Anthony Ray “It smells like Purell and incense…” The two pungent scents fused together as we lined up in the back of the nave at St. James Wilshire, waiting to process up the aisle toward the choir stalls and sing Evensong. Americans finally realized that we are not immune to a disease ravaging other countries. Hand sanitizers are stationed at the entrances of buildings like … Continue reading Now is the Time
Anthony Ray Beautiful is the unmeaning of (silently) falling (everywhere) snow. – e e cummings * * * There is an isolating quietness that comes with snowfall which seems to muffle all the world around it. My world felt almost muted on Thursday as I woke up and heard nothing. A pale, gray light faintly illuminated my room as I finally woke up on Thanksgiving … Continue reading A Thanksgiving Day Reflection
Anthony Ray While I have not taken the time in this essay to go into much detail concerning my musical background nor my sexuality within the context of faith, I have written extensively on both in A Peculiar People: A Journey in Faith and Sexuality, Fifteen Years a Musician and a Trans-Generational Bond, and Tata Andres. * * * We had just finished a rather … Continue reading Discernment: A Call to the Priesthood
by Anthony Ray “Today was a gift from God.” Our eyes were locked when he said this to me as we sat in my car, my hand held securely within his very warm hand. Just a little over a week before, we had met for the first time while I was visiting a friend in Salt Lake City. We had matched on Tinder Saturday (the … Continue reading Brief Encounters: A Spiritual Reflection on Relationships
Continued from Part III De profundis The brick wall that I had built up around my heart to keep others from looking in had taken a significant blow. I’ve always felt very deep emotions, but each brink that I had strategically placed over the years kept me from truly being able to feel. All of the sudden, joy became inexpressible; but depression was as dark … Continue reading A Peculiar People: A Journey in Faith and Sexuality, Part IV
Continued from Part II Self-confidence Having finally admitted my secret to myself and to another person, I started to pray more fervently for God to take away these same-sex attractions from me. I prayed this for years with no change. If anything, the desires only increased. But there was no way I could ever act out on my feelings. There was too much at stake. … Continue reading A Peculiar People: A Journey in Faith and Sexuality, Part III
Continued from Part I Don’t Wink at Sin In the fall of 2009, I was a freshman at West Coast Baptist College. The college, the school, and the church all occupy the same property and are basically one and the same. Despite a more rigid daily schedule, it wasn’t too much of a shock going from the comforts of my homeschooled environment to that of … Continue reading A Peculiar People: A Journey in Faith and Sexuality, Part II
Preface Writing has often been a way for me to cope with various emotions – particularly depression. During the month of December, I hit a very low point in my life. Completely depleted emotionally, I turned to writing as a source of renewal and inspiration. There was only one topic I wanted to write about: my journey in faith and sexuality within the Independent Fundamental … Continue reading A Peculiar People: A Journey in Faith and Sexuality, Part I
Sporadic Wanderlust 