As a progressive Christian, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to a loving God; this article reflects one of those ways. Take from here what works for you. Celebrate life with joy and peace!
Happy 45th anniversary MCC San Diego!
Anytime people come together to be encouraged, to share their best, to embrace a vision for the future; anytime people come together to speak a word of healing to the hurting, to love and be loved, to affirm the sacred value of all people then the power of love is made manifest, the wind of the spirit blows, the Christ Light shines and those dead in despair are raised to new lives of peace and purpose.
We at The Met are committed to sharing the Good News of God’s inclusive love to all people in every way we can. Our anniversary isn’t just a glorification of what has been, a walk down memory lane, but it’s an affirmation of who we are and of what still can be!
Metropolitan Community Churches may have started 47 years ago to create a safe spiritual home for gay men and lesbians and their allies, but the mission continued to expand and grow from there, and transgender and intersex and gender non-conforming people were brought into the fold, and feminist theology and the recognition of the sacredness of the feminine was brought into the collective consciousness; when the AIDS crisis hit, MCC was a leader in showing compassion to those who needed it most, and when human rights violations would take place anywhere in the world MCC raised a voice calling for healing and justice.
I like how one person put it: MCC was started to include some on the margins, but has grown to include and bless and uplift many, and as everyone at some point has probably needed to hear of their sacred value and worthiness, (no matter their social status or personal circumstances), the message of MCC is still needed today!
An anniversary isn’t only a glorification of what has been, but a call to action for what still needs to be done.
We are a people of faith! Our faith helps us hope even when hope seems ridiculous. Hold on! Hold on when life seems crazy and out of control! We long for better days, and sometimes those days come quickly, and sometimes they seem a long way off; either way, it is our faith and hope that sustains us and keeps us knowing there is still joy to be had and joy to share.
There are choices we can make, attitudes we can cultivate, thoughts we can think on that will reduce our suffering and help lift us above the disappointments in life.
The good we seek already exists in the realm of possibilities, and we can learn to more fully see it and then seize it. “What we focus on we tend to attract.” Right?
The writer of Timothy 2 tells us that God has already given us great resilience, the power to call on hope, the ability to love ourselves and to choose our thoughts, attitudes and focus.
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but rather of empowerment, love and self-discipline.”
Luke 17 shows the disciples asking for more faith. But more isn’t always what’s necessarily needed. Jesus responds by telling them to use the faith they have, the ability to trust the Divine goodness that is already within them.
Let’s look at it another way. You already trust life to some degree. Even if you trust it to be lousy, that’s still trust, or faith; now, learn to use it more positively and you can turn some things around, or at the very least, change how you understand or experience what happens in life.
But what God does for us, God does through us.
Someone once complained to Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes of MCC Toronto, Canada saying that they weren’t getting fed in church anymore. And Rev. Hawkes said, “Maybe it’s time to take off the bib and put on an apron … maybe you aren’t being fed because you aren’t doing any serving.”
And it’s true, isn’t it? Babies and invalids, plants and pets need to be fed; the rest of us need to help with the cooking and serving. And, as we do, there are lots of tasty bites for us along the way, and the joy of doing something that matters. What God does for us, God does through us. Our hands are God’s hands. Maybe that’s why Jesus’ brother James told his community, “Faith without words is dead.”
Remember in Genesis 2, God created a garden, but needed a gardener. That’s us. God needs partners. That’s us. Instead of begging God to do more, maybe we can do more with what God has already given us; maybe then we’ll see the miracles that God wished us to have all along!
Thank God, for Troy Perry, who didn’t wait for God to force justice and inclusion and radical change on the world of religion; Troy rolled up his sleeves and went to work, and then God through him could do more.
Thank God for giving us all a spirit of hope and peace and inner strength to live out our mission of bringing people closer to God and one another.
Thank God for giving us a universe filled with unlimited blessings, and the ability to choose to see and seize and share them.
We don’t need more miracles working faith; we need to recognize, accept, and put to use what we’ve been given; and then, the miracles will flow as never before.
Let the miracles begin! Amen.
