St. Andrew the Apostle and World AIDS Day

Today's Scripture Readings

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NRSV)

Moses said to the people of Israel: Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

Psalm 19 (BCP., p.606)


Romans 10:8b-18 (NRSV)

"The word is near you, 

on your lips and in your heart"

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for 

"Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world."

Matthew 4:`8-11 (NRSV)

As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Blog Reflection

Forward Day by Day has an excellent reflection for us today.

Have you ever stepped into the unknown? It can be scary. There may be much that’s unknown when you make a new beginning. The fishermen took a giant step into the unknown when they got out of their boats to follow Jesus. Where would he take them? What would they do? What would happen? There was no way for them to know. But they knew enough to trust Jesus and to accept his invitation.

It was costly discipleship for the fishermen to follow Jesus. They let go of important things. But they were ready for the new life that Jesus offered them. They were ready for a new beginning, even if they didn’t know all it would mean or everything that would happen.

We make a new beginning this Advent. Jesus calls us to step into a new life and an unknown future. We can trust and not hold back. He will find us there.

The other Gospel Reading for St. Andrew is taken from the Daily Office at Vespers.  In John 1:35-42 we read that Andrew went and found his brother Simon and said, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated "Anointed").  He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter)." 

In Matthew's Gospel, Andrew is among the newly called who have to step forward in "a new beginning."  In John, Andrew is the one who goes and brings Peter to Jesus.  They seem to contradict each other do they not? 

This is why I think that the Feast of St. Andrew and World AIDS Day being on the same day could not be more profound.  Jesus called those first Apostles among them Andrew while they were doing their usual daily work.  They left behind what they had in hand and followed Him, even though they were full of uncertainty.  Jesus does not call us when it is convenient or even comfortable.  He speaks to the depths of our souls and makes us downright uncomfortable.  God does not want us to become complacent in our own little world while pretending that there aren't other things to take care of. 

The very first word in The Rule of St. Benedict is "Listen."  Cyprian Smith, O.S.B. in his book, The Path of Life: Benedictine Spirituality for Monks and Lay People wrote, "The whole spiritual life of the Christian....is a process of listening to God, "inclining the ears of the heart,"   Lonni Collins Pratt and Fr. Danieal Homan, OSB in their book, Benedict's Way: An Ancient Monk's Insights for A Balanced Life talk about the need to listen to God through all of life's events.   

It is amazing that even in 2014, well after thirty years since we first heard the word AIDS or HIV that so many in the Church, society and even the LGBT communities pretend that the issue no longer exists or effects us.  We have drugs that help people with HIV/AIDS live longer and healthier lives.  Yet, the negative stereotypes regarding HIV/AIDS and those who live with the threat of and/or the disease itself continue with all the toxicity of stigmatization.  Many Christians still live in ignorance stating that HIV/AIDS was and still is "God's punishment for homosexuality."   Yet, if we listen to God through life as St. Benedict tells us, we are all being called as St. Andrew was to see the face of Christ in our sisters and brothers who live with HIV/AIDS.  Ignoring them is to be tone deaf to the Gospel message of what the Season of Advent is all about.   We were told in the Gospel Reading for the First Sunday of Advent to "Keep awake."   The more we ignore and pretend HIV/AIDS is not a real issue in our time, the more it appears as if we are asleep while the real world passes us by.

May we like St. Andrew respond to the call of Christ to follow Him, and bring those closest to us to love and know Him in faith.   Let us see HIV/AIDS and those who live with the effects of it as the presence of God among us, calling us to compassion and concern through prayer and work on their behalf.   May we embrace individuals with HIV/AIDS with sincere love and open minds; letting go of the stereotypes so that the Kingdom of God already here, but not yet; may bring about healing and reconciliation for all.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew
that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and
brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by
your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to
bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collect for St. Andrew.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 237).

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the First Sunday of Advent.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 211).

St. Andrew the Apostle: Being Open to Living Openly as LGBT Christians

Today's Scripture Readings

The Gospel for the Eucharistic Liturgy

Matthew 4:18-22 (NRSV)

As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

The Gospel for the Daily Office

John 1:35-42 (NRSV)

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, 'Look, here is the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, 'What are you looking for?' They said to him, 'Rabbi' (which translated means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated Anointed ). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, 'You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas' (which is translated Peter ).

