Skip to main content

Marvin Confesses

In which Marvins, influenced by your comments, reveals a huge hidden problem that's unearthed in his life.
this is an audio post - click to play

Comments

Heath said…
Hey, Marvin-

I just wanted to leave you a comment to let you know how much I enjoy listening to your audio posts. They're all so honest and vulnerable; it's really moving. It's good that you're keeping guard on your pride, and I hope you pray about your situation and do what you feel is right. But I just wanted to tell you that if you decide to stop posting, you will be greatly missed!
12:50 PM
Christine Bakke said…
Marvin, this post of yours really moved me. It made me terribly sad, because I feel bad for you trying to deal with this and sort all of this out, and I feel bad for me because I spent so long feeling like every time someone had a problem with something I did or said that it must be because of something that was wrong with me.

It sounds to me like you are what I would call a "truth teller" - and that tends to not be a very popular thing, especially in religious circles. If you tell the truth about how you see things, or how things make you feel, it often gets thrown back at you as if there is something wrong with you, not the situation. And it's really easy for people to do when those of us who struggle with our sexuality issues (I used to consider myself ex-gay, so I know what your struggle is like to some degree) are so willing to think that we're "less than" simply because we are not straight. In other words, everything about us is wrong or tainted because of our sexuality, while everything they say is automatically right because they are "whole" and straight.

I don't know if this applies to you, but it's what your post made me think of. Do you think you really have a problem with authority figures? If you disagree with something an authority figure tells you, does it mean that you are automatically wrong or rebellious? Do they have a legitimate reason to be an authority figure to you, or is it just because they are straight, and therefore more "whole" than you?

I don't know if any of these questions help, but they are questions that I've had to seriously consider in my life.

I appreciate your posts and I hope you continue to do them. They are making me think!
4:10 PM
Willie Hewes said…
Marvin,

It may be true that there is a natural hierarchy to things, as you say. But every person is accountable first of all to themselves, and, in your case, to God. As you are an adult, it is your responsibility to choose your leaders carefully, examine the person you want to submit to, and make sure it is the right thing to do.

I share other people's worries about a pastor who does not want people outside of the church to know what goes on inside. I hope you will find the way forward.

I enjoy your audioblogs, and would be sad if this were the last one, but it's your decision, and I will respect it, whatever you choose to do.

Thanks for your honest blogging, and I hope we'll hear from you again.
3:41 AM
Jonathan said…
Marvin:

I very much enjoyed your blog! I must tell you that I've dealt with authority issues in my life. This idea of a covering is very important when it comes to living a healthy life before God.

For a long time I thought I was the weak link in the chain. One day however I was talking to a friend who knew of my situation and he said "perhaps you aren't the weak link...perhaps you're under the wrong covering."

I John 4:1 from The Message translation says: "My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world."

Make certain you're under the right cover! In the meantime, don't go away...your posts have a way of cheering me up. And someone dared call you Marvin "Gloom"...whatever!

j.
5:02 PM
Peterson Toscano said…
I've made sure to get your comments to Marvin. He has not returned my calls, so I left very long messages for him reading your comments. I do hope he comes around. Although I disagree with many things he says about politics and religion and I can agree with him emotionally (if that makes any sense).

I'll leave him another message tonight to just let me know that he is okay. Will keep you posted.
P
9:27 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The False Image of LIA

John Smid and me-Graduation 1998 (above) & John Smid today (left) By now many have heard that Tennessee's Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities determined that the "ex-gay" program, Love in Action, is operating two “unlicensed mental health supportive living facilities”. LIA has until Friday, September 23 to respond. If LIA statements in Eartha Jane Melzer's article are indicative to how the "change" program might respond, we may see LIA change right before our eyes from a clinical mental health compound into a house of praise and worship. Gerard Wellman, business administrator for Love in Action, and a former Love in Action client, said Sept. 13 that the organization has been in contact with the state but would not comment further. “As a church, we operate under a different set of rules,” Wellman said. Curious, and what rules might these be? What is even more curious is that according to LIA's site only one staff member ...
158 comments
Read more

My Gay Husband--A Spouse Speaks Out

The other day I received the following e-mail from Susanne, a woman who found out her some years ago that her husband has same-sex attractions. I felt so moved by her words that I asked her permission to share them with you on the blog. I (recently) saw your Doin Time... and I was the one who asked about your wife during the discussion period that followed. I just read your thoughts on What About the Spouse ....and I can say, most women who find out their husbands are gay feel ALL of those things you wondered about....some in more degrees than others... When my husband was dragged out of the closet because of his irreverent, immoral, and amoral behavior that our, then, 14 and 16 year old sons had to find on our home computer, I went into the closet. I didn't know what to pray for.... Do I pray that this will go away? Do I pray that he could go back to the way things were in our family before we knew about him,? Do I pray that I could go back to the way things were? After all ,...
122 comments
Read more

Puzzled

Last night I performed Transfigurations-Transgressing Gender in the Bible at Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church in Glen Mills, PA (about 15 miles outside of Philly). I had a diverse audience of about 45 people -- college students, Quakers, straight, bi, trans and lesbian, young and old. I took my time with the piece maintaining a gentle meditative pace. For the ending when I reveal the identity of the narrator, I had instructed the light tech to dim the lights. Then as the closing music swelled, I asked her to raise the lights to their brigthest intensity. With the music playing, I exited. Always (up until last night) at this point the audience applauds, I wait 5 seconds then come out to take a bow. Last night I exited and then nothing. No one clapped. They sat quietly as the music played. I stood back stage puzzled, baffled. Now what do I do? Wait? Go out anyway? And I wondered for a moment, Did they hate it? Did I confuse them? Offend them? Bore them into a coma? After what ...
17 comments
Read more