Hey, friends, I am still recovering from COVID, and am in
need of rest, so I do not have a new blog/podcast for you this week. That being
said, we are at the beginning of Pride month, and I did not want to let this
week go by without stating clearly and unequivocally that the Episcopal Church
of the Redeemer - its clergy, staff, and lay leaders - stand in full support,
love, and affirmation of LGBTQ+ persons, all of whom are made beautifully and
powerfully in God's image. This week I am re-running the first in a series of
blog/podcasts I wrote/recorded on Pride in 2019, and on the
blog page you will find a link to the Pride series for your continued reading/listening.
I invite you this month to support your local Pride festivities,
and then to do your part in Jesus' name to make sure that LGBTQ+ persons are
more fully loved, heard, empowered, supported, and cared for in your community.
Each of us has a part to play in making our world truly inclusive, and this
work is central to our understanding of the Gospel of God's love in Jesus
Christ.
"We believe that the God that created you made you as
you are on purpose. You are not a mistake. Your sexuality is not a mistake, a
sin, or something to be cured, fixed, or healed. You are a blessing. Your
journey to self-understanding is essential to the healing of this world. You
matter tremendously to God and to the people around you. Your expression of
love is even now teaching this world a deeper understanding of what love really
is. When you are part of the Church community, the church is more of who God
means it to be. When you are empowered, the Spirit is revealed. When you lead,
we see Jesus."
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