For it was you who formed my inward parts;

   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

   Wonderful are your works;

that I know very well.

Psalm 139:13-14

If you didn’t know (or hadn’t heard)…

Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBTQIA community. It’s a chance to honor more of the diversity of God’s expression in humanity. It’s important to me for a number of a reasons. 

When I became disenchanted and left the church at age 18, it was principally over what I saw as the hypocrisy of welcome in the church. A young heterosexual couple would come through the door with a baby in a stroller and folks would fall over themselves trying to greet them (and possibly to get them to join a board or a committee—some things never change). But two men walking into a sanctuary hand in hand would just as quickly be asked to leave. 

Now that was 1988, and I get it, the world was apparently “not ready” for certain changes yet. 

At the same time, I was embarking in a career in the theatre. And not to generalize, but gay folks have always been welcomed in the theater circles I’ve been a part of. I came to learn their lives as testaments to being set aside and left out. They told me about the times they were beaten by macho thugs who were apparently too insecure about their own lives to be able to let someone else live theirs. We watched as the AIDS crisis spun out of control, while leaders in our country turned their backs and said it was “just a gay problem.” 

It wasn’t, as we all learned.

In fact, like any crisis, when one of God’s children is threatened, in a sense, we all are. 

But I made a mistake. I left the church, rather than trying to be a force for good and change. Ten years later, when I joined the Riverside Church in Harlem, New York, I was embarrassed to find that the church had a float in the annual New York City Pride parade. I had decided the issue of welcome for the LGBTQIA community in the churches was already lost; others never gave up! I’m grateful for their hard work, because I know in my heart of hearts that God welcomes everyone just as they are, and that God loves everyone just as they are. 

You are fearfully and wonderfully made, just as Psalm 139 says. It’s not for us to determine who is and who isn’t fearfully and wonderfully made. In my faith journey, I celebrate us all.

Is the work done? Nope!

There are still churches that exercise their privilege around disinviting people. I’m grateful that before I even arrived, Pilgrim Church was well on our way to ratifying a wonderful welcome statement. I’ll close with it, and I urge you to share it with anyone you think might be uplifted to hear it. 

     Seeking to be inclusive, Pilgrim Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, of Southborough welcomes individuals regardless of gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, age, ability, ethnicity, faith background, or socio-economic status.  We commit ourselves to the ongoing work of being an Open and Affirming (ONA) Church reflecting Jesus’ wish: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34)  We are an inclusive church:  We welcome everyone.