This week Covenant will hold its worship service at Railroad Park in Downtown Birmingham. Our hope is to reach some folks with the liberating message of God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance by going to where it’s convenient for many in our community.
Let’s be clear, when the LGBTQ community uses the world “Pride,” we’re not speaking of pride in a sense of worth that overinflates who we are; what we’ve achieved or what we possess. Rather, we are talking about being “proud” of and celebrating every aspect of who God created us to be, including our sexuality and gender identity.
After finishing a tour of the Waterford Crystal Factory in Waterford, Ireland, Dr. Laurie Wirthlin wrote in an email, “After going through the factory I realized that I had been praying for the wrong thing – I had been praying that I would be translucent and that Christ’s light would shine through me …. What I realized after going through the factory was that I needed to be praying to be transparent, that no part of me hindered the light of His Love from shining through me.”
As we stand in “Solidarity!” A Part – Not Apart!” with our community in worship and at PrideFest, I am praying that we will become like transparent pieces of beautiful crystal – shaped by the fire of God’s Love and the Light of God’s mercy and grace and that we will let it shine through us to our community.
Please join us for a history making day as Covenant worships with our community at Railroad Park at 10 AM Sunday morning with a light lunch to follow. I’ll be talking about the 2017 Pride theme of “Solidarity!” A Part – Not Apart!” and “Waterford Crystal” in my sermon “We are God’s People” based on I Peter 2:9-10.
(NOTE: We will gather in the park near the 16th Street Plaza entrance.
There should be plenty parking nearby on Sunday morning.)
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