I was going to wait until next week to make this announcement, but I couldn’t keep a lid on the news. As many of you know, I have been planning to go back to school to obtain a Th.M. before going on for a Ph.D. A Th.M. is a one year postgraduate degree in theology. Last fall I applied to three schools and was accepted into all three. After much prayer and contemplation, I have decided to go to Duke University’s Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. I will leave Santa Cruz, California on July 23rd to move across the country. Classes start at the end of August. Needless to say, I am very excited. I have been waiting for this life transition for quite some time.
Some of you may be surprised to learn I’m going to Duke instead of Asbury Theological Seminary. After my visit to Asbury in November 2007, I raved about the school in a blog post. This was a difficult decision. I felt a strong attachment to Asbury. Their Admissions team is fantastic, the program was a good fit, and I was drawn to the community there even before getting accepted. However, I believe Duke offers me more opportunities to move in the direction of my passions.
Duke’s program has a strong emphasis on the intersection between theology and culture. The Divinity School has the Center for Reconciliation, as well as the Center for Theology, Writing and Media. The diverse student body will enable me to engage with many different theological perspectives and the Duke University campus, as a whole, will allow me to keep a foot in the secular world. My desire is to engage the culture. I want to be intentional about stepping outside the Christian bubble. I also dream of getting a Ph.D. at Duke. The program is extremely competitive, but by obtaining my Th.M. there, I hope to improve my chances. Or if not, at least I will have had the opportunity to experience Duke. So keep me in your prayers as I start this great new adventure.
The second announcement I want to make is that May marks the second anniversary of this blog. As with every anniversary, it prompts reflection. I have contemplated whether or not to make changes, start something new, or even abandon the site. With my upcoming studies I’m not sure I have the time to commit to a blog. I also want to focus more energy on writing for publication. At the same time, this blog has been a great experience (albeit entirely nerve-wracking), and the hits to the site have doubled from the previous year; I hate to give up a good thing. So, here’s the compromise. For the time being, I will keep the site going, but I will not be able to write as frequently.
Additionally, like last year, I am making a few changes to the blog. These minor changes reflect a growing desire to discuss sexual identity from a more “mainstream” perspective. Too often discussions on this topic feel inbred—too many of the same conversations over and over and too many of the same voices. I’m not sure how, but I want to find new ways of talking about sexual identity and gender. Part of my effort to begin doing so involves connecting with folk in the mainstream. By mainstream, I mean those not traditionally involved in the GLBT community or the ex-gay movement. For example, last summer I began contacting Ph.D. and Master level scholars from various disciplines. I also recently joined the new network, Origins. This is a “community of followers of Jesus who are passionate about seeing people know God and experience life as He intended. As we are guided by the Scriptures, we will inspire one another to embrace innovation and creativity as a means to fulfill this mission.” Some of the leaders of this network include Scot McKnight and Dan Kimball (think emerging church). In the coming year I hope to help forge a more moderate, fresh, integrated discussion on sexuality and gender. And, I hope to find ways to bring the discussion to young people, particularly college students.
Another objective I have for the coming year is to spend more time engaging with the GLBT community. Due to working full time, going to seminary and other ministry obligations, I have not been able to do that as much as I would like. For example, some time ago the Director of the local university GLBT center and I brainstormed ideas for a campus forum on sexuality and faith. I also obtained permission to advertise a Bible study at the GLBT center. Unfortunately I was not able to follow through on either opportunity due to being overwhelmed with other commitments. Even though I haven’t written about it much here, I do try stay in conversation with the gay community. Here are some examples from the last few years:
- Participated in the documentary God and Gays: Bridging the Gap
- Spoke to the GLBT student club at a Bay Area community college during Pride Week (at their invitation)
- Attended Santa Cruz Gay Pride
- Engaged in dialogue with Beyond Ex-Gay founders, Christine Bakke and Peterson Toscano, as well as attended the Ex-Gay Survivor Conference
- Co-led a workshop, “Recovering from Fundamentalism,” with Darlene Bogle at a God and Gays Conference.
- Participated in Day of Silence at UC Santa Cruz
- Interviewed for, and was quoted, in The Advocate (national gay and lesbian magazine). The reporter did not use my interview but quoted a small paragraph from one my posts (see last page of article)
- Attended an all day workshop on faith at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force annual conference
- Joined local GLBT center for a viewing of For the Bible Tells Me So
All of these have a story behind them and perhaps I will share them some time (the ones I have written about are linked above).
So between Duke, my desire to generate fresh conversation on sexual identity, and my hope to interact more frequently with the GLBT community, I have no doubt this next year will be interesting! May God guide me and give me wisdom. I’ll need it.
Bonus track: A few weeks ago I wrote a post on the challenge of sharing my story publicly. In that post I mentioned a recent speaking engagement. That talk was recorded, and I intended to post it. But during the presentation I made the mistake of announcing I was going to Asbury. At the time I thought that was true. However, as Scripture says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” So ignore that statement if you listen to the recording. I will not be going to Asbury. I’m going to Duke (God willing!). The person interviewing me is a former seminary chum, Brian Hui. It took place at a small Chinese church in Silicon Valley—a friendly bunch of people. You can listen to it here.
13 Comments
April 27, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Welcome to the Old North State, girl!
You’ll like it here.
April 28, 2009 at 9:00 am
Oh man I’m so happy for you. That’s some great stuff that God’s got going on in your life. Keep us updated even if you don’t blog as much as you do now. I’ll be praying for you.
April 28, 2009 at 11:18 am
Wow. Duke? The arch rival in sports of many schools.