Blog Reflection

Forward Day by Day has a great meditation on St. Andrew.

Matthew and Mark seem to say that when Jesus saw Andrew and his brother Peter fishing and called them to follow him, they instantly dropped everything and did so, no questions asked. John’s Gospel (1:35-42) suggests there was more to the story than that. It appears that Andrew was first a follower of John the Baptist who heard John say of Jesus, “Behold! The Lamb of God!” Andrew didn’t follow Jesus just then, but asked if he might visit with Jesus and get to know him. Jesus agreed, and only after that did Andrew go to his brother Peter and say, “We have found the Messiah.” Peter then joined Andrew and the two became disciples of Jesus.

That Andrew was with John the Baptist suggests he had already been searching for something. People don’t usually listen to evangelists unless something is missing in their lives. That’s one of the first steps toward discipleship­—acknowledging an empty place, perhaps a painfully empty place, in your soul and being willing to take some risks to fill it. Andrew also shows an openness of mind, for though already familiar with John the Baptist and drawn to him, he was willing to leave John for something and someone new and unknown.

 As I think about St. Andrew dropping his nets and following Jesus from Matthew's Gospel, I also think about what it is like for a questioning young woman or man to leave all they have been taught about what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender to discover the truth about themselves.   Even if the person coming to a realization about her or his sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression is not a teenager can feel like they are revisiting their puberty years.  Accepting yourself after years and days of resisting and rejecting who you really are, can feel like you have left your old life and embraced something new.

Whether we take our Gospel reading for the Feast of St. Andrew from Matthew or John, it is very apparent that after Andrew heard Jesus or was pointed out to Jesus by John the Baptist, that Andrew knew that there was something very new and wonderful before his eyes.  Andrew was in deed searching for something new. 

LGBTQ people stuck in closets of self rejection and suffocation are often longing to be open to God and those they love about who they really are.  Many who attend Christian churches with their families have heard that God loves all people and wants them to know the forgiveness of their sins and the conversion of their life.  But, no matter how much they pray and try, that feeling of being sexually attracted to someone of the same sex just does not go away.   They may hear the Scriptures interpreted as condemning homosexuality.  But their own human experience which for Episcopalians and Anglicans includes that great gift of Reason, tells them that there is something very natural about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression.

Maybe St. Andrew did give up his work as a fisherman and follow Jesus.   And it is clear that Andrew also found others to welcome into the company of the disciples who chose to follow Jesus.  But he still had his abilities as a fisherman that helped him know how to serve God and others in a way that only Andrew the fisherman could do.  

An LGBTQ person can only love and serve God and others as the women and men that we are.  We cannot serve God as straight people.  We have not been created that way.  

For the LGBTQ person the greatest moment of radical conversion comes when they stop thinking that God hates us for our sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression and decide to drop all the anti-LGBT rhetoric and just follow Jesus Christ as the women and men that we are.  We "leave the nets" of self destructive behavior and start living our lives openly with our friends, families, church communities and so forth and experience the Holy Spirit guiding us in the way of truth about who we are, who and how we love other people.

Being a disciple, an Apostle of Jesus Christ means being open to being shown new things by God the Holy Spirit.  It means accepting where we are at and giving our all to the service of God and all humankind for the glory of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  LGBTQ people can and do the work of evangelization and mission by simply surrendering ourselves to the Holy Spirit instead of stifling her from using us as we are, to influence others for the common good of all people.

A disciple and Apostle of Jesus Christ takes the example of how Jesus lived his life and seeks to do the work of helping to end the suffering of the poor, the sick and the marginalized in society and the Church.  Just as Jesus healed the paralysis of the physically challenged man (see Mark 2: 1-12) and fed the four and five thousand, Jesus called Andrew then and us today to be part of building a Church and a society of radical hospitality and reconciliation.  A welcome and healing that goes beyond our gender, age, ethnic background, race, language, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, employment status, wealth status, immigration status and sees Jesus Christ present in all people, asking us to serve Jesus as he comes to us.

How are we helping others find their way to Jesus?   How are we allowing God to change our lives as we are?   How are we allowing the Holy Spirit to challenge us in those places where we still harbor our prejudices and resentments towards others who are different from ourselves?   How can St. Andrew influence us to be better disciples and Apostles for Jesus Christ?

