My heart is full this morning. Every experience we go through changes us. Every interaction we have affects us. I was gone one Sunday and so much has happened!
Can you say marriage equality? Congratulations to Gabe and Wes (first Wednesday walk-in) and everyone else married in the last several weeks! Not only is your marriage recognized in the state of California it is now recognized by the United States government!
We celebrate this step toward equality where there are now 13 states, including the District of Columbia, where marriage equality is legal. That’s approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population. Now I don’t want to be a “Debbie downer,” but that leaves 70 percent of the citizens in our country who cannot celebrate like we are. Yes, my friends, there is so much yet to be done.
This is Metropolitan Community Church’s (MCC) 45th year! You know what that means. MCC has reached middle age!
Some of us, more than others, know what middle age is like. Some of us think that middle age is really old. And yet others of us can remember what middle age felt like.
Thoughts in your head and words that come out of your mouth sound just like what “old folks” used to say! Not only do you start to look different, you also realize that you might need to start doing some things differently.
Middle age is a time for sorting through your life and shedding excess baggage. At our Tuesday morning worship service, Rev. Elder Darlene Garner shared of the dangers of middle age – when we hold on to the past too much.
Today, I would like to share some of her sermon with you. Imagine you are in Chicago at the General Conference, where people have come from all over the world to celebrate God’s inclusive love.
Do you remember the first time you came to MCC? For me it was in 1997. MCC was 29 years old. An age that many of us like to hold onto.
Like many of you, during the first few services I attended at MCC, I was overwhelmed, and in tears, for much of the service. I had come wounded, and MCC was like finding Gilead, with its healing balm. It made me whole; it healed my wounded, hurting soul.
There is a song found in many church hymnals: “There is a balm in Gilead that heals the wounded soul.” Well, it sounds nice. But what is it?
Gilead was an area east of the River Jordan, well-known for its spices and ointments. The balm of Gilead was a high quality ointment, made from the local plants that contained healing properties. The Bible uses the term, balm of Gilead, metaphorically, as an example of something with healing or soothing powers.
Like Rev. Elder Darlene, I felt it was wonderful to have found my way to Gilead’s balm within MCC. But there is more to the story. A healing balm is not all there is to find in Gilead.
In Judges 12:5-6, we read that the people of Gilead controlled the only crossing point over the River Jordan, connecting the two cities of Gilead and Ephraim. So, here is the back story. One day, the head of the tribe of Gilead had offended the head of the tribe of Ephraim. Sounds like somebody was being too sensitive.
So, soldiers from Ephraim had crossed the river into Gilead to defend their leader’s honor. The two sides began to fight; the Warriors of Gilead won. So, the surviving warriors from Ephraim just wanted to leave and go home, which meant they had to cross back over the River Jordan .
Each time an Ephraimite got to the crossing point, a Gileadite crossing guard would ask, “Are you an Ephraimite?” Afraid for his life, the warrior would deny it and say, “No.” Then the Gileadite would tell him to say a particular word, “shibboleth.”
Now, the people from Ephraim and from Gilead had different accents. The warrior from Ephraim could not say it right. He pronounced it “sibboleth” instead of “shibboleth.” When his accent revealed who the warrior really was, the Gileadite crossing guards would kill him right there at the crossing point. 42,000 Ephraimites were killed in this way.
So you see, as Rev. Elder Darlene shared, not only is there a balm in Gilead, but there are gatekeepers in Gilead also. The gatekeepers decide who comes in and who goes out; they decide who and what is right; and they enforce the consequences of being wrong.
Here is the interesting part. The Gileadites and the Ephraimites were not enemies. They were family! Two of the 12 Tribes of Israel. So this story of Gilead is about religious in-fighting, about the violence that can happen among people who are part of the same denomination or even in the same church.
We like to pride ourselves that we are an inclusive church. What does it really mean to be an inclusive church? Unfortunately, in spite of what we tell ourselves, we have little tolerance for difference. We say, “Everyone is welcome here” while leaving unsaid, “… as long as you are able to be like me.”
At church, far too often we are the very gatekeepers who violate someone’s dignity in order to keep things the way they are, killing the dreams of those just trying to make their way home.
The point Rev. Elder Darlene Garner was trying to make is the importance of being open to change. She asked us several questions as a denomination. And I believe it also applies to our local church – MCC San Diego.
At MCC San Diego can we talk?
• Can we talk about what MCC is like for U.S.-born and living, English-speaking, able-bodied, gender conforming, middle-age and older white gay men and lesbians?
• Then can we talk about what MCC is like for people of color, children, young adults, older adults, trans and gender nonconforming folks?
• For people with disabilities, those who are HIV+, women, bisexuals and heterosexuals?
• For people whom English is the second or third language?
• Can we talk about what MCC is like in countries where MCC is emerging and in places where MCC has already died?
• Do we dare talk about how those of us from the U.S. need to place ourselves on the globe as equals with the rest of humanity – instead of assuming that the U.S. is the center of the universe and everybody else is doing it wrong?
Friends, no matter what our gatekeepers might say, God has called us to bring healing in the world. God is way ahead of us, calling us onward.
Let’s not be gatekeepers, but, rather, let’s be a healing balm. Are we willing to be that? Are you willing to be that?
God is ever calling us to be something new. Maybe something out of the box? MCC is all over the world doing ministry. Listen to this story.
Late last year, the Office of Emerging Ministries got an email from a Hindu man in India who wanted to be baptized. Rev. Jim, the ministry development officer for Eastern Europe, responded. Using Skype, Rev. Jim became this man’s pastor and prepared him for baptism. Listen to Rev. Jim’s own words as he describes the experience:
“Good Sunday morning. It is 12:45 a.m. in Dalton, New York, and 10 1/2 hours later in Punjab, India. At midnight, after weeks of instruction, conversation and pastoral care to 19-year-old Zachary Sub-Das, through the wonder of technology and the assistance of a very kind young Hindu man, I baptized, confirmed, anointed and received Zachary into the Christian faith and into MCC.
“I was uncomfortable when I was first asked to do this, but Zack is a wonderful young man in love with God and inspired by MCC. There is not a Christian church there that would accept him and the one other Christian at his Jesuit-run university refused to participate because Zach is gay.
“His friend, Vishal, a heterosexual Hindu, was my proxy, my hands there to pour the water and anoint with oil. When Zack told him he needed candles for the ceremony, Vishal walked six miles to find them. I watched with wonder on this Hindu young man’s face as his friend Zack glowed with joy to be a Christian. He has wanted this since he was 12.
“So, I’m sitting in my living room in the middle of the night. I think I will not soon forget the look in Zachary’s eyes and the delight on his face. We take so much of our freedom in faith for granted. I am touched deeply by this youngster who listed me on Facebook as his father.
“Thank you for encouraging my work in this marvelous fellowship of ours which dreams bigger than imaginable, which knows that our God is a wild God who cannot be confined to ‘the way we’ve always done it.’”
My heart is full this morning!
There is a balm in Gilead. All kinds of people from all over the world, and right here in San Diego County, are looking for that balm, and hoping to find it through a connection to MCC. Let’s not be gatekeepers, but let us be that light and hope and healing balm.
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!
