13 10:29 AM

I was able to engage folks when I first arrived and after the service at 59:22.

This was my first experience at a Quaker service, and girl was it a warm and welcoming one. I was fortunate enough soon after visiting to become Facebook friends with Alivia, Peggy, & Ashley, three of the Quaker ministers that I had the great fortune of meeting that Sunday.

Still one my favorite religious services thus far, the Friends enjoy beautiful guitar accompanied hymns and are free to speak as the spirit moves them. The chapel layout was brilliant and probably one of my favorite parts of the whole experience. Instead of having the pews facing a pulpit, the rows are set up facing each other!  

The service began with a few hymns and then Alivia asked the gathered Friends what they were grateful for that day. After a bunch of folks shared some things that where on their heart, a prayer was said for all those who are in need. I time was then provided for quite reflection, followed by a recording of the ministry of Ashley, which unlike a “conferring”, is a recognition of the gift of ministry already in Ashley. Some of the Friends then shared what they felt compelled to with the congregation. The question was then asked a few minutes later if all hearts are clear, and then a closing prayer was offered.   

Following the service some refreshments were served and I got to spend almost forty minutes conversing with the Friends while sharing my experiences and thoughts on religion and politics. A short time later I learned that Peggy posted on her blog about my visit and even referred to me as the Mormon Jesus. I can’t wait to fellowship with them again!

Peggy’s blog post about my visit

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded over 70 services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and tried to ban me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

As I continue Kaufmaning Jesus, I hope to inspire the people of the United States to emulate the leaders they revere and think critically about the leaders they select to represent them; if Americans continue to autovote for Dempublicans who are beholden primarily to moneyed interests, we will continue to see our nation spiral out of control as we allow our planet to become uninhabitable and bombs to fall on the heads of our fellow humans. We must vote 3rd party unless our incumbent representative is really that amazing, and demand electoral reform as a requirement for our representatives’ to maintain their job security.

Lutheran Service 5/26/13 11:02 AM

I was able to engage folks after the service at 01:09:40.

My first Lutheran service was a pleasant one. The sermon was about the trinity and the importance of baptism. At one point the pastor told a story about how the theologian Augustine was walking along the beach and encountered a young boy who was retrieving water from the ocean and pouring it into a hole dug in the sand. When Augustine asked what he was doing, the boy replied that he was trying to pour the entire ocean into the hole. When Augustine replied that this was impossible because the whole ocean cannot fit into the hole, the boy replied neither can the infinite God, the holy trinity, fit into your finite mind.

The pastor also explained that the trinity is about relationships. To clarify, he quoted Augustine again when comparing God the father to a mother, Jesus to her beloved, and the spirit to the love between them. A baptism was also performed during the service as well.

While visiting afterward, I got to meet a few fine folks whom I was able to share a bunch of my experiences and concerns with. They seemed rather pleased by my presence. I look forward to taking them up on their offer to fellowship with them again.

United Methodist Service 5/19/13 11:15 AM

In addition to getting to meet some of the congregation when I first arrived, I was also able to engage folks after the service at 01:07:35.

The following is my first visit with the United Methodist community. This particular community is the one that was involved in founding Willamette University, the same university where I am currently attending law school. The things that stand out most about this community are their passion for social justice, the multitude of musical instruments played at various points in the service, and their proclivity to applaud after rousing performances and speeches. Although there have been a handful of other congregations that I have discovered since this service that applaud in church as well, this Methodist community was the first that I had ever seen do that. In addition to traditional hymns sung with organ accompaniment, there was also a contemporary rock band, a pianist, and a bells choir.

The service began with musical numbers, a recitation of spiritual affirmations, an invocation, and a reading from chapter 42 in the book of Isaiah. Some young men, one of them a brand new graduate from Willamette University and the other graduating from Sprague High School soon after this recording, then shared stories about who they had discovered God wants them to be. Following the speeches there was more music and a moment of silence for personal prayer and reflection in addition to a blessing and a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. Next there was a reading from chapter 4 of the epistle of James and the confirmation of some of the local youth. A few more musical numbers were played and offering plates were passed before a youth pastor who was moving on to another area was publicly thanked and prayed over. Finally, there was a closing hymn and benediction.

