Inspirational Resources
Read · reflect · grow
Resources for an expansive and thoughtful faith.
Explore articles and books about the Bible, LGBTQIA+ faith, spirituality, social justice, and lives shaped by courage and hope. Many of these titles are available through Pastor Kenny’s office library.
Open any collection below to browse its recommendations.
ARTICLES
- Coming Out as Sacrament, Mona West
- Homosexuality – Not A Sin, Not A Sickness, Don Eastman
- Our Story Too – Reading the Bible with New Eyes, Nancy Wilson
- Queer Spirituality, Mona West
- The Bible and Homosexuality, Mona West
- The Power of the Bible, Mona West
THE BIBLE AND HOMOSEXUALITY
- What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality, by Daniel A Helminiak.
- The author summarizes the findings of leading Biblical scholars, like John Boswell and L. William Countrymen, into an easy-to-read, objective analysis of biblical passages dealing with homosexuality. A great book to share with religious friends and relatives who are convinced the Bible condemns homosexuality.
- The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-Sex Relationships, by Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley.
- Written by a MCC pastor and a layperson, this book is an easy-to-understand examination of biblical arguments on same sex relationships, both in light of modern biblical scholarship and the overarching teachings of the bible. Another great book to share with friends and relatives who believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality.
- Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century, by John Boswell.
- One of the seminal scholarly works on attitudes and teachings on homosexuality in the early church. Using ancient church documents and histories, Boswell uncovers the LGBTQ-positive voices in the early church.
- The Church and the Homosexual, by Father John J. McNeill.
- Originally developed as a discussion draft within the Catholic Church (and subsequently banned), this book examines biblical teachings on homosexuality in light of modern scholarship, making a well-reasoned and compelling argument that homosexuality is not a sin.
SPIRITUALITY, SPIRITUAL LIVING & DEVOTIONALS
- A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward and Undivided Life, Parker J. Palmer
- A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, Eckhart Tolle
- A Return to Love: Reflection on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, Marianne Williamson
- Almost Everything: Notes on Hope, Anne Lamott
- Amazing Peace: A Celebration, Maya Angelou
- Coaching Change: Breaking Down Resistance, Building Up Hope, Thomas G. Bandy
- Doorways to the Soul: 52 Wisdom Tales from Around the World, Edited by Elisha Davy Pearmain
- For Those Who Can’t Believe: Overcoming Obstacles to Faith, Harold M. Schulweis
- God is a Verb Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism, Rabbi David A. Cooper
- Good Grief, Granger E. Westberg
- Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy, Anne Lamott
- Holy Envy: Find God in the Faith of Others, Barbara Brown
- Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, Edited by Marcus Borg
- Jesus and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Saying, Edited by Martin Aronson
- Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way, Walter Wink
- Job and the Mystery of Suffering: Spiritual Reflection, Richard Rohr
- Ladder of Angels, Madaleine L’Engle
- Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith, Barbara Brown
- Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, Parker J. Palmer
- Life Lessons, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler
- Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Live Your Dash: Make Every Moment Matter, Linda Ellis
- Living Buddha, Living Christ, Thich Nhat Hanh
- Living Your Strengths: Discover Your God-Given Talents and Inspire Your Community, Albert L. Wiseman, Donald O. Clifton, and Curt Liesveld
- Naked Spirtuality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words, Brian D. McLaren
- One Hand Clapping: Zen Stories for All Ages, Rafe Martin
- Pastrix: The Cranky Beautiful Faith of a Sinner, Nadia Bolz-Weber
- Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
- Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living, Pema Chödrön
- Taosim and the Arts of China, Stephen Little
- The Book of Joy, Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
- The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book, Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Magdalene Gospel: Meeting Women Who Followed Jesus, Mary Ellen Ashcroft
- The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle
- The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, Henri J.M. Nouwen
- The Road to Peace, Henri J.M. Nouwen
- When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
- When Moses Meets Aaron, Gil Rendle
- When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advise for Difficult Times, Pema Chödrön
- With or Without God, Gretta Vosper
LGBTQIA+, SEXUALITY & GENDER
- 10 Spiritual Lessons for Successful Living for Gays and Lesbians (and everyone else), by Rev. Troy D. Perry, Founder of Metropolitan Community Churches.
- A Desired Past: A Short History of Same-Sex Love in America, Leila J. Rupp
- A Time to Build: Creating Sexually Healthy Faith Communities, Rev. Debra W. Haffner
- Coming Out of Shame: Transforming Gay and Lesbian Lives, Gershen Kaufman and Lev Raphael
- God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality, Phyllis Trible
- Our Selves, Our Souls and Bodies: Sexuality and the Household of God, Editor Charles Hefling
- Queer America: A People’s GLBT History of the 20th Century, Vicki L. Eaklor
- Stand By Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation, Jim Downs
- Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America, Mel White
- Taking a Chance on God, by Father John J. McNeill.
- Geared for the LGBTQ community, this book brings a gay perspective to fundamental Christian questions: How can we understand suffering and death? How can we overcome fear, anger, and guilt? What does it mean to love God? What gifts do we bring to the body of Christ?
- The Consequence of Sex, Stories by Robert C. Reinhart
- The Sexuality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Journey to Wholeness, Ernest Kurtz and Katherone Ketcham
- The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World, Alan Downs
- Transgender History, Susan Stryker
- Two Flutes Playing: A Spiritual Journey book for Gay Men, Andrew Ramer
- You Can Go Home Again: Reconnecting with Your Family, Monica McGoldrick
SOCIAL JUSTICE
- Freaks and Revelations, a Novel by David Wills Hurwin
- G-Dog and the Home Boys: Father Greg Boyle and the Gangs of East Los Angeles, Updated and Expanded Edition by Celeste Fremon
- The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd.
