Emily Heath
Not mere buildings
One day, during my first pastorate in Vermont, I went to the post office to get the church mail. One envelope with the name of a fake organization on it and no return address was addressed to me, so standing there in the lobby I opened it.
For the next five minutes, I read about how gays and women like me were destroying both Christianity and the country, and how I was a “pitiful excuse” for a minister and human being.
‘Happy Holidays’ is not the problem
How to keep Christ in Christmas? Act like Christians, one minister suggests
When I was about 8 years old, my mother explained holiday greetings to me. It was simple. If someone is Christian, say “Merry Christmas.” If someone is Jewish, “Happy Hanukkah” is appropriate. And if you don't know, “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year” always work. For my mom, it...
Digging in its heels
A loyal and lifelong fan describes why she loves her football team, but can’t support its racist and hurtful name
Some of my favorite early memories involve the Washington Redskins. For as long as I remember, I've watched games on Sundays. My father is a Washington, D.C. native who has been a fan of the team since they moved to town from Boston in 1937. I've watched the 'Skins...
More
The next day
We are flying out today, over Boston, the city where marriage equality got its start. We are flying out over Old South Church, the place where we were married. We are flying in to California, a place where yesterday morning our marriage wasn't legal. And we are flying to General Synod, the biannual meeting of the United Church of Christ, the church that recognized our marriage before the federal government ever did. Our marriage certificate from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
Between Obama and God
I pastor a church of strong political opinions, both Republican and Democrat. I have parishioners who support the Tea Party and parishioners for whom the Democrats are far too conservative. But every Sunday morning, when we pass the peace of Christ in worship, they cross the aisles, shake hands, hug, and sincerely communicate their care for one another. My parishioners teach me about more than what it means to be a good American. They teach me about what it means...
Beyond purple shirts
I'm wearing purple today. I'm sitting at the counter of my small town's diner, wearing a purple-and-white checked shirt, and ordering an omelette. I'm wearing purple as a sign to the LGBTQ youth who are being bullied that someone cares, and that someone is on their side. But I'm wearing purple for another kid, too. I'm wearing purple for a 14-year-old who entered Winter Park High School one Florida day in 1990 and sat next to a future police officer.
The wide middle ground
Newfane Town Moderator Deborah Lee Luskin commented here recently [June 6] that “in Vermont, gods don't vote.” Her piece was ostensibly about the recent decision of the Vermont Superior Court to rule as unconstitutional an explicitly Christian prayer at a town meeting. I am a Christian pastor, so it might surprise Luskin to know that I support that ruling. I have reminded others often that civic observances must respect the religious diversity of the entire community. A Christian prayer is...
‘Happy Holidays’ is not the problem
When I was about 8 years old, my mother explained holiday greetings to me. It was simple. If someone is Christian, say “Merry Christmas.” If someone is Jewish, “Happy Hanukkah” is appropriate. And if you don't know, “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year” always work. For my mom, it wasn't about political correctness or hatred of Christmas. Far from it. It was about being polite, having good manners, and respecting the fact that our religious beliefs were not shared by...