Many of you know my story, many of you have known me for a long time, and many of you have helped me become the man I am today. I have known that I was gay since middle school. I noticed that when the guys were staring at the cute girls, I was staring at them. I sometimes stared so long that I would make eye contact with the person and have to look away suddenly. It was terrifying, because I didn’t know what it meant yet. I didn’t know that I spend a lot of time in the coming years staring at guys I would never have a chance with because they unfortunately were straight.

This realization carried over into many aspects in my life. It was at youth group, at Walmart, at sonic. I thought though that I could make myself like girls if I just dated one. So, I had a girlfriend for about three months my freshman year of high school. It didn’t fix my problem. My problem was that I was gay. 

It took me a while though to realize that being gay wasn’t a problem. It was something that was going to become an important aspect to my story later on in life. I mean look at this blog, it’s all gay! 

I didn’t know being gay would impact my relationship with God and my Church.

Like I said, I realized I was gay in middle school. That was when I also began my time in youth group. I made many great friends there; it was an amazing environment, and it definitely is one of the reasons I feel called into ministry today. But, I didn’t know that being gay would start to impact my relationships with God and my Church. 

I honestly thought God made a mistake when I realized I was gay. I began bargaining with God – I was making promises left and right that if I became straight I would always go to church. Obviously, it didn’t happen. If God made me a mistake, then maybe I shouldn’t remind God of that by being in relationship with Her. 

My church at the time didn’t ever really talk about GLB (gay, lesbian, and bisexual) identities. I just knew that silence meant that we probably didn’t look to highly at the subject. So, I never brought it up. The Michael that showed up at Church was not the Michael that was on the inside. I was living a lie at church. 

If people were talking about it in Church, it was often in hushed tones and with words like “abomination” and “damnation.” 

The Church for so long has been silent in regard to identifying outside of heterosexuality. If people were talking about it in Church, it was often in hushed tones and with words like “abomination” and “damnation.” How could the Church love someone who lived a bad lifestyle and would end up in Hell? That’s where the Church has failed. 

It’s time for the church to start talking about these issues. To start reexamining the Bible passages often used in reference to homosexuality. The Bible is not a text to be read literally. Context is key. The Church has reparations to pay to its GLB members. It has caused tons of pain. The Church may be married to Jesus, but she sure is not acting anything like Jesus. 

There is room at the table for everyone, but power-hungry heterosexuals have pushed us out and forced us into silence. But, no longer. It is time for the inclusive gospel to be reexamined. We are all children of God, and we all deserve space at the Church’s table.