and pleasure – if it is not selfish, one-sided, or abusive. It took me a while, with the help of studying professional ethics in my psychological training, to realize that what looks innocent, like sex with the boss, sex with the counselor, sex with the pastor, sex with those underage (in New Zealand it’s 16; other places it’s 18) constitute an abuse of power and are always wrong and potentially harmful.

[I must retell the story of the 30 year old man in New Zealand who had a “blood contract” (signed in their own blood) with a 12 year old Maori boy. It was mutual consent, yeah. I was able to get them apart, but the 30 year old would not stay away. When the 12 year old (who had sworn loyalty forever) was sixteen (the age of consent there) after being told about child molesters by his school mates, he gave the 30+ man two black eyes and a report to the police that got him arrested. I attended the trial. There was the “blood contract” for evidence, “I will be faithful to you forever…” The “consent” of the 12 year old dissipated when he reached the age of consent. I visited the 30+ many times during his six years in prison. He never learned. He kept on thinking, “I was the best thing that ever happened to that boy.” He made it seem so true that prison was the best thing that happened to him.]

When people come for a same sex wedding, we talk about what’s good and what’s bad. Love between consenting adults is not bad. Yet, there are some factors that can make even adult consenting love not good, but harmful. These might include: If there is harm, if one of them has a commitment to another person, if one is in a power situation (over the other), and if the participation is not mutually self giving.

What pleases me is that many people understand that their love is not sin, “How can love be a sin?” I love to hear that. They discovered that wonderful truth at a much earlier age than I did.

Moral Slavery

Unfortunately some people are so brainwashed that they want to cling to the “love is sin” idea. Two good go-to-church-every-Sunday and confession-every-Saturday Catholic men came for a same sex wedding. I made my usual inductive explanation that God is love and love is not a sin. They insisted their love and their wedding was a sin (because the church says so), and I sadly told them I couldn’t be part of their sin. I don’t know what became of them. Maybe they clung to their sin “till death do us part.” We call it moral slavery; they just want to cling to their sin. We call it moral slavery.

Recently two women came in. As we talked about it, the one said, “Of course it is a sin, but I love her so much…” The partner was shocked. Together we talked with her about, “How can love be a sin…if it is not harmful or forceful.” They hugged as both were finally in agreement. But the other one had a problem with her mother who definitely considered their love sinful. I taught them to be at peace with their own conscience, even if others cannot understand.

In my own story, believe me, I did not want to cling to my sin, the moral slavery type or the harming, forcing, or abusing type. I wanted to get rid of sin and enjoy massages, cuddles and sexual pleasure from making love without sin.

We don’t know what the sins were of the “sinful woman.” We are conditioned, of course, to assume that “sins” are sexual sins.

Go Away, Sexual Sin; Go Away!

In my case, in truth, my sins were sexual sins, as I was taught at that time. Even in high school (seminary) I prayed the 7 penitential Psalms every day to get freed from the “passion of the flesh,” which actually was masturbation, and it was causing me a lot of trauma, “Teenage Masturbation Trauma (TMT).” Seven Psalms or 150 Psalms; it didn’t go away. For years by church condemnation and self condemnation, I was a dirty, filthy, disgusting sexual sinner, a masturbator, no less.

That was many years before I ever knew what “homosexual” was, or had any idea that I could be one.

Masturbation made me a sexual sinner, despised by God. I knew from Romans 7 that St. Paul had some kind of sin gnawing at him. I was convinced it was the same as mine, and I was happy to see that he conquered it in Romans 8. Maybe I could. I read Romans 8 over and over. “It” did not go away. Paul was a saint; I was not, I concluded.

So, if I were to compare my self with the sinful woman, I was a sinful man. She showed her love with an elaborate foot massage ritual of service for Jesus – who surely needed it for all the walking around “doing good” he did.

In my case (another sinner) I couldn’t give him a foot massage, but I could offer and give my life to him in service. He accepted the sinful woman’s foot massage, and I am convinced today that Jesus forgives my sins (the real ones and the vestiges of the church-and-self-imposed ones) and accepts my love and service in return for his love – who first loved me.

That’s important because my mission in life is to teach each and every person with TMT or any other sexual guilt trauma that Jesus looks at them and loves them, and forgives them and assures them that their faith saves them. And that is the mission of MCC, and that is the mission of all our sex-positive priests.

