for To the Tune of a Welcoming God

“Beautifully composed in the alluring spirit of love and filled with healing strength—a powerful, positive force, for the soul.”
– Jeff Lutes, Executive Director, Soulforce

“Why would a straight, married father of five write such a wonderful book affirming GLBT people like me? Because he is so passionate about the Gospel! Unique in its scope—essays and op-ed pieces, hymn texts and reflections on the wisdom of children in his Sunday School class—To the Tune of a Welcoming God is playful and deeply serious, theologically sound and lyrically poetic. This book is a gift to the church, the academy and people longing for a Christ-shaped Church!”
– The Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lundblad, Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching, Union Theological Seminary, New York City

“Writing with a clarity and passion reminiscent of Robert McAfee Brown, these words by an insightful ally will help many enter into the kind of thoughtful conversation desperately needed in the church.”
– Marvin Ellison, Willard S. Bass Professor of Christian Ethics, Bangor Theological Seminary Portland, Maine; Author, Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality

“David Weiss is called to the ministry of words. Always fresh, incisive, honest, and sometimes edgy, he calls us to understanding and action.”
– Emily Eastwood, Executive Director, Lutherans Concerned/North America

“Body and soul come together in this beautiful, inspiring worship and meditation resource celebrating God’s love for all of God’s children. I wholeheartedly commend To the Tune of a Welcoming God.”
– Michael J. Adee, Executive Director and Field Organizer, More Light Presbyterians

“Theological clarity meets poetic grace. In our work for a more just and extravagantly welcoming Church, there is no stronger ally and friend than David Weiss and no more artistic work than his.”
– The Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Institute for Welcoming Resources and Faith Work Director, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

“A heartfelt compilation of great beauty and honesty. To a church hungry for wisdom and grace, Weiss’s unwavering focus on God’s loving and welcoming embrace offers a veritable feast—one that both nourishes and delights.”
– Michael J. Bayly, Executive Coordinator, The Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities; Editor, The Progressive Catholic Voice

“David puts into words what many of us just barely grasp at the edges of our imagination. He helps us see—with beautiful urgency—where we are so we begin to understand what it will take to move towards where we want to be.”
– Amalia Vagts, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries

“As we journey with GLBTQ youth, we are profoundly grateful for David’s writing. His words offer the hope and pose the challenges that will make a better world for the youth with whom we work.”
– Ross Murray, the Rev. Brad Froslee, and the Rev. Jay Wiesner, Co-Directors, The Naming Project

“As a gay man, musician, writer, theologian, and spiritual director, I say ‘Hallelujah!’ for the tune David Weiss sings in these pages. As with all timeless music, there is discordance when there needs to be, harmony when called for, and frequently surprising cadences. My own heart is lifted up by this music!”
– Douglas Federhart, M.Div., Spiritual director and member of Spirit of the Lakes United Church of Christ, Minneapolis

“Incredibly insightful, wholistic, and prophetic! David challenges us to embrace the whole of God’s creation—including those parts that make us squirm—such as our neighbor’s sexuality. He invites us to use all of our ordinary lives to celebrate and worship our extraordinary God.”
– John Eric Rolfstad, Seattle, Coordinator, Lutherans Concerned/North America Biennial Retreat at Holden Village

“To paraphrase and then to quote Walt Whitman’s famous lines in Leaves of Grass: After the scientists, biblical scholars, and theologians have had their say . . . ‘Finally shall come the poet worthy of that name, the true son of God shall come singing his songs.’ While Weiss is hardly The son of God, he surely is one of them and doubtless a poet. I urge you to join in ‘singing his songs.’”
– The Rev. Paul W. Egertson, Bishop Emeritus, Southwest California Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

“If we had only one ally to represent the theological gifts and justice concerns of our community to the wider Church, we would choose David Weiss. His eloquent voice, fine mind, and passion for justice are a gift of prophetic grace.”
– The Revs. Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart, St. Paul, MN, ordained extra ordinem, San Francisco, 1990

“David’s writings capture the things I wish could have been said to me along the way as I struggled—for twenty-five years—to find a voice as a gay member of the clergy. May the church find many more voices like his!”
– The Rev. David Starbuck Gregory, Senior Pastor, North Congregational United Church of Christ, Middletown, New York

“David’s passion for justice cannot be confined to the mere prose that the rest of us teachers, writers and theologians have at our disposal. He is the Lutheran equivalent of Father Daniel Berrigan, S.J., my colleague at Cornell University in years past!”
– Lee E. Snook, Professor of Theology, Emeritus, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota

“For those already singing rich harmonies and those quietly adding tentative voices, David’s faithful, honest, edgy writings invite us all to find our voice and experience in the song. As an out, serving, partnered Lutheran pastor, I give deep thanks for David, his wise scholarship, pastoral ear, and prophetic voice.”
– The Rev. Jen Nagel, Pastor, Salem English Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, ordained extra ordinem, 2008

“A lyrical invitation to each of us to think anew about ‘sexuality, spirituality, and the wideness of God’s welcome.’ Along with David, I, too, ‘hope that the church will dare to sing along.’”
– The Rev. Lowell O. Erdahl, Bishop Emeritus, Saint Paul Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

“A truly ‘incarnational’ text that helps us see, hear, taste, smell, and touch in ways most moving and persuasive. David’s words take on flesh, dwelling in our midst and changing our lives.”
– Tobias Winright, Assistant Professor of Moral Theology, Saint Louis University

“Plumbs the depths of the human spirit—with creative, passionate insight—in exploring sexuality and justice in church and society.”
– The Rev. Paul A. Tidemann (retired), former pastor at St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church, Saint Paul, Minnesota

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