Why Should We Care?
As I write this, I am looking forward to interviewing three amazing people who have dedicated their lives to Christ in different forms of ministry. One is a pastor, one is a lay minister and one is in music ministry. They all love Jesus, were brought up in the church and serve Christ in their lives. There is one other thing that these folks have in common. They are all gay. Tomorrow night we will hear their stories of growing up in a church that has historically rejected anyone who does not fit the norm of heterosexuality.
The church that I have belonged to for the past 33 years is near and dear to my heart. The people of Grace church are like family to me. I taught Sunday school, led youth Bible studies and youth group, I’ve sung in the choir and praise team, led women’s bible studies, and served on various committees. All of these things have been nourishing to my soul and have been ways to serve and bring Glory to God, but none of them have taken me out of my comfort zone, as Reconciling Ministry has.
The journey I am inviting you to join me on will take you out of your comfort zone. It certainly has not been an easy one for me. But it is one that will stretch you in ways that will nourish your soul and show you how big and how amazing our God is.
My journey began when our son told his father and me in the fall of 2014, that after struggling for six years, he had finally come to accept the fact that he is gay. Since then, I have come to know that between six and eight youth of Grace in the past ten years have also come to this realization. Some have stuck with their faith, sadly some have not.
These young people are the reason that I am ‘fighting for’ our church to become affirming of LGBTQ+ persons. We can no longer ignore the fact that these people exist and they are growing up in our families and in our churches. If we don’t embrace them for who they are, then we might as well shut the doors of our churches now, because young people such as these and their friends are leaving the church in droves because of their perception that it is not a safe and loving place anymore.
“We have lost too many opportunities to nurture and disciple young people. At a time when their hearts are so open and shareable, we sabotage any desire they may have to do kingdom work, by continuing to believe lies that drive them away. And not just our LGBTQ children but our straight children as well, for they have hearts for their LGBTQ friends, and they can spot our inconsistencies a mile away. God is inviting us to spiritually nurture and disciple our LGBTQ young people, to encourage them in the gifts God has given them to serve the church.” Sally Gray - Affirming, a Memoir of Faith, Sexuality and Staying in the Church
Will you join me on this journey of Faith to become the church that God desires us to be?
An inclusive church that welcomes and embraces ALL people for who they are, not for who we want them to be. A church that meets people where they are, as Jesus does, and loves them unconditionally and without an agenda.
This is the church that Grace UMC of Wyckoff can be -
An Inclusive Community that is Passionately Following Jesus Christ.
Join us tomorrow evening April 20th at 7:30 pm on zoom
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