Domes - Our Monthly Newsletter
Dunbar UCC
April 22, 2007
Genesis 12:1-3
Matthew 5:14-16
This Light
- When Abraham was 75 years old, God called him, and said: “Leave your family and your home and go the the place that I will show you. Do this and all of the families of the earth will be blessed because of you.”
- Abraham agreed. He left his family and the land he knew since he was born, and he didn’t know where he was going.
- I believe that our church is at the place where Abraham was when God called him. We’re close to 60 years old, and we’re in a place of deciding now whether to stay where we are, or to move to a place that God will show us. Over the past two years, our Deacons have discerned God’s call for this church to truly become a blessing to all by becoming Open and Affirming. To call ourselves Open and Affirming means that we welcome every person to the full life and fellowship of this congregation, regardless of race, or gender, or sexual orientation.
- Many Christians believe that being gay or lesbian or bisexual is wrong or sinful. But the Open and Affirming message is that sexuality, and its responsible, loving expression, is a good gift of God. I wish more churches would teach this. Even though there are about 5700 UCC churches, only about ten percent of those, since 1987, have chosen to become ONA. So if you were one of the 8 percent of persons born with an orientation other than heterosexual, you would take a big risk whenever you chose a church to attend. Most churches would condemn you if they found out. But I’m hoping that our church will be a refuge to people, and they will know that we affirm their dignity and goodness as human beings however God created them.
- All of you should have received the Open and Affirming Statement that our Deacons have worked on for over two years. It’s been a difficult but enriching process. The statement uses language from our communion service, and it stresses the most important teaching of Jesus: to love our neighbors, our enemies, and one another. Jesus is the focus of our statement. We want to follow him and make him the center of our lives.
- This statement has been a group effort. Our Deacons of the past two years, which included younger and older members, wrote this. These Deacons have included: Linda Bonadies, Judy Campbell, Linda and John Dixon, John Hodson, Kris Larsen, Janet Lavorgna, Kathy Straka, and Carl and Chuck Walters.
- This is our light, and we don’t want to hide it. We want everyone to know that Jesus is the center of our lives, that we seek God’s will in all things, and we strive to love our neighbors, our enemies, and one another. This is our light. I hope in June when we vote on this statement as a congregation that you will vote for it, and help to bring this congregation closer to realizing the promise that has been passed down to us from Abraham: that we become a blessing to all people.