All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
(II Cor. 5:18-19, NIV)
Pastor Nancy Kraft wrote of events in her church describing its journey to being a "welcoming" church. She describes welcoming as the first step, that of tolerance. Tolerance eventually morphs, she informs us, into acceptance. That is a notable transformation in itself.
That's not the end, however. Her church then moved into "wanting;" that is that those who were tolerated and then accepted are then elected to active participation in the congregation.
Having been there to see the beginning of her story and having been in contact with the person she highlighted in her description, I can attest to the journey on both sides of the transformation.
I have now personally experienced a similar journey in a different church. Since the church was already into the process when I arrived, I cannot speak to the beginning of the church's journey, but I can testify to its effect on me and my faith development.
Even before I arrived at LCN, tolerance was immediate and palpable. Acceptance came quickly and I was honored to be allowed to participate in worship in ways I had never been allowed before and were beyond my expectations. Now I have been elected to an important position (actually, two) in the church; I am wanted! Can life get better? I believe so.
During the Synod Assembly I was reminded of a recent discussion on Facebook. Another woman was, to me, clearly looking for some way to come back to the church. But the hatred directed towards all of us in the LGBT community by people calling themselves Christians pushes her away, stirring up rebellion against the God she knows exists. I tried to gently encourage her return but several others who concentrate the hate fed her fear.
It may not be fair to characterize all Christians as being like those misguided hatemongers, but that is, unfortunately, the way it is. There are churches, like ELCA, where the love of God for all of his children is evident.
I realize now that offering a welcoming church home is simply not enough. There are communities of people out there that have experienced active disenfranchisement. Simply sitting back and saying "You are welcome here" won't get them back where they belong. We must go to them with a voice of apology, love, and invitation. In this process we must also be prepared to offer correction to the haters.
Yes, this means me too. As an example of what a loving church can do for someone other churches despise, I must be prepared (I am not yet) to offer my testimony. And those who have wanted me must also be ready to show that wanting to others.
Paul was not the only one to whom the message of reconciliation was committed. Paul knew that this was a message that had to be taken to the excluded, we must do the same.