From the Pastor's Desk
How do you experience an extravagant welcome? What does that look or feel like to you? Perhaps it is a warm embrace from someone at church whom you haven't seen for a while. Perhaps it is making available to our most vulnerable neighbors information about ways to keep them safe in these uncertain times. Perhaps it is a generous contribution to a ministry at church that has been struggling to keep going. Or maybe it is simply the smile and nod you receive that reminds you how important you are to this community.
In the coming weeks we will explore what it means to offer an extravagant welcome to everyone that comes to the church. Every Sunday morning, we begin our worship by declaring "no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." From what I have experienced Pilgrim Church embraces this welcome. Now, we will see what difference it would make if we were to become an Open and Affirming congregation. Open and Affirming is the United Church of Christ's designation for congregations, campus ministries and other bodies in the UCC which make a public covenant to welcome into their full life and ministry to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. Currently more than 1,800 congregations and more than 350,000 members of the UCC belong to ONA churches.
The first step in this inquiry is to gather together with a representative from the Open and Affirming Coalition to answer any questions we might have about this process and to help us discern what program of study and prayer would help us determine if it is God's desire that we become an ONA church. More details will follow about the date and time for this conversation.
Then, we would invite the congregation to vote to engage this process at our congregational meeting in June. If we vote to proceed a program would be developed to help us explore more fully what this would mean for Pilgrim Church. This process would culminate with the church developing an Open and Affirming statement and voting to become part of the Open and Affirming movement of the UCC at some time in the future.
People often wonder why we would engage in this process. Are we not already Open and Affirming? I would agree that this church expresses a warm welcome to those who visit. You endeavor to make people feel welcome and accepted. You have called in interim pastor and have had people who have been active in the church who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, being Open and Affirming is more than that. I hope we will engage in this process thoughtfully and prayerfully and consider what difference it will make for the church as it moves into its future.
As we complete our journey through the Lenten season, I trust that the Spirit of love and new possibilities will remain with us. Easter brings the promise and hope of renewal and newness of life. We await the coming vision God intends for us.
May it be so!
Rev. Lynne
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