The Power of A Welcome

Sermon by Good Shepherd member Shannon Steene

Open our ears, O Lord,

to hear your word and know your voice.

Speak to our hearts and strengthen our wills,

that we may serve you now and always. Amen

 

Good morning, my name is Shannon Steene and many of you know me as Tud. It is good to be here today. When I say here I don’t mean at Good Shepherd Lutheran generally. I’m here fairly regularly. I mean here in the pulpit. You see, normally, I’m looking from the other direction, like you are.

 

So you know, preaching is not my regular gig. But, when I was asked if I would come to share a sermon related to our becoming a Reconciling In Christ congregation, I was a little nervous, but more so intrigued and excited. I am so pleased that our congregation has approved our welcome statement. Because of this, here are my thoughts on being inclusive and the power of a welcome.

 

When I think about a sermon, it usually springs from something in the scripture that has been read, and we clearly have a theme going on from what we heard from the story in Acts as well as in the Gospel reading. What was mentioned dozen times? Eunuchs. Heaven help me. I’m preaching about eunuchs.

 

So, what are they?

 

A modern definition refers to a man who has been castrated, typically early enough in life for this change to have major hormonal consequences. Back in Biblical times, it was a term used to more broadly describe sexual minorities — someone that was gay, transgender or intersex. Back then they didn’t have those labels — only a eunuch.

 

What did eunuchs do and how were they treated in society? It’s no surprise to learn that they were outside the norm. They were unusual. For some like the Ethiopian eunuch we read about in Acts, they in were positions of great authority or trust. For them, being different was an asset. For the Ethiopian eunuch, he was described as a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace. Other eunuchs were used to guard the bed chambers of wives or harems. In that environment, they were not a physical threat to the women. Because of the physical changes to their body if they were made a eunuch, the position of chamber guard was not something that you could try out or undertake lightly. It relied on physical and hormonal changes that were not reversible. It was your life’s work. And for other eunuchs, they didn’t have positions of power and influence. They were simply outcasts because they were different.

 

And what about this being an Ethiopian eunuch? So, he’s not only a sexual minority, he’s also a racial minority. Wow. In this story it is clear that he was an outsider on multiple fronts. Finding his community had to be tough. He was forbidden from the Jewish faith. They had a barrier preventing him from being part of the faith simply by who he was. It must have been lonely for him. Is it any surprise that he hears of Jesus and his teaching and gets excited and wants to be baptized? He inquires about what barriers stand between him and being part of the church.  

 

Let’s move forward to right here and now. I am an openly gay man, a sexual minority. Because I know many of you, I know that this isn’t a surprise to you. Being an openly gay member of the Good Shepherd is a major reason I was asked to be on the task force that led our exploration of becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation. Why should I? What experiences would I have that would round out the perspective on the task force? Let me share some of that context with you.

 

I’ve been a Christian my whole life. Specifically, I’ve been a Lutheran my whole life. My undergraduate studies were done at St. Olaf, an ELCA-affiliated college. In addition I’ve spent two years of my career on the staff of Lutheran Services in America as well as about 20 years leading nonprofits that are secular organizations but both have names that speak to their roots in faith communities — Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services as well as Carpenter’s Shelter. Clearly, my faith is important to me.

 

So is my identity as a gay man. I know that these two elements can be and are in accord, but that isn’t as clear for many people. Being gay and a Christian has helped me see barriers and obstacles associated with the church in ways that weren’t as evident to me when I was living in the closet. Over the years since coming out, I have had many people talk with me about their perceptions of how being gay can’t possibly fit with Christian beliefs. Those people say that they love and care about me and others that are gay, but that they pray for me (and not in a way that feels good or affirming). They are asking God to change me, to make me different. It is mind-blowing to have people that I know and love say things like that to me. Have you ever had someone talk with you about who you are and how they think you should live differently? Be different? It’s awkward. My reaction is usually to create distance from their comments (and often them) to not have it crush me. Their faith acts as an impediment in our relationship. They are entitled to their opinion, and their own faith. But, their faith is different than mine, obviously. I believe I am a child of God, created this way and that my role in this world is to live authentically as I am, loving and serving my neighbor.

