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Vision statement
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| Jesus in Love and Q Spirit support lesbian, gay, bi trans and queer (LGBTQ) spirituality, with an emphasis on art and literature. It promotes artistic and religious freedom and teaches love for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. It is based on these beliefs: God loves all people, including sexual minorities. The creative process is sacred. The queer visions, especially the gay Jesus and LGBT saints, will free people to experience the divine in new ways and lead to a more just world. Jesus in Love and Q Spirit were founded by lesbian Christian author Kittredge Cherry as her personal gift to the world. |
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Sacred expressions of same-sex love continue across time from the newest poetry to the lives of ancient saints in this month's newsletter. Holy queer lives span cultures and continents.
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Sacred homoerotic poems "Hymn to Divine Yearning" and "I Need to Taste My God"
Sacred homoerotic longing for Jesus is elegantly expressed in new poems by two poets who write in different styles. They are "A Hymn to the Divine Yearning" by John Love of London and "I Need to Taste My God" by Jim Wise of Indianapolis.
Click here for more info and both poems posted in full.
(Credit:
"Christ Embracing St. Bernard" by Francisco Ribalta with poem by John Love.)
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Queer side of Saint Francis revealed
 
Historical records reveal a queer side to Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved religious figures of all time. The 13th-century friar is celebrated for loving animals, hugging lepers, and praying for peace, but few know about his love for another man and his gender nonconformity.
More info
(Left: "St. Francis and the Sultan" by
Robert Lentz. Right: "St Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata" by Kevin Raye Larson)
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Hildegard and Richardis:
Medieval nuns who loved each other
Hildegard of Bingen was a brilliant medieval German mystic, poet, artist, composer, healer and scientist who wrote with passion about the Virgin Mary. Some say she was a lesbian because of her strong attachment to women, especially her personal assistant Richardis von Stade.
More info
(Credit: "St. Hildegard of Bingen and Her Assistant Richardis" by
Lewis Williams)
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Gay saint of 9/11: Mychal Judge
Father Mychal Judge, chaplain to New York firefighters and unofficial "gay saint," died helping others in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
More info
(Credit: "Holy Passion Bearer Mychal Judge" by
William Hart McNichols)
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New LGBTQ Christian books: Oct 2017
"
Making Space for Queer-Identifying Religious Youth" by Yvette Taylor.
Click for mini-reviews and upcoming books
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Nouwen struggled with his homosexuality
Henri Nouwen was a Catholic priest and bestselling author who wrestled with his homosexuality. Nouwen never discussed his gay sexual orientation in his 40 books, but he confided his conflict over it in private journals and conversations. Some say that this personal struggle added depth to his books such as "The Wounded Healer." More info
(Credit: "Henri Nouwen" by Robert Lentz, trinitystores.com)
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Same-sex love inspired Sufi poet Rumi
Rumi is a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic whose love for another man inspired some of the world's best poems and led to the creation of a new religious order, the Whirling Dervishes.
He was born in 13th-century Afghanistan.
More info
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John McNeill: pioneering gay priest
John McNeill was a pioneering gay priest, psychotherapist, author, theologian and Jesuit scholar who inspired countless LGBTQ people of faith and their allies. He died on Sept. 22, 2015.
He wrote the 1976 book "The Church and the Homosexual," helped found LGBTQ Catholic group Dignity, and was silenced by the Vatican for his LGBTQ ministry and advocacy. He inspired countless LGBTQ people and allies.
More info
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FannyAnn Eddy: Lesbian martyr in Africa
FannyAnn Eddy was a major activist for LGBTQ rights in Africa. She told the United Nations, "Silence creates vulnerability," and founded the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association.
She was murdered on Sept. 29, 2004. Nobody was ever convicted of the crime. FannyAnn, you are not forgotten! More info
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Good (Gay?) King Wenceslas
There's good reason to believe that Good King Wenceslas was gay. Yes, the king in the Christmas carol.
The carol is based on real historical figures, a Bohemian duke and his loyal page Podiven. Author Dennis O'Neill researched the love between the two men.
More info
(Credit: "St. Wenceslaus and Podiven, his Assistant" by Lewis Williams,
trinitystores.com)
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Tyler Clementi: Youth driven to suicide
 Bullied into killing himself, gay teen Tyler Clementi brought international attention to suicide of LGBTQ youth by jumping to his death on Sept. 22, 2010. Anti-LGBTQ religious and political leaders helped create the hostile environment that drove him to suicide.
More info
Wear
purple on Oct. 19, 2017 to show support for young LGBTQ victims of bullying on
Spirit Day.
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Thanks! 11 gave to annual newsletter fee
 A big thank-you to the 11 donors who contributed toward the annual fee for this newsletter. You can still
donate now for other expenses.
Click to see the names of donors who paid so you can receive this newsletter.
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In closing, consider these verses taken from
new poems featured this month on the Jesus in Love Blog at Q Spirit:
My spirit's search for union
And my bodies strong desire
Unite in this sweet moment
To light the sacred fire
of love
-- from
"A Hymn to the Divine Yearning" by John Love
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I need a God
who sweats on me
and makes my muscles
ache and strain
Whose worship leaves
me needing a bath
when the last prayer
ends with the last Amen
--from
"I Need to Taste My God" by Jim Wise
Blessings,
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Kittredge Cherry
Publisher, Jesus In Love Newsletter and Q Spirit
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