After the service I spoke with Dan, a member of the congregation, about Cross Dress to Church and my experiences growing up Mormon in New York. I also got into my issues with belief as the driving motivation in the majority of religious communities instead of focusing more on the quality of the wisdom found in the doctrines. He reassured me that the Methodist community encourages debate and values disagreement. I enjoyed the energy in this chapel and wide array of musical stylings in addition to the educational bent that has the potential to produce the kinds of conversations necessary to begin seeing more responsible voting. I hope to forge alliances with the people in the Methodist communities if they really are as into social justice as they seem.

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded over 70 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

Seventh Day Adventist Service 5/12/13 5:30 PM

In addition to getting to meet some of the congregation when I first arrived, I was also able to engage folks after the service at 01:16:20.

The following is a recording of my first Seventh Day Adventist service. I was pleasantly surprised to find church leaders who were extremely welcoming and rather open to discourse, not withstanding the seemingly strong focus on strict Biblical interpretation by the religion itself.

I was fortunate enough to attend on a day when there was a visiting speaker, a woman who did missionary work in Saudi Arabia. In that nation, the public practice of any non-Muslim religion is prohibited and the conversion from Islam to any other religion is punishable by death.

I got to share some of my experiences with the missionary and the local leadership, and express my gratitude for the woman’s willingness to travel to places with less freedom and stir discourse.

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded over 70 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

Evangelical Covenant Church Service 5/12/13 5:30 PM

In addition to getting to meet some of the congregation when I first arrived, I was also able to engage folks after the service at 01:20:25.

The following is a recording of my first visit with the Evangelical Covenant Church community, which is a Swedish branch of Lutheranism. At the beginning of the sermon, the pastor told the congregation that her son recently asked her what she meant when she said in a previous sermon that there is no hope for the dead. She proceeded to explain to the congregation that Jesus gives eternal life, and that without that eternal life there would be no hope for those who die. She went on to explain that Paul was encouraging the believers in Ephesus to strive to continue growing this hope through better knowing Jesus.
 
After a musical interlude, the pastor gave communion to the congregation, and following some more music she shared a Mother’s Day message before ending the service.  

There were nachos served and I was able to speak with the pastor and some of the congregants for quite some time afterward. I shared my experiences and got pretty heavy into the issues I have with the way many religious groups treat things like belief. This was certainly one of the most thoughtful communities I’ve visited thus far, and I am excited to visit with them in the future.

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded at least 70 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

Pentecostal Service 5/5/13 5:55 PM

In addition to getting to meet some of the congregation when I first arrived, I was also able to engage folks after the service at 01:13:00.

The following is a recording of my first Pentecostal service which was also my second religious service of the day. It happened to be a men’s service, but they were unfazed by my cross-dressed appearance and welcomed me in nonetheless. The program consisted of praise music in the beginning and concluded with a sermon on prayer.

  I had the opportunity to share some of my experiences with a bunch of the folks beforehand and following the service I was able to question some of the things that was shared during the sermon. Even though the congregants were insistent on the importance of belief in Jesus as one’s savior, they made sure to reassure me that I was welcome there anytime.

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded over 60 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

LDS Testimony Meeting 5/5/13 10:57 AM

LDS Service 5/5/13 10:57 AM

My comments begin at 48:16 and resume at 01:05:08.

This is the LDS testimony meeting from the 45th Ave meetinghouse in northeast Salem, where I was pushed aside by a member of the congregation who began to quote Galatians 1:6. This “scripture” frets over those who try to convert people to Christianity by way of “other” gospels which pervert the gospel of Christ. This self-righteous passage of the LDS cannon which the man quoted goes on to claim that such individuals who declare these “other” gospels will be “accursed.” Unfortunately this man did not see the irony of the possibility that the message he was defending while cutting off my time at the pulpit was the “other” gospel being referred to in this purported epistle of Paul’s. There were a few more testimonies after the interrupter which off-handedly dismissed some of the claims I had just made and then the meeting concluded.  

