You are so blessed – and at The Met, we want to remind you how much God loves you! We are about building a VIP church – one that is “Vibrant, Inclusive and Progressive.” Today, I honor our deaf community – saying we are all important in the realm of God.
I love the greeting in the movie Avatar – “I see you.” And, that is what I want our spiritual community to be about – where we see, honor, help, share and love one another.
Truly, God has said we are to be a house of prayer for all people. Does that include those who are on the fringes of society? Yes! Does that include those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, straight? Yes! My house shall be a house of prayer for all people!
In thinking about being a vibrant church, I looked up the definition for the word vibrant, and one that jumped out at me was, “Vibrant – pulsating with life, vigor and activity.”
As you know, there are many opportunities for you to get involved in one or more of our ministry and outreach programs here. There are many ways you can become part of a smaller group within the larger church.
Being a vibrant church doesn’t happen when just a few of the same people are doing it all. It’s when we all are doing our part – sharing our gifts and talents. You’ll never know how blessed you could be by giving, getting more involved and getting to know others and giving them the privilege of getting to know you too.
Another definition of vibrant is “responsive and sensitive.” Being responsive to the needs present and being sensitive to others and that still small voice within us – calling us to maybe take a risk, to step out of our comfort zone – and say yes. Try it, you might like it!
I really like the synonyms for vibrant (wouldn’t it be great to be a part of a church that is) – “abuzz, astir, bustling, busy, buzzing, flourishing, happening, hopping, humming, lively, rousing, thriving and alive!” Together, we can make this happen! These things are already happening, but, let me tell you, they could happen even more with you!
Being an inclusive church, is one that is not just inwardly focused but a church that looks beyond its four walls. Knowing that we are called to make a difference in the world! That’s an audacious goal, but it is a worthy one! MCC’s around the world have already made such an impact on the Christian and other faith communities – that the world will never be the same as a result of Troy Perry’s gathering of 12 people in his living room in Los Angeles in 1968!
In the news a few weeks ago, you couldn’t help but see the headlines of the protests going on in the Muslim world as a result of a U.S.-made film which mocks Islam. Scores of people have been killed in several countries as a result of the riots.
Included in these deaths is American ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens and we offer our condolences and sincere, heartfelt prayers to all those who have been affected.
Throughout the world, it seems that religious difference and intolerance seems to be on the rise, even in our own country, as people of faith struggle to live in a more pluralistic world.
Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, spiritual, agnostic, atheist, pagan, new age – whatever title we assign ourselves, we are having to learn to share the cosmic space and to exercise the values of the faith and value systems that guide our respective religions.
To mock another’s religion, faith or experience is not a value of God. To use the name of religion to justify killing, harming or maiming does not represent the God that I have come to know and cherish in my life or practice of my faith.
In fact, the spiritual values of this community have taught me to not only accept diversity, but to celebrate it; and to give thanks for the many ways that God shows up in our world, through many faiths and many paths.
Yes, for me, I have found Jesus to be the path that I have chosen, but God is so much bigger than just my, or any other, one person’s experience.
In listening to your stories, I have come to know, first hand, the damage that is done when people of faith claim that their “God” is bigger and better than someone else’s.
As a community of faith that’s vibrant, inclusive and progressive, we too have experienced exclusion and someone else’s interpretation of God. We, too, have experienced mocking, judgments and some have been killed, harmed and maimed for daring to believe in a God of love and inclusion.
Such fundamentalism and “toxic” religion has caused many to turn from God and to believe that there is no such “person.” The God that we have been taught about has raised many questions and led some to behaviors that are destructive and damaging, not only to oneself, but to others.
God calls us to live in harmony and love with one another and to respect each other. This is being inclusive!
“Do unto others as you would have done unto you” is a Golden Rule that I learned at a young age and it is something that I have tried to live by.
As we reflect on the events of this week caused by religious intolerance and hatred of “other,” I pray that we find it within ourselves to reach out with “Namaste” and to bring the presence of God to ourselves, to our community and to our world.
My Rabbi friends always invite me into “Shalom,” to a deep peace that is offered if we choose to follow the ways of love, peace and joy.
With Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and many others we must learn to coexist and respect one another in order to find the truth of God that is beyond our understanding and comprehension … a God that is so great! One God – with many names! Praise God!
PS: You are invited to our Halloween annual Trunk-n-Treat in our church parking lot Saturday, Oct. 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Bring your kids – lots of candy, hotdogs and games! Free!
Rev. Dan Koeshall is the Senior Pastor at The Metropolitan Community Church (The Met) in San Diego, California, themetchurch.org
