Out with a Passion: A United Methodis Pastor's Quest for Authenticity

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful expression of the importance of honesty
Review: The power of the words Dr. Rossiter uses to describe his emotions as he goes through the struggle to understand himself as a gay man, a Christian, and a pastor, go beyond my ability to describe them. He uses words and phrases that convey the depth of his pain, his anger, and his joys loudly and clearly. He pulls no punches in his growing anger toward the contradictory stance of the United Methodist church on the issue of homosexuality, and in the spirit-filled language he uses to describe his relationships with his family, his friends, his lover, and with God. Although I am not a gay person, I can nonetheless appreciate and learn from his struggle to be authentic with himself, to embrace every part of his being, and to realize that he can and should be everything God created him to be. It's a lesson for all of us struggling to be honest with our true selves and worry that our true selves will not be "good enough" for other people and for God. The reality, though, is God's love and grace is all sufficient and is not withheld from any of God's children. And ALL of us are God's children. Thank you, Dr. Rossiter, for reminding us of the fullness of God's love!