Sublime

Any and all of Thom’s attention aroused him, whether personal or professional. It made him wonder what Thom would do with him, how he would provoke him next.

One who has been chosen to walk the boundaries. One who somehow has an understanding of the mysteries of the world and who sees in the clawing briars God’s own handwriting.

rusticated

I always wanted more from him. The desire never went away, was never fully satiated even when we were together. This constant longing kept me company. I actually didn’t mind it. When you’re in the closet, you learn to flatten your insides as a means of survival, so longing, by contrast, wasn’t so bad.

Being all things to all people, if this is our ministerial goal, ought to begin with being all ourselves to God who approves us, qualifies us, commissions us, and loves us.

As in so much of this book, I am interested in generativity;

With God’s happiness, he writes back, I accept the pedestal of power,

diaspora

Whatever we worship shapes our identity. It could be sexuality, vocation, family, or gender. Whatever it might be, we were made to cleave to God for identity and meaning.