I've come out about so many things over the course of my life that I really thought, in my mid-40's, that I was done. Disability, sexuality, gender, various other non-traditional choices about how I live my life…that's like, all the big stuff, right?

…Right?

Lost: My belief in God (and in the supernatural in general). Last seen in the late 90's, when I was a junior in high school.

I was pretty thoroughly convinced that that was the end of the story, in terms of my spirituality. What else could there possibly be? All of my previous exposure to religion suggested that you had to start with a belief in some kind of deity or deities.

Not to mention being queer, or trans, or feminist, or kinky, or any of the other parts of myself that I discovered (or became) as I grew up. Most religious Americans are Christian of one flavor or another. While there are certainly some progressive Christians out there, statistically speaking, I'm much more likely to encounter Christians who would consider at least one aspect of me (and often more than one) to be a Problem.

Lost: Membership in a spiritual community, a group of people with shared values and practices who celebrate together, mourn together, and take care of each other. Last seen: see above.

But over the past fifteen-ish years or so, every so often I would feel…a spark. Something that reminded me of how I used to feel as a kid in church, while also feeling completely different. And after a while, I noticed those sparks seemed to be coming from my brushes with progressive Jewish people.

Found: Connection with the Oneness, the Big Bigness, the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Connection with other people. Acceptance and welcoming (not just toleration).

The story of how I got from there to here is a long one (so far, it's taken about an hour each time I've told it). And I know it's a surprising one to many of the people I care about. So I'm starting this newsletter as a way to share with you how I got onto this path and what I have discovered (and continue to discover) along the way. My tentative plan is to:

• Share my ongoing spiritual journey and growing relationship with progressive Judaisms (e.g., Judaisms not centered on a militarized ethnostate; that are LGBTQ+ inclusive & supportive; and that seek justice while rejecting colonialism/racism/antisemitism/other -isms).
• Discuss the differences between conservative Christian beliefs and what I've learned so far in my progressive Jewish journey.
• Dispel inaccurate information about progressive Jewish thought and practice, particularly those that I was taught in church as a kid.
• Share reinterpretations of the Hebrew Bible stories I learned as a kid from a progressive Jewish lens. A lot of these stories have been very alienating to me from the time when I lost my Christian faith, and the opportunity to see them in a new light has been a balm to my soul.
• Explain the progressive Jewish values and concepts that I'm learning that I find particularly hopeful or exciting.

Thank you for listening and for joining me on my journey!