E. Scott Jones's Blog, page 2

Book Release in the Press

This last week the publication of Open: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Sexuality in the Heartland was covered in local media in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Gazette, for whom I once wrote, did a fabulous piece on the book, which you can read here.

And the University of Oklahoma, one of my alma maters, included the news in the OU Daily, which you can see here.

I’m guessing The Bison, the newspaper of my other alma mater, Oklahoma Baptist University, won’t be reviewing the book?

 

30th Anniversary of First Sermon

August 21 was the 30th anniversary of the very first sermon I ever preached, at the tender age of 14 (a story told in my memoir Open).

To commemorate the anniversary I preached on the same text.

You can watch or listen to the sermon on my church’s website here.

Advance Praise for Open: A Memoir

“Scott’s is a story at once both familiar and unique.  He is a great story teller because we are invited to reflect how his story is our story, and even a part of the Sacred Story of God’s dance with each of us.  I found myself pausing often to reflect on my own journey as Scott’s honesty startled me into nostalgia.  It is also a story of hope.  A good story speaks for people as much as to  people and Open invites us to do just that as we hear our story in Scott Jones’.  This opened my heart...

Open’s Soundtrack

While writing the memoir Open, I listened to a lot of music.  Sometimes I knew just what to listen to because a particular song, album, or artist was relevant to a particular time period or story or setting.  Here are a few suggestions for music to accompany the book.

Music that Fits the Story

Pretty much anything R. E. M.
They’ve been my favorite band since high school so you can play them for any time and any place.

Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean”
When you are home alone and feel like dancin...

Open: A Memoir of Faith, Family, & Sexuality in the Heartland

Open is a story of coming out as a gay man while working as a Baptist youth minister in Texas. Open is a story about a typical Christian evangelical family in the American heartland that must grapple with the child who challenges their understanding of the world and disappoints their expectations. Open is a story set on the front lines of the struggle for LGBT equality in the 21st century.

Open explores the universal question of how we as humans live true to ourselves when the network of rela...

Little Scotty

Reading Open and curious about young Scotty?  Here are some childhood photos.

Grown Scott Photos

Reading Open and want to see some photos?

Scott & Pappoo in 2010 Scott in the Oklahoma City Pride Parade Scott & Michael in 2010 Scott outside his childhood home in Miami, Oklahoma First Baptist Church Miami, Oklahoma Scott & his Mom in 2009 Cathedral of Hope Oklahoma City during a parade Michael & Scott’s wedding Harry speaking at the wedding in 2009