A Week of Sadness and Hope

What a week! I've seen so many amazing things this week. But, also some sad things, too In a week in which the United Methodist Church decided to incorporate exclusive language into the Discipline and continue to deny persons existence within the Body of Christ, it was a week of sadness and tears. However, there were (3) moments when "the Spirit of God descending like a dove" (Matthew 3:16) into my life.

1) Tuesday. A friend of ours from Iliff and her partner became foster-to-adopt parents for a little infant boy named, Joseph. Our class, prodded by our grace-filled professor, planned a Baby Shower after class for Tuesday. Our friend came out of class to presents, cupcakes, and people. All she could repeat was, "This is so nice", with tears flowing. Her family would not have a shower for her, so it was awesome to offer her an "alternative" view of Christianity.
2) Thursday. Following the decisions of the UM church on Wednesday and talking to friends at GC, I began to feel the pain of those being excluded in new ways. I decided we (unclear as to who we was at the time) needed to respond in prayer for those marginalized. So, I emailed the entire school and invited anyone and everyone to be present for a prayer meeting at noon. I don't know what my instigation was, other than to make a stand and response as an ally and a member of the UMC. I anticipated 5-6 fellow Methodist would show up. Was I ever surprised? 30 students: professors, allies, gays, straights, men, women, Methodists, UCC, Presbyterians, and Catholics, ordained, all children of God present to hold the Methodists in prayer. I have had two moments in my life when I truly felt the heart of God beating in me. The first was a prayer moment at a little white Methodist Church in the middle of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference as a 16-year old asked to lead prayer. The second, on Thursday, has defined my first year at Iliff. What a moment! To hear people pray for: love, to overcome fear, for hope and for all to be accepted into the flock. Remember: it's our church too and we are NOT leaving!!
3) Sunday. Wow! Words cannot even express the range of emotions I felt on Sunday. Sadness for our church, hope for our energy, strength for our fight, joy at a friend’s faith story, excitement at the possibilities, and amazement at the love of God radiating. Ben, our worship director, also directs the Gay Men’s Chorus. HOLY COW!! Go BEN! What an amazing group! I’ve never heard such a great group sing so powerfully, with such spirit, and conviction. Can they sing again next week? Following, their singing, He Ain’t Heavy, watching tears roll down faces of these gay men, experiencing their pain at my feet, I was expected to invite the congregation to pass the peace of Christ. Yeah Right! And then there was Avery’s heartfelt declaration of her call to ministry and her strength to express her faith journey to the congregation, just inspiring; not to mention the congregation’s overwhelming support of her following with an ovation that continued and continued. But, it was communion that moved me the most. Carolyn’s words, “we’ve been living under the table, eating the bread crumbs of communion and now it’s time to stand and take the bread for ourselves” and “Christ church is not the gay church but a church for all of God’s children”. I was moved by Mark Miller’s liturgical music setting from the Faith We Sing, watching people embrace Avery as she served them the grace of God, and experiencing God’s love move through the congregation. Plus, how often to Methodists sit in church for an hour and thirty minutes?

What an amazing week! What amazing communities I live in! What an amazing God, who shows me amazing things, every day!