News from Metropolitan Community Church of Austin

I could preach a year's worth of sermons, and I'm sure you have a year's worth of opinions about a press release headed "Gay Church...." Strong feelings exist on both the "for" and "against" sides of the aisle. Here are some of them:

*We're a Christian church, not a "gay" church.
*As other churches become more accepting, Austin doesn't need a "gay" church.
*We exist because of the need for a GLBTQ affirming church.
*I don't feel comfortable bringing my parents and straight friends to a church that pushes "gay" all the time.
*I came here because I heard it was a "gay" church where all orientations and genders are accepted.

There was a time when I could easily have been swayed by either of these arguments. However, those days have become fewer and fewer over the last few years, and they've all but disappeared over the last few months. Today, I'd be fine if the "gay" in our press release was two font sizes larger, bolded, underlined, and in italics. Shoot, I'd pay extra to have it in color: seven colors, rainbow.

My complete conversion has come largely as a result of four recent experiences.

1. I had the pleasure and privilege of traveling to Iowa to legally marry a same-gender couple. I signed a legal marriage certificate. People came up to the couple in restaurants and other public places and congratulated them. While walking in a park, we passed an outdoor wedding reception in full swing, complete with signs proclaiming "Congratulations Sherrie and Brandi!" Unlike people in California, who briefly experienced the joy and freedom of same-gender legal marriages and then had it taken away, we Texans are mostly numb to the prejudice that is daily directed at us. We've become largely inured to the unfairness of being denied such a basic, human right.

2. I was asked to submit an Advent reflection for a religious organization's annual booklet of Advent and Christmas devotionals. I was assured that voices outside the mainstream were welcomed in the publication. However, my devotional was deemed too controversial, too gay, to be included. Bottom line: The risk was too great that homophobic people might withhold their contributions from the organization if the organization appeared sympathetic to, much less supportive of, GLBTQ people.

3. I have sat with too many of our members lately whose hearts have been broken anew by the harsh judgments and subsequent pulling away of family members. In every one of these cases, the judgments were pronounced by people whose rejection of their GLBTQ family members were taught or supported by their Christian churches and/or pastors.

4. A "care team" of sorts has recently formed here at the church to support a friend of our congregation who faces numerous challenges in her daily life. The greatest challenge, however, is not a need for food or shelter or medical care or financial resources. Her greatest challenge is that the programs in place to provide her with services identify her as male, treat her as male, arrange living quarters in male facilities, and are not prepared to meet her needs as a transgender woman. This leads to pain and confusion on top of pain and confusion.

Though we might be tempted and able to forget such unfairness for long stretches of time, this is our reality. But not all of it. MCC Austin, a "gay church," is also part of our reality. Thank God.

You don't have to be concerned that all of a sudden worship services are going to sound more like pride rallies. You needn't worry that faithful, Christian theology will be replaced by GLBTQ rhetoric or, gasp, "gay agendas." In fact, you probably won't notice any changes at all--unless our press releases bring in hundreds of new people!

Friends, I hope you can trust me on this: What matters ultimately is not what we call ourselves--it's how we live and how we love....That's the word that will get out.

Always in Hope,

Rev. Karen Thompson