- Fabulous novel about two oppressed women, one as a slave and the other a radical abolotionist in the early 1800s, striving for physical and spiritual freedom.
- Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way, Walter Wink
- Justice in a Global Economy: Strategies for Home, Community and World, Pamela K Brubaker, Rebecca Todd Peters, Laura A. Stivers
- Learning to be White: Money, Place, and God in America, Thandeka
- Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror, Equal Justice Initiative
- Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us, Rita Nakashima Brock
- Race and the Jury: Illegal Discrimination in Jury Selection, Equal Justice Initiative
- Reconstruction in America: Racial Violence after the Civil War, 1865-1876, Equal Justice Initiative
- Segregation in America, Equal Justice Initiative
- Slavery in America: The Montgomery Slave Trade, Equal Justice Initiative
- Soul Work: Anti-Racist Theologies in Dialogue by Unitarian Universalist Association, Edited by Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley and Nancy Palmer Jones
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
- Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, Father Gregory Boyle
- Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help, Robert A. Lupton
- Trials of Hope and Terror: Testimonies on Immigration, Miguel A. de la Torre
- Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal, Aviva Chomsky
- The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant.
- A deeply moving novel that tells the stories we know from the Hebrew scriptures through the eyes and hearts of the women in the book of Genesis.
NOVELS
- A Love Lost: A queer Journey of Grief, Wanda Floyd
- A Wrinkle in Time, Madaleine L’Engle
- Balcony People, Joyce Landorf Heatherley
- Bread of Angels, Barbara Taylor Brown
- Even the Stars Look Lonesome, Maya Angelou
- The Book of Joy, Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
- The Heaven of Animals, Nancy Tillman
- Holy Envy: Finding god in the Faith of Others, Barbara Brown Taylor
- Home By Another Way, Barbara Taylor Brown
- Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic-and Beyond, Matthew Fox
- The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd.
- Fabulous novel about two oppressed women, one a slave and the other a radical abolitionist in the early 1800s, striving for physical and spiritual freedom.
- Ladder of Angels, Madaleine L’Engle
- Learning to Walk in the Dark, Barbara Taylor Brown
- Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith, Barbara Brown Taylor
- Mixed Blessings, Barbara Taylor Brown
- My Own Words, Ruth Bader Ginsberg
- Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik
- Pastrix: The Cranky Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint, Nadia Bolz-Weber
- Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
- Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World, Linda Hirshman
- The God We Never Knew, Marcus J. Borg
- The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant.
- A deeply moving novel that tells the stories we know from the Hebrew scriptures through the eyes and hearts of the women in the book of Genesis.
- The Shack, William P. Young
- Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America, Mel White
- Stand By Me, by Jim Downs.
- A book about the forgotten history of gay liberation; it includes an examination of the largest massacre of gay people in American history before Pulse, and the impact of that event on MCC.
- When Jesus Came to Harvard, by Harvey Cox.
- A Harvard professor and his students wrestle together with the moral impact of Jesus’ teachings in the 21st century.
- Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now, Maya Angelou
Queer faith & the Bible
Questions about queer identity, faith, and the Bible are welcome here.
You do not have to choose between intellectual honesty, spiritual curiosity, and the truth of who you are.
These brief responses reflect the expansive Christian faith practiced at All God’s Children MCC. They are invitations into conversation—not tests you must pass.
Questions people ask
Read at your own pace.
Open any question. You do not need to read them in order.
Is being LGBTQIA+ a sin?
No. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not sins. Sin is what separates us from love of God, neighbor, and self; cruelty, exclusion, and dehumanization cause that separation—not the honest truth of who someone is.
What did Jesus say about queer people?
Jesus did not condemn queer people. His ministry repeatedly centered love, mercy, welcome, and solidarity with people pushed to the margins. We understand that good news to include LGBTQIA+ people fully.
Does the Bible condemn homosexuality?
We do not believe it does. A small number of passages are often removed from their ancient cultural and literary contexts and applied to modern, mutual LGBTQIA+ relationships they were not written to describe. Responsible interpretation considers context, language, history, and the Bible’s larger call to love and justice.
Where do transgender and nonbinary people belong?
In the heart of God’s beloved community. Human diversity is not a failure of creation. Transgender and nonbinary people bear the image of God and deserve safety, dignity, joy, and full participation in spiritual life.
What if someone tells me that God made a mistake?
God’s creativity is larger than any rigid human category. Our understanding of bodies and gender is limited and still growing; humility calls us to listen to people’s lived truth rather than forcing them into narrow expectations.
Is sexual orientation or gender identity a choice?
People do not choose their deepest capacity for identity and attraction as a strategy or moral failure. The meaningful choices are how we live with honesty, build healthy relationships, respect consent, and practice love.
Should someone try to change or pray away being queer?
No. Queer identity does not need to be cured. Practices that promise to change orientation or gender identity can cause profound harm. Prayer can instead support healing from shame, courage, safety, self-understanding, and freedom.
How can I respond to religious rejection?
You are not obligated to debate anyone or remain in an unsafe conversation. You may set a boundary, seek affirming community, speak your truth when it feels safe, or simply step away. Rejection by a person or institution is not rejection by God.
Can religious freedom justify discrimination?
Religious freedom protects belief and worship; it should not become permission to deny another person’s dignity or equal protection. Faith is most faithful when it frees people to love—not when it is used to control or exclude.
What if I am still unsure what I believe?
You are welcome to take your time. Questions, doubt, study, prayer, and lived experience can all be part of a faithful journey. You may attend, listen, speak with a pastor, or explore resources without pressure to arrive at a quick answer.
Talk with someone
Your question can be personal.
A pastor can listen without pressure, debate, or a requirement that you already know what you believe.