After the service I was confronted by two elder gentlemen who debated with me for a while before admitting to being lawyers. They continued to engage me for a bit after their confession while defending the man who rudely insinuated that I was “accursed”, but it wasn’t long before they were kicking me out of the building.

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded at least 60 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

JW Service 4/28/13 12:25 PM

In addition to getting to meet some of the congregation when I first arrived, I was also able to engage folks after the service at 01:43:10.

The following is my first recorded non-LDS service and my first Jehovah’s Witness service. After a warm meet-and-greet, they began with a prayer and scripture study which was in the style of a lecture with examples of people who properly applied the teachings of the Bible in their lives. There was then a studying of the Watchtower which had involvement by the congregation, but it was more a recitation of scripture and church doctrine than an interactive discussion.

Following the meeting I engaged the congregants and some of the leaders and discussed with them some of the issues I have with communities that worry about their salvation and the practice of shunning that can manifest itself within these communities. I also shared my appreciation for much of the wisdom found in holy texts, explained why I began cross-dressing to religious services, and spoke on the importance of critical thought. The folks here were rather responsive for quite some time before politely encouraging me to leave by thanking me for stopping by. I thanked them in return for their hospitality and reassured them that I’d visit again in the future.

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded 60 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

LDS Testimony Meeting 3/31/13 12:54 PM

LDS Service 3/31/13 12:54 PM

My comments begin at 58:43. My school was the second largest in Suffolk county*

This is the first LDS testimony meeting that I was able to attend since I began cross-dressing to religious services. A friend had recommended that I visit this particular ward, and having been met by cheery folks at this meetinghouse when I delivered the 95 LDS Theses a couple of weeks before, I was looking forward to this service. Before the meeting began I decided to symbolically make like Jesus when dealing with money changers by flipping a tithing envelop onto the floor.

I was also able to share a little bit about myself from the pulpit at the end of the service without any interference from the leaders or congregation before taking off on the final leg of my walk to spend Easter with my kids. Before I got very far and after I had already shut off the audio recording, one of the more devout-sounding testimony-bearers caught up to me and made sure to let me know that I was welcome back any time.

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded 60 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully nearly every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.

LDS Service 3/17/13 1:09 PM

LDS Service 3/10/13 1:00 PM

I was able to engage folks when I first arrived and after the service at 25:37.

The above link is the audio from part of an LDS service and the conversations that transpired afterward. At 1PM on March 17th, 2013, I tried to attend an LDS service at the Lockhaven Dr meetinghouse in Keizer, OR, but since the church website had the wrong times posted for their services, I ended up walking in on the last third of a Spanish service when I arrived. After the service, a missionary and I engaged in small talk for a bit and I then I began to share some of my experiences and issues that I have with the way some folks handle truth.

  A leader then approached and explained that he was expecting me and my list. The list he is referring to is the 95 LDS theses that I came across in my dealings with folks online who were frustrated with a bunch of the church’s practices and teachings. They wanted to share these issues with members of the church in a way that would peacefully get their attention so that many of those things could finally be addressed. After explaining my intentions and inquiring about my rights as a member of the church, I was funneled out of the building by the handful of Mormon vigilantes that had descended upon me.  

I began cross-dressing to religious meetinghouses of all sorts after learning of some Mormon women who received death threats for starting an event called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day.’ Having since recorded 60 different services, most of which have been different religious denominations, I continue to advocate for critical thought as I stand for the marginalized and underrepresented. Although the LDS church has officially excommunicated and banned me from their property, there were a few wards that seemed glad to have me in their midst and thankfully every other religious community I’ve visited has been at least tolerant, if not warm and welcoming when I visit.