This Sunday, we will celebrate Pride, our kinship and affirmation of all persons of the lgbtquia+ community (“queer” for short). We pause to celebrate because our affirming position as a Reconciling Church (2014) is an important part of our identity in our community, and in Christ.
In searching for worship materials, I stumbled across this logo of a pie baked in a rainbow pan. Well I love pie, so I was intrigued.
PIE stands for Public, Intentional, and Explicit.
When we were exploring stepping into membership of the Reconciling Ministries Network, the question arose, if we believe we are already a welcoming church, why do we have to say it out loud by joining a group?
The overwhelming response: that just isn’t enough. For people who have been shunned or shamed to change, our queer siblings need more than a generic “good morning” at the door. They need a sign. A sign that this will be a safe space, and that they are being welcomed because of their diversity, not “regardless, or “despite” it. That their personhood will not only be invited in, but it will be affirmed as a beautiful expression of God’s love for the world. That they have a family of allies wanting to include them into this sacred space to worship a God of extraordinary diversity and grace.
That is why we pay our RMN dues, and fly our rainbow flag outside. To offer a sign.
We celebrate PIE Day this Sunday to be Public, Intentional, and Explicit in our welcome.
I hope you will join us for in-building worship at 10:30a, or online at websterunitedmethodist.org (or on our facebook page:Webster United Methodist).