The Simplicity of the Method of Jesus

Finally I realized something that made it very clear to me as I was teaching others about the unconditional love that God has for us – as shown to us over and over
again by Jesus in his life and in his parables. I came to realize that Sex Positive Theology has the answers – not in hard to understand book definitions, but in just plain down to earth common sense -- like Jesus gave us in the Sermon on the Mount or Jesus in telling the people beautiful parables.
Or, quite importantly, it dawned on me that Sex Positive Theology does just what Jesus did when he contradicted the Law as prescribed by the Pharisees (the church of his time). One website states the situation directly, “They lay heavy burdens upon the people but would not do anything to make the load lighter. Their own works were done to be observed by men rather than God.” (http://bible.org/seriespage/chapter-23-jesus-condemns-scribes-and-pharisees) He never showed prejudice against marginalized people in his whole life, but he consistently resisted the laws, laws, laws and rules, rules, rules of the Pharisees.
An example of Jesus confronting the Pharisees about “working” on the Sabbath is found in Mark 2:23-28 (New International Version)
“ 23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Another website gives an interpretation of this confrontation of Jesus with the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath laws. “By implication Jesus also lends insight into the nature of the sabbath law itself. Often understood as a part of God's unchangeable "moral law," it is seen as inviolable and absolute in and of itself -- as the laws concerning other gods, idolatry, God's name, etc. Yet it would be difficult to find any exception at all for these "moral" laws, particularly an exception grounded in human concerns.16 So, far from "eternal moral law," then, Jesus seems to classify the sabbath otherwise. And it was precisely this that his legalistic opponents failed to see. The sabbath was not an end in itself, an absolute that admitted no exceptions.17 It was intended for man's benefit, his well-being. To elevate it to a place of tyranny over man is to make more of it than was intended; indeed, it would overthrow it altogether.18” (http://www.biblicalstudies.com/bstudy/hermenutics/sabbath1.htm
Imagine Jesus saying that about contraceptives (for a large family with no food and school money). Imagine Jesus saying that to a lesbian who says, “I know they say it is sin, but I love her so much.” What do you think Jesus would say to a boy about to go crazy of TMT. He wanted to be good, but, “I just can’t help it, and they tell me I am going straight to hell.” Would Jesus say to him…what he said to the “sinful woman,”… “Your faith has saved you…”
In the same way that Jesus contradicted the Pharisees, Sex Positive Theology departs from the sex negative theology of today’s church. Sex Positive Theology is a Jesus-like common sense alternative to sex negative misrepresentations of God and God’s will.

Yes, SPT Ain’t Everything

A member of our network asked me how I can explain our emphasis on “Sex Positive Theology. Isn’t there anything else?” That’s a question I love to hear. It’s like once in 30 years as a pastor, after I gave a sermon on prayer, a member of the parish came up to me sincerely (and knocked me figuratively off my feet) and requested, “Pastor, teach me how to pray.” The following week I began a weekly study and practice seminar on “how to pray.”

Of course there are a lot of things in theology and spirituality that may be a lot more important in the long run than Sex Positive Theology. But we start there for those people who would never get out of the “trauma” stage without defeating sex negative theology which has been holding them back all these years. It’s like trying to make your hair beautiful while ignoring a serious infection eating away at you. Get rid of the infection first. The trauma from sex negative theology is an infection.

Of course, the Gospels show Jesus spending a lot m0re time on prayer than on receiving a foot massage. But in our real world, liberation from the infection of sex negative theology has to be rooted out before we can rise above all these distractions and enter into greater bliss in our friendship with God.

And, of course, we teach Sex Positive Theology to those who are already moving right along in their friendship with God – so that they can teach it, wherever they go in their daily lives, to not only LGBT friends but to parents and relatives and neighbors, and maybe their own partner. In other words when we have moved from being the victim (of sex negative theology), we become the victor, the winner who can share the winning victorious truth with others.

Jesus came to show us what God is like. St. John, who had the wonderful privilege of lying with his head on the heart of Jesus, tells us that God is Love. Jesus describes and lives that definition throughout the Gospel. Look, for example at the beautiful parable of the prodigal son (sometimes called the parable of the Loving Father). In the simplest of terms Jesus gives us a very clear picture of what God is like. The story of the loving father of the prodigal son shows us exactly what God is like, the kind of love we get from God, our loving parent.
We all know the story. Let’s look again at the father’s joy upon his son’s return. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate…
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
That story of Jesus is a very human image of what God is like, and perhaps the son is a very human image of what we humans can be like in one way or another. But more importantly the emphasis is on God – what God is like when we humans are human in the way that humans are human. God is still like the father of the prodigal son.

Sex Positive Theology can do no better than imitate the style of Jesus in teaching common sense theology in down to earth terms.

Yes, there is love; and how best to express it?

After I wrote and preached for many years that massages and cuddles are Ok, I began to realize there is an even higher level of body-spirit spirituality.

When couples come to me for their same-sex wedding, I teach them “Love’s Bottom Line.” It’s not just, “I love you,” in words. It’s, “I love you by doing this…” Some have suggested it should be called “perfect love,” because Jesus said there is no greater love than that one gives one’s life for the one who is loved. Of course Jesus demonstrated that in his death for us – whom he loves.

Now the application is that I – we – can show our love best by giving our life for our beloved (mahal).

We call it “Love’s Bottom Line” because when you take away all the immature stuff, it’s the real bottom line love that always remains. It’s the secret to the happiest relationship in the world. Massages and cuddles are wonderful, but sometimes they are mixed in with immature stuff. The next step is “giving oneself.”