) The Carolinas are beautiful! You’ll love it. Congrats!!
April 28, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I read what I could on your school and read a lot of Andy Rowell’s blog. Even read stuff on the profs. Then realized I was reading about the wrong degree. Oh well, I still marvel at the task before you. My one niece I think is going to be at Nyack T.S. Do you have to speak two other languages too? Just remember that many before you state that their walk with Jesus was the driest in school. I encourage my nieces all the time about reading the Word for their own walk and stay in prayer. Keep in love with Him. It’s hard tho. Hope you have a team of prayer warriors that you can lean on and trust. Maybe some far off day I could solicit you into going to Indonesia to speak to glbt youth. I’ve been there and they need to hear the Truth-His Grace and Heaven and Hell. Lastly, I am a mid-lifer out 3 1/2 yrs. looking to see how others handled the joys:( of growing up. No longer being self-indulgent, or irresponsible. The SSA is one thing but the other issues, including building Christ-like relationships with.., is to me mountainous. I appreciate your perseverance esp. with this move. So do I belong here on your blog? Blessings and abide.
April 28, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Thanks guys!
Jay–we’ll have to do coffee sometime.
Di–Of course, this blog is a place for you. Anyone is welcome. There are many different types of people and different perspectives here. I would be interested in hearing more of your story if you were open to sharing it.
Also, Andy Rowell’s blog is great. I enjoy reading it from time to time. He was helpful in answering some of my questions about Duke.
April 28, 2009 at 6:55 pm
When it is right for you, tell me how to do that, by what means. I don’t mind giving Him the praise for redeeming me, He writes amazing stories.
April 28, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Di–you are welcome to share your story right here in this thread.
April 28, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I don’t drink coffee. However, since you’ll only be a two-and-a-half hour drive from where I am (and since there’s a beach here), I’d say we’re likely to meet.
April 28, 2009 at 9:15 pm
All I have is a pretty safe 2,000 word testimony given to a group of women a couple of years ago. I can send it to your email, see if it’s usable, and if not I’ll write a different one. And you are welcome to heavily edit it.
April 28, 2009 at 9:16 pm
How funny, I was just wondering the other day if you had made your decision about school! I’m very happy for you and I pray God’s blessing & protection over your life as you start this new adventure!!! : )
April 29, 2009 at 7:57 am
Jay–funny–I don’t drink coffee either, I just like to go to coffee places where I end up ordering tea. A beach is always a good thing too.
Di–this blog is pretty informal, so if you want to share your story, I would just share a concise version that is not as long with whatever you want to put here in the comments thread. Think of it as just conversation over tea with friends as opposed to making a presentation. If you want to share something here you can or if not, that is fine too.
Amazing Grace–thanks for your prayers!
May 1, 2009 at 3:55 am
I never saw the Holy Spirit coming after me. And I never would have dreamed either that God in His humor was going to use women. Living in another city it started with a call taking mom up on an offer to go to Israel with her and others from her church-Grace. I met K. and M. there never thinking I’d interact with them again. That trip started me reading my childhood bible again. Two months later I pressed mom into taking me and going to her 50th college class reunion. I had always been fascinated with the stories of her roommates, professors, and the tunnels. Now I could experience for myself her college-Moody Bible Institute. I never counted on hearing great music and being captivated by a wealth of powerful speakers expounding on the theme, “Who is God?” Moved by the Holy Spirit again after hearing that I could experience God as He longs for me to see Him, I decided to walk with Him again. I was losing a very long-term relationship and thought He’d like me going to church, reading the Bible, and praying. But I deceitfully still wanted self-control; not willing to trust Him, and soon walked away into more heartache.
I then came to my mother’s city for a break to hang out at the beaches, but a lesbian counselor at that time encouraged me to stay. Searching carefully, I was won over to attending Grace church by K’s enthusiastic welcoming of me. One day mom asked me to return her book “Seeking Him” to her s. s. teacher. N. begged me to keep it, and stay as long as I wanted. I was taken aback, looking around at all of the women, but decided to stay. In that one hour I knew that I wanted this abundant, hope-filled life I had been hearing about; I had to understand more about Him but how? M. then coming in late, sat down next to me. God opened my mouth to ask her to meet with me. Later, opening up that I was a preacher’s kid, been baptized, knowing that Jesus had made a way for me to come to God the Father if I would just surrender and believe, but my attempts had left me frustrated. Then I told her about my childhood, and that I had been living as an out lesbian for 30 years. Without blinking, she said, “You need to give Him that, nothing less will do, He wants it all.” The Presence at that moment was palpable, I saw my past, my present-stuck in the middle, and this was how I defined myself. He then moved me to repent, to step out in faith, revealing that my future would be brighter following after Him.
Yahweh has done great things for me, per Ezekiel 11:19, taking out the heart of stone, giving me a heart of flesh, putting in a new spirit. Now experiencing a connection to someone that I know won’t ever break it. Three years later, around Christmas ’08, I got lazy with my walk/disciplines, not letting Him work on healing me, not having a mentor I hit a stone wall. Finally, I found help in other churches, a service one place, a group of women at another and a long distance mentor, all willing to lift one another up in prayer, caring for me. Galatians 5:1, Ephesians 5:1
May 1, 2009 at 7:55 am
Di–thanks so much for sharing some of your story. That is certainly a major transition from 30 years active in lesbian relationships to seeking to give God all of your life. Its amazing how God’s Spirit can speak into our lives and prompt us in directions we never expected. I know it can be a hard walk at times, but keep running the race. It is worth it! May God empower you, comfort you, give you rich and deep relationships with women in your church and guide you in all he desires you to do.