It was with some trepidation that I (Beth) approached our second annual West Coast Generous Space Retreat at Camp Squeah in Hope, BC. I tend to approach the second time doing something with the pressure of the expectations established the first time around, and the drive to make it even better. I knew we had 65…
“to retreat: to step back, withdraw, rest” When it comes to our Generous Space Retreats, and particularly our 5th annual Ontario Generous Space Retreat… the above definition of “retreat” isn’t a great fit. Let me explain why… A month and a half ago, 140 people assembled at the YMCA Geneva Park retreat centre in Orillia, ON…
Check out our other Generous Space Retreat 2017 blog reflections HERE!
Wendy: A few weeks ago, I moderated a panel discussion that featured four panelists talking about faith communities, the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, and what that looks like as people hold diverse convictions about same-sex marriage. The panelists shared some things in common and some things that were distinctly different. While this was not a…
For this month’s “Art Friday,” we’re excited to feature Eric Van Giessen, a member of our Toronto Generous Space Group, who recently published a zine of poetry called “Queerly Faithful” as part of an autoethnographic research study he did with other LGBTQ+ Christians, including several from our community. Eric says of the zine: Our hope and…
Fun Home a Family Tragicomic Alison Bechdel “In this graphic memoir, Alison Bechdel charts her fraught relationship with her late father. Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the Fun Home. It was not until college that Alison,…
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Becky Albertalli Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda is a moving story that focuses on one teenage boy and all of his significant relationships – the boy who is blackmailing him, the other boy who he flirts with online but has never met, and his tight-knit friend group that seems…
The Miseducation of Cameron Post Emily M. Danforth The first half of Cameron Post is beautifully descriptive story of a closeted lesbian in small town Montana who quietly wonders if her sexuality is to blame for her parents’ death. Cameron is forced to move in with her conservative and religious grandmother and Aunt Ruth, and although…
I’ll Give You The Sun Jandy Nelson This story opens with 13 year old twins, Jude and Noah, who might as well be conjoined they are so close. We initially read this history through the lens of Noah, even though he is clearly the quiet and shy one of the two. When the story flashes…
Keeping You A Secret Julie Anne Peters With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland Jaeger. At least it seems to be. But when Cece Goddard comes to school, everything changes. Cece and Holland have…