Not this past week, but the week before, I became again aware of just how guarded a community I am living in. I would like to believe that in the world we live in that it is safe for people of all backgrounds and beliefs to walk into our sanctuaries and worship with us. But I was reminded yet again how small this fishbowl of pastoral life can be, and how much people can make comments about others and not even realize that they are making them.
I was sitting at "coffee an'" (the third Lutheran sacrament?!?), and chatting with folks, and within a half an hour heard 3 comments about homosexuals that made me cringe. The people at my church and in my community do not know that I have many friends that are homosexual, and perhaps they would never guess that...but I couldn't help but wonder what my friends would have thought, had they been sitting beside me.
There have to be people in this congregation that have relatives and friends who are homosexuals as well, and it hurt my heart to know that I am working in a place where people might not feel welcomed and loved just for being a child of God.
Sometimes I think we need the reminder of the woman caught in adultery...let he/she who is without sin cast the first stone...I mean honestly, we all have different beliefs, ways of living, ways of thinking, ways of coping with this challenging life, and what makes any one person's beliefs better than the other?
I just want to be pastor of a place that is truly welcoming...I guess today I find myself wondering how do I help my congregation and surrounding community to open our eyes to see the beauty that is to be found in those different than us. I don't want to live in a world where everyone is the same as me. I want to be challenged, and I want to see all the amazing aspects of God in the world and the people around me.
So my question for you oh blog followers of mine...have you run into this open stereotyping in your own congregations? What (if anything) have you done about it?
Until the next post my friends, may God bless and keep you well!
Amy <><
3 comments:
As a queer woman who was only recently made to feel very uncomfortable in my church of 15 years, I can tell you that the way to make some one feel comfortable is to not treat them any differently than anyone else in the congregation.
The reality is queer folk are no different than straight folks in any way that makes a difference to a church. And the best way for people to learn that is to get to know queer folk. Perhaps you could invite your 'homosexual' friends to worship at your church. People's fears quickly dissipate when they realize we all share a common humanity.
Oh, and when you are at a meeting and people say derogatory things about homosexuals, perhaps you should tell them the comments are unacceptable - to you and (I would think) to Christ.
It is extremely easy for a congregation to say they are welcoming, but its even harder to put it into practice. I have often found that people think they are welcoming people but have no clue they are really excluding them. For example...maybe they welcome a new person who walks through the door for worship, but when it comes to fellowship time after worship, they stick with their small group of friends...excluding the visitor.
People need to be made aware that being a welcoming congregation is more than smiling at someone when they walk through the doors of the church.
My relatives were up from the cities and when a gay couple walked by holding hands in the mall, my cousins declared loud and proud "they are going to hell". I told them to keep their thoughts to themselves, being that this is a small area, and I welcome all those who may be different, plus I may even know them.
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