Since the release of the Nashville Statement (NS) on August 29, 2017 there have been many supportive and encouraging responses for LGBTQ+ people. See: Denver Statement Liturgists Statement Christians United Statement While my sense is that the NS was intended to rally momentum and power among a certain group within the U.S. church, what it…
DetailsYoung Adult (YA) novels have always been some of my favourite books to read. Sometimes I’ve pretended that my book choices have been for the sake of research, since I’ve always been involved in youth work with teenagers, but the truth is I genuinely love this genre. I love the intensity of the drama, I…
DetailsIntersectionality has become an important point of growth for our community as we seek to love each other well and pursue justice together. At the retreat two years ago, we had the opportunity to learn from three guests who gave voice and expression to the realities of multiple marginal identities: Michael Blair, Jordan Sullivan, and…
DetailsThis is the third and final panel we are posting from our last Ontario Generous Space Retreat. If you haven’t already viewed them, check out our Trans Panel and our Non-Monosexual Panel. As I’ve mentioned before, because these panels were filmed at the retreat, they have a bit of an in-house feel to them. There…
DetailsNon-Monosexual? Depending on your context, you might just be wondering, “What on earth is a non-monosexual panel?” It was a relatively new term for me. As a mainly straight and mostly cis-gender person (ie. lots of privilege in the arena of sexuality), if I hear “non-mono….” in a conversation about sexuality my brain goes to…
DetailsDriving over the bridge to Hamilton last night I saw a rainbow. I hadn’t seen a real one through sun and rain for a while and though it was faint it was so very beautiful. One can’t help but see such an ethereal moment as wondrous. My rainbow sighting also reminded me of the polarization…
DetailsOne year ago, at our 2016 Generous Space retreat, we had a panel of trans participants share their stories with the community. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive with the plea for more. The landscape of gender identity is complex and there is so much to learn. For those of us seeking to be…
Details“to retreat: to step back, withdraw, rest” When it comes to our Generous Space Retreats, and particularly our 5th annual Ontario Generous Space Retreat… the above definition of “retreat” isn’t a great fit. Let me explain why… A month and a half ago, 140 people assembled at the YMCA Geneva Park retreat centre in Orillia, ON…
DetailsCheck out our other Generous Space Retreat 2017 blog reflections HERE!
The Generous Space community is both a safer space for LGBTQ+ people and a place where we are stretched and challenged by our diversity. We inevitably need to hold a lot of things in tension. One of those tensions is the need for both freedom and boundaries. We celebrate the freedom that we have in…
DetailsERIC: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about some of the BOTH/& tensions that are the heart of Generous Space and show up most tangibly in our gatherings. The BOTH/& that has been most persistently on my mind is the relationship between our core values of HOSPITALITY (welcoming missing voices) and JUSTICE (dismantling barriers to…
DetailsOne of the hallmarks of the Generous Space Community is the willingness to embrace “both / and.” Much of our world is split into an “either / or” mentality. Either you are liberal or you are conservative. Either you are affirming or you are non-affirming. Such polarity can quickly deteriorate into extremes and in worst…
DetailsWendy: A few weeks ago, I moderated a panel discussion that featured four panelists talking about faith communities, the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, and what that looks like as people hold diverse convictions about same-sex marriage. The panelists shared some things in common and some things that were distinctly different. While this was not a…
Details“I just can’t pray that way anymore.” Have you ever thought that? Your theology shifts, your ideas about who God is and how God works has changed what you think about prayer. It can be unsettling – even scary. “I didn’t hear the name of Jesus said even once in our group.” Do you ever…
DetailsLiving attuned to the depths of the longing in your being is a huge challenge. This Advent, in these crucifixion-tinged reflections, we’ve had the opportunity to consider the longing for love, for reconciliation; the longing to be free of shame and fear (including the shame and fear we feel about our longing to be known…
DetailsThe longing for things to be made right is part of our birthright. And while some have thrown this away for the bowl of stew of immediate, self-focused, gratification, there are still so many stories of every day heroes risking to care for another. A video of ducklings being saved from a storm drain garners…
Details