How? Not on a cross. Not in an auction, but in our everyday relationship. When a disagreement is about to start, I naturally say under my breath, “How can I win?” I may have tried that and the other methods – and they don’t work. Throwing pots and pans, slamming doors, screaming, or not speaking – they don’t work.

The new formula is one that works year after year. It is Love’s Bottom Line. It’s the real proof of real love, and the best superglue for loving partners ever invented.

So, the new formula to replace “How can I win?” is Love’s Bottom Line. When a disagreement is about to become an argument, Love’s Bottom Line says, WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY PARTNER HAPPY? That’s it.

I get emails from all over the world telling me it works. It’s like Jesus: total self giving, giving the gift that only you can give each other – happiness to your partner day in and day out. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Perfect love makes sense. Making your partner happy makes sense. It’s the only thing that makes sense. You give up what you want (total self-giving) in order to give happiness to your partner.

We talk about giving massages and cuddles . That’s great, but the greatest, the one that works over the long haul, is the ultimate – giving ourselves for the happiness of the other. When two lovers love enough to do this, then you got “Mighty Bond.”

That way, we go from sin, real sin or imagined sin, to the sublime – a life of happiness for the other and each other.

We need, priests, ministers,
preachers of the full Good News

The Roman Catholic Church has just concluded today the “Year of the Priest,” praying for the spirituality and commitment of their priests throughout the world.

Today I announce the “Year of Prayer for Priests” in the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit, Philippines, the Diocese of which I have been ordained and appointed bishop. It will be a year of prayer for vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese – holy priests who will teach LGBT people in the Philippines that love, massages, cuddles are God’s gift to us all, and happiness , holiness, and liberation from moral slavery is God’s will for all.

The priests with new priestly vocations will join those already in adult seminary programs or cyber programs to bring love, peace, and joy to God’s beloved LGBT people in the Philippines.

Today let me just quote Rev. Leanne McCall Tigert, Coming Out Through
Fire: Surviving the Trauma of Homophobia. She speaks of "the process
each of us must go through to transform the trauma of homophobia and
heterosexism [and I would add anti-feminism]."

She speaks of the mystery of LGBT persons. "How can we continue to
love deeply and passionately when so many seek to destroy our lives?
How do we continue to care for one another and ourselves when others
are convinced we are not capable of really caring about anything but
sex, and are really sick and need help? How can we be such witnesses
for others who are hurting when we ourselves are fighting our
oppression? Why are we such good teachers, ministers (priests,
sisters) doctors, nurses, political activists, organizers, dancers,
writers, lovers, and workers in the midst of the traumatization of
homophobia -- that believes we are incapable of such [accomplishments]
and seek to prove our incapability?"

And I thank God that the message of God’s love is being brought to more and more people in MCC Manila, MCC Quezon City, MCC Baguio – and through the seminars and courses in Sex Positive Theology and the Integration of Spirituality and Sexuality which we provide through the Center for the Study of Spirituality and Sexuality.

Sex Positive Theology is not the bottom line of Christian spirituality, of what it means to enjoy the glorious freedom of the children of God. Sex positive Theology, which we teach in cyber seminars, sets LGBT people free from the obstacles to the full joy of living in friendship with God and each other.

You can be an instrument of bringing this peace, love, and joy to LGBT people as a priest or minister. Man. Woman, gay, lesbian, transgender – you will know in your prayers if God is calling you. You can be a priest and keep your job, your career, your life partner (mahal).

Some people spend their whole life in selfishness. If you are one with a desire to help others, pray to know if God is calling you.

You are welcome to ask questions. Send me an email. Pour out any question on your mind. Maybe you felt called to the priesthood when you were young, but it was denied to you because of your gender or gender preference. Maybe your vocation never got off the ground because of TMT. All these obstacles are gone. You can be God’s priest and minister and help LGBT people gain freedom through Sex Positive Theology and move on in the path pf holiness and Christian joy.

I will close with a thought from my fellow priest in the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit, John Chuchman, the well known spiritual writer.


The steadfast connection through it all
was/is
God.


As I let go of each stage of life,
the rewards were surprising.


Any darkness has ended up being spiritual nourishment.


My trust in God
has grown deeper
as I have been able
to turn away from myself.


Whatever did not fit into
my plan for life
seems to have fit into
God's Plan.


I have discovered
that nothing is merely an accident
or a coincidence.


My whole life
has been marked out for me
in Divine Providence
and has a complete coherent meaning
in God's Eye.


I have learned to rejoice
as the meaning
of my journey
is revealed to me
bit by bit.

This reflection is taken from John Chuchman's 2008 book,
"Spirituality & Spiritual Growth beyond Hierarchical Church", with the author's permission.

[If you have read this far, you have already completed the reading for the first section of the “Cyber Seminar on Sex Positive Theology.” Email me (saintaelred@gmail.com), and you may enroll today for the remaining portions of the Cyber seminar. After that you may enroll for the more challenging academic cyber course, “Certificate in Sex Positive Theology.” Or, you may skip the cyber seminar and enroll directly in the cyber academic Certificate Course.]