 

And, in this vein, I am not alone in wanting to live as I have been created. Many, many gay men and women have had similar experiences, many worse and more flagrant than those I’ve had. I think about the multiple pastors that are friends who have left their churches and their denominations because of the intolerant environment for any idea that LGBTQ people could be people of faith and invited to be part of their church. Two of my pastor friends have such similar stories that it astounds me. They still love God deeply, but they don’t share that love for their former churches. They are still both healing from deep wounds that came from their church leadership roles and being unable to clear the hurdles that the church has put before them.

 

I also have a dear friend that was a beloved organist at a church where despite him being repeatedly told that people love him and that his contribution to the worship life of the church is key to the vitality of the church and its members, his lifestyle was in direct conflict with the written and approved conduct code the church has for its staff. That left him with an underlying vein of fear and uncertainty. The church itself was the root of the fear and uncertainty, despite a tagline of having open minds, open hearts and open doors. As my friend’s sister told him, “well, yes, open doors for the right people.” That crushed him…and he left that church soon after. It was an insurmountable barrier.  

 

I personally have a family member that asks that when I visit I should go back into the closet and not be who I am while there. My identity should be hidden and something we don’t discuss and that I try to avoid in conversations with others in that congregation. Many people there know me well and want to ask how I am and what I’m doing. Frankly, that request from my loved one is wholly unreasonable, as well as unfair. As much as I love this family member, what they ask of me diminishes my desire to visit there and them. I no longer feel at home or comfortable in that place, because it forces me to be someone that I’m really not. There is an obstacle there.

 

This is the context that I know and is so important to understand when thinking about how and why we should live out the idea of removing barriers and being a welcoming congregation. Many LGBTQ people have been hurt by the institutional church, whether intentionally or not. It is a sad reality shared by so many of my gay, bi-sexual, transgendered and questioning brothers and sisters.

 

But, here’s the great part — that’s not us. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is now demonstrably different. We are openly and overtly welcoming to people that are LGBTQ. I am thrilled by this. We have gone on record saying that it doesn’t matter and shouldn’t be a deterrent from coming and participating in the life of this congregation.  We have pulled down a barrier and for that, I’m grateful.

 

Several months ago when we were in the process of exploring the idea, Pastor Jen preached on the topic. I don’t remember what Scripture her sermon was referencing, but at one point she said in very direct terms something like, “if you are gay or lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered or questioning, you are welcome here. The church, this church, is a place for you.” Despite my being a member here for many years and for having family and friends that I worship with here regularly, that simple, direct statement hit me like something I hadn’t really heard or felt before here. It put a huge lump in my throat and brought tears to my eyes. It delivered a powerful message of comfort to me, and deepened my belief that this is my church home. There is no obstacle from my being gay.

 

That is exactly what we heard about earlier with Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch, a sexual minority. The eunuch heard the good news of Jesus and was moved. He asked if there was any obstacle to him being baptized. The eunuch was really trying to understand the rules with this church following Jesus. He was not permitted to be part of the Jewish faith, after all.Would this church be different? It was. There was no impediment for him being baptized. He asked, and there was no need to wait. Phillip and he stopped at the next river and he was baptized.  

 

For sexual minorities today, our being a Reconciling In Christ congregation has similarly cleared the way for them to be part of our church. This is a great first step. Please know that I am comforted by this, and grateful.

 

I look forward to what follows next — continuing to worship together and invite all to join us in our journey of faith. How many of you have noticed that our doors now have a signal on them to the LGBTQ community that drives or walks by? The little rainbow sticker may not have caught your eye, but I see it every time and it makes me smile. It tells that community that their sexual orientation or gender identity doesn’t impede them from being part of our church. Take pride in that every time you see it. We welcome the participation of all ages, races, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic, marital and family statuses, abilities, political affiliations and national origins. (If you haven’t noticed, I’m reading from our welcome statement.)  Our ministry is strengthened by diversity, and we welcome all to join us in worship, fellowship, learning and service. It is with great pride that I tell you that you are a child of God; you are welcome here.

 

There is more work to be done as we work on the next steps of our collective faith journey. As we do that, know that our being intentionally welcoming is powerful, and affirming. We are on the right path, and I look forward to walking it alongside you and others.

 

Amen.  

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