Merry Christmas! Please check out the 8 COMMENTS...all the LIGHT stories people shared today! And please do keep spreading the light! Tell your friends, family and anyone you think may be interested to post their story on this blog.
16 years ago, as a young seminary student, my family experienced a tremendous loss. One of our beloved family members died. He was a devoted, faithful pastor, and he was also a gay man. I can only imagine the many emotions he must have felt, having to live with this secret. And yet feeling called by God to serve faithfully in our church.
His was a complicated death. And the issues surrounding it caused me to have HUGE red flags about our church. From my perspective the very institution I was entering into was causing my beloved family member to experience pain, prejudice and loss. Could I, in good conscience become a part of this system?
Then he said something to me during those days that solidified the course of my life. "The church will change....maybe slowly, but it will change." He said I could either choose to work from the inside for change, or watch from the outside. I chose the former.
I am so deeply grateful for his words of LIGHT that resonated through those dark days...
Now 16 years later....the CHANGE has come! Because of people like you being a positive LIGHT and voice for change, opening your heart, listening, learning, working, proclaiming, sharing, believing...the church is slowly changing.
God Immanuel is a work.
With hopeful joy Project Light 2010 eagerly awaits hearing YOUR Light story....
Please post a comment. Or send an email to projectlight2010@gmail.com - Is your congregation thriving? How have you been touched?
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I have worked with an incredible composer, organist, conductor for over 30 years. As a musician, I am impressed with his skill and talent. As a Christian and church music director, I am amazed at his dedication and love for his God and God's people. In spite of the fact that within a 20 year time frame, 3 different churches found cause to dismiss him from his positions with them because of his homosexuality. He is a private person, with a very simple lifestyle and a partner of over twenty years. He has remained soft-spoken and forgiving of all the indignities piled on him by other Christians. For the last seven years, he has been very happily working at an Episcopal Church that has taken a strong stand for inclusiveness and acceptness. I am so happy that the ELCA has started down the same path. Peace and love, Judith Moore
ReplyDeleteIt has been 16 years since my brother, Phil, died of AIDS. He had been deeply closeted as a gay man from the age of 27 until he was 50 years old and came out to his family. It made it more difficult for him because he was a pastor in the Lutheran Church. Having deep roots in the Lutheran tradition, all of our family decided to stay in the church rather than leave it. Somehow we believed that change would come. And now I am thrilled to be a part of a church that has finally opened its doors to all people and has decided to welcome people who are gay to not only be part of the community of faith, but to serve as pastors as well. This is truly momentous and I am proud to be part of such a bold faith community that takes its mission to 'Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself" seriously.
ReplyDeleteI am convinced that when people come to know of this remarkable decision, we will be welcoming back many people who thought they would never see this day and have decided that they, too, can be part of such a community of faith.
Thanks God for the ELCA!!