1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 10-16
On David's return from killing Goliath, the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."
When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved.
The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. David had success in all his undertakings; for the LORD was with him. When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them.
Psalm 133 (BCP, p. 787)
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (NRSV)
As we work together with Christ, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
- "At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
- and on a day of salvation I have helped you."
We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return-- I speak as to children-- open wide your hearts also.
Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)
When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Once while I was in college, a theology professor said that the purpose of the ten commandments was to help us understand what our problem was. He never quite got around to telling us exactly what that problem was. Even now, I tend to think it was one of those moments when we the students were to answer that question for ourselves. Each of us could have named a particular problem, but does that really answer the question of why we need the commandment to love God, our neighbors and ourselves?
Our reading from Hebrew Scriptures is a love story between Jonathan and David. One in which David loved Jonathan more the life itself. Later as the narrative unfolds and Jonathan is killed, the pain of separation from one that David loved so much, is too much to bear. The wound is deep. The grief, all too real.
One of the many things I have come to believe is that the human heart is something that it is not only impossible to try to control, in terms of who we love and how we love them, it is lethal to our overall health. It is damaging to our physical, mental and spiritual wellness. The world is full of enough tragedies in nature, sickness, crime and death that over work our human emotions. Asking an individual to just not allow themselves the feelings of loving another person, is like telling the heart not to pump blood through one's body.
It is easy to call Pride Sunday as the continued call to justice and equality. The ongoing discrimination for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the Church and society continues to institutionalize itself in political campaigns and sermons. Pride is our opportunity to celebrate our diversity as people who realize that we are all on this earth for a very brief period of time. During that time, we all need to love someone, and be loved by someone. It doesn't matter whether that love shared through romantic and sexual means is straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or that our gender is one that is different from the gender assigned to us at the moment we were born. Pride celebrates the many ways in which our differences that divide us across political, social, religious and legal lines, are really there to unite us all as people who are here because of love, with love as the destiny to which we are all moving towards.
As Christians who believe in Jesus Christ as the Alpha (the beginning) and the Omega (the end), and the one through whom God reveals God's Self, we know that love was and remains the reason why we have the hope of salvation. As Rev. Patrick S. Cheng writes in his book: From Sin to Grace: Discovering Queer Theology:
Christ is not only the Alpha (that is, the source of our creation), but Christ is also the Omega (that is, the ultimate goal of our existence). Grace, therefore, can be understood as becoming divine. (Introduction, p. xiii).
In the Gospel today the disciples find themselves on a stormy sea. While the waves are pounding against the boat, Jesus is sound asleep on the cushion. The disciples wake Jesus and he wakes up, gets up and calms the storm. Jesus then calls them out, by asking them if they have no faith. From a glance, it is easy to take the side of the disciples. They were afraid of drowning. Storms are scary. Yet, what Jesus is challenging them to do, is to believe that even the mighty winds and raging seas with all their destructive power are no match for what God can do in the lives of those who dare to believe in something stronger than nature, mightier than time and earth.
As we LGBT people continue to brave the storms of discrimination and violence, often done in the Name of Jesus, we may tend to think that God has either fallen asleep, or not even concerned. It is way too easy to cast faith aside. Feeling like to have faith in God is pointless, if religious groups led by NOM and the Family Research Council's are only going to keep hammering away at LGBT equal rights. However, as Jesus rose in the middle of the storm on that windy day, so Jesus is alive and working with and through us. Often in ways we cannot see, or understand.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, abides under the shadow of the Almighty. Shall say to the Lord, "You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust. God shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter, and from the deadly pestilence. God shall cover you with his pinions, and you shall find refuge under his wings; his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler." (Psalm 91: 1-4, BCP, p. 719).
God is close to all of us as we face the reality of how abusive the Christianist right is, as God continues to shield us by calling us to holiness and hope in the One who ultimately can and does save our souls. We are pursuing righteousness in calling on the leadership of churches, governments (national, local and international) to see LGBT people as deserving of equal protection under the law, and given the same opportunities as any one else. Though we may lose a campaign, God does not abandon us, nor stop loving us. Even when we are mad as hell over ballot referendums to take away marriage equality, or State's pass laws allowing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, God is still with us, loving us, and holding on to us. God identifies with our pain and suffering. God cries when we hurt. God celebrates with us, as we achieve successes in the work of justice, equality and inclusion.
As we celebrate this Pride Sunday, may we also take time to thank God for making us LGBT. May we also thank God for all of the people who told us that God loves us as we are. May we take time to praise God for those wonderful bodily sensations that tell us that we are being loved by God, through another person's touching, caressing, kissing and the joining of our bodies together. May we celebrate that no matter what Christianists say or do to us, God has affirmed us in Christ, and continues to love us today and for ever.
Amen.
Prayers
Loving
God, bless us as we gather to celebrate LGBT
Pride. We are, each of us, created in your image
lesbian, gay, straight, bisexual, and transgendered, alike. Hasten the coming of your kingdom when all
are welcome and all are equal. Anoint us
with the balm of hope and send us your healing Spirit, that we may be known as
a just and unified community. We ask
this in your Name, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (I have been told this prayer can be found in the Book of Occasional Services).
O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your
holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom
you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 7, Book of Common Prayer, p. 230).
holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom
you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 7, Book of Common Prayer, p. 230).
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen. (Prayer attributed to St. Francis, Book of Common Prayer, p. 833).
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen. (Prayer attributed to St. Francis, Book of Common Prayer, p. 833).
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