Sunday, January 4, 2009

SOME INSIGHTS FROM SISTER PAULA: TRANSGENDER MINISTER

Sister Paula is a transgender preacher who has been out since 1963. I have had occasion to talk about her in a post I did several months ago, and I want to show you this video where she speaks of people "without natural affection" (a biblical phrase that is often ignorantly and despicably distorted to refer to Gay people), and the tremendous damage those parents "without natural affection" do to their LGBT children.



In the following video, Sister Paula talks about the need for authenticity in living one's life, and certainly in living the Christian life, and she uses her own example of being a transgender Christian. In this connection, I like Troy Perry's statement that it's important to "keep the main thing the main thing," meaning that one's Christian commitment, one's commitment to Christ, must transcend everything else in one's life.

All too often, LGBT people and Straight people identify themselves by their sexual orientation and/or sexual identity, whereas one's sexual orientation and/or identity represents only one part of the whole mosaic of what constitutes a human being. When one is a Christian, a follower of Jesus, that fact must be the prism through which one sees the world, other people, and his/her many God-given gifts, not the least of which is the capacity to love another human being, be that person of the same or opposite sex.

It's important to never let other people define our realities or define our worth, as we are not answerable to other people for being who God made us to be, but we are only answerable to God! Sister Paula decided many years ago that she would live a life of authenticity, and since she has come out her God-given ministry has touched, and undoubtedly salvaged, literally thousands of lives.

Yes, God makes His transgender children too! What is considered a "mistake" by many people is a "treasure," indeed a gift, in the eyes of God Who doesn't make any mistakes! As the Apostle Peter said to Cornelius: "...God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." (Acts 10:28)

Sister Paula's ministry has undoubtedly saved the lives of countless LGBT people, and she has been a wonderful role model for all transgender people, and especially for transgender Christians. She and her ministry have blessed countless numbers of people over these many years, and I want to share some of her preaching with you in the hopeful expectation that you, too, will be blessed by what she has to say.

Her preaching on the need for all of us to be authentic is seen in the following video:

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4 comments:

genevieve said...

Jerry, I listen to Sister Paula's podcasts every week and have been blessed by her ministry.

I'm appalled by the minister (I believe I know who he is) who says that parents should throw out their gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender child. No wonder they reject the bible and Christianity.

This is why I want to reach out to LGBT people and share with them that God loves them as they are.

Jerry Maneker said...

Hi Genevieve: It's so important for you to continue your work and ministry. All too often, the LGB communities are discussed, and hardly anything about God's transgender children. Even many in the Gay communities discriminate against them, and the discrimination and consequent frequent self-loathing cause unnecessary shame among so many. Therefore, it's very important to reiterate that God doesn't make mistakes; He loves His transgender children whom He made in His own image. God bless you for your wonderful work and ministry. Best wishes, Jerry.

Leonard said...

It's important to never let other people define our realities or define our worth, as we are not answerable to other people for being who God made us to be, but we are only answerable to God! ¨ JM

It´s a Golden Rule...hard to do but gaining on courage doesn´t always come so naturally...poco a poco as they say down my way.

Thanks for Sister Paula

Jerry Maneker said...

Amen, Leonardo!