Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. Fothe bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And it is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."
Yesterday I had a telephone conversation with an openly gay Episcopal Priest. I was so very impressed by his commitment to what the Episcopal Church is, and his openness in helping me understand some things that I did not know about the Episcopal Church of Minnesota. The Priest said something to me that I have heard more than a few times. "I am here to preach the Gospel, not talk about LGBTQ Equality."
My response to that statement is that pursuing LGBTQ equality has as much to do with preaching the Gospel as preaching the Gospel has everything to do with pursuing LGBTQ equality in the Church and society. The full inclusion of LGBTQ people along with other minorities is about sharing the message of today's Gospel, that Jesus is the Bread of Life who feeds everyone who comes to him with a hunger that only God can satisfy. When people are denied the opportunity to approach God through the Church because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression or because of any other minority identity that means that Jesus Christ the Bread of Life is kept in a cupboard for only those who fit a set of criteria. The Aumbry that houses the Blessed Sacrament is just a bread box when a status quo is made to decide who should approach and receive Jesus in the Eucharist and who should not and why.
Jesus said: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6: 35). Jesus wanted to feed "whoever" comes to him hungry so that who ever believes in him would never hunger or thirst from not knowing of God's unconditional and all-inclusive love. Jesus is God's perfect revelation. God wants everyone to know that God is open to receiving and loving and nourishing everyone. When the Church keeps LGBTQ people from coming to God using the Apostolic Tradition as the Church's excuse, we are telling LGBTQ people that God wants LGBTQ people to remain hungry and thirsty not knowing that God can and does give God's Self as real food and drink through Jesus who is the Bread of Life and the Cup of Eternal Salvation. That is not a message that God wants the Church to share. The message the God wants to share is that: "Everything that the Father gives me (Jesus) will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And it is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day." Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and queer people are among those whom God has given to Jesus to bring eternal salvation.
The Bread of Life and the Cup of Eternal Salvation longs to feed and nurture everyone so that we in turn may be the Body of Christ to feed a hungry and hurting world with the good news of God's loving and tender mercy. Whether we share the good news through our daily work, within our families, work places, friendships, relationships or church communities, sharing God's message of salvation for all humankind is what being the Body of Christ is all about. We are to live as the Community of the Holy Spirit through which God shares who God is through the Body of Christ which is how others see and know Jesus Christ through the Church. God's Presence in the Eucharist is best known as we share in the Church's mission and ministry in whatever capacity we find ourselves lay or ordained. God has blessed us as being God's children with whom God is well-pleased. In Jesus we have been redeemed by Christ's death and resurrection, and on Pentecost we who are Christ's Body the Church have received God's Holy Spirit so that we may be God's witnesses to all the ends of the earth. The ends of the earth are not just the four corners of the geographical world, but all those corners including where LGBTQ people are feeling unloved, unwanted and told that there is no place for us because of our sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. God's Holy Spirit wants the Church to go to that corner and tell LGBTQ people as well as immigrants, women, African Americans and so on, that there is a place in God's heart for them and and a place in the Body of Christ for all to serve and be served.
The reign of God is where everyone is welcome, and all who confess the Name of Jesus Christ and are part of Christ's Body will be able to find a home. It is also where everyone will ultimately be redeemed by the Lamb of God who took onto himself the sins of the world. What a wonderful opportunity the Church has of gathering people from all of the corners of the world to be part of God's reign.
Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of this redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 15, Book of Common Prayer, Page 232).
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Mission, Book of Common Prayer, Page 100).
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, Book of Common Prayer, Page 823).
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