St. Andrew and all Saints, inspire us with your good works.   Amen.

Prayers

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for St. Andrew, Book of Common Prayer, page 237).

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (First Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 211).

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, page 101).

St. Andrew the Apostle: The First Among Disciples to Welcome Others

Matthew 4:18-22 (NRSV)

As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

We commemorate today St. Andrew among the first Apostles called by Jesus.

Of St. Andrew, James Kiefer writes:

Most references to Andrew in the New Testament simply include him on a list of the Twelve Apostles, or group him with his brother, Simon Peter. But he appears acting as an individual three times in the Gospel of John. When a number of Greeks (perhaps simply Greek-speaking Jews) wish to speak with Jesus, they approach Philip, who tells Andrew, and the two of them tell Jesus (Jn 12:20-22). (It may be relevant here that both "Philip" and "Andrew" are Greek names.) Before Jesus feeds the Five Thousand, it is Andrew who says, "Here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish." (Jn 6:8f) And the first two disciples whom John reports as attaching themselves to Jesus (Jn 1:35-42) are Andrew and another disciple (whom John does not name, but who is commonly supposed to be John himself -- John never mentions himself by name, a widespread literary convention). Having met Jesus, Andrew then finds his brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. Thus, on each occasion when he is mentioned as an individual, it is because he is instrumental in bringing others to meet the Saviour. In the Episcopal Church, the Brotherhood of Saint Andrew is devoted to encouraging personal evangelism, and the bringing of one's friends and colleagues to a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ.

Just as Andrew was the first of the Apostles, so his feast is taken to be the beginning of the Church Year. The First Sunday of Advent is defined to be the Sunday on or nearest his feast (although it could equivalently be defined as the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day).

Several centuries after the death of Andrew, some of his relics were brought by a missionary named Rule to Scotland, to a place then known as Fife, but now known as St. Andrew's, and best known as the site of a world-famous golf course and club. For this reason, Andrew is the patron of Scotland.

As Andrew was among the first Apostle to follow Jesus, Andrew was also among the first to invite others to join the company.  St. Andrew's life had been changed because of encountering Jesus.  His eyes were opened not only to God, but how God in Christ could impact others if only others were invited into the company of following Jesus.  He would have been someone who extended his hands along with other Disciples so that those whom they met would know that they no longer had to remain marginalized.   Just because society or the Church had set them aside not to be bothered with, did not mean that God had lost interest in them.

As we consider the meaning of St. Andrew as the first and someone who welcomed others into God's company, how are we attracting others ourselves?  The Church has been called by God to be a welcoming and inclusive place for all kinds of people.  The Episcopal Church has been making it more possible for LGBT individuals to be ordained not only as Priests, but also as Bishops.  The Standing Committee on Music and Liturgy has been working on creating same-sex marriage Liturgies for use in those places where marriage equality is the law.  Yet, we hear of arch-conservatives within the Anglican Communion who want The Episcopal Church to be removed from the Communion because we are including LGBTQ people.  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and other churches are also feeling the pinch of congregations who disapprove of the welcoming, ordaining and marriage rites for LGBTQ people.

If the Church in the 21st Century is to be a welcoming and inclusive place, extending our hands and hearts to people of different sexual orientations, gender identities/expressions, races, languages, nationalities, religions and so forth is so important.  We cannot be isolated by Biblical literalism that erroneously condemns LGBTQ people and commits them to ex-gay groups to "heal the gay".  We cannot remain visually challenged to the needs of the poor, homeless, destitute, immigrants, the unemployed who are about to loose their unemployment benefits or challenged if we are to be the Church that extends our hands to everyone to welcome them into the company of following Jesus.   

St. Andrew the Apostle is the first among Apostles celebrated at the beginning of the Season of Advent so that we will know and understand our role in welcoming others into God's company as we prepare to help establish God's reign of justice and equality in the Church and society.  During Advent we are preparing to remember Christ's first coming as helping us to prepare for Christ's second coming at the end of time.   We do not know when that will be or even how it will happen.  In the meantime, we have the opportunity to be about the work of welcoming others into the company of a God who loves everyone unconditionally and with no exceptions.  A place where God transforms people into a people who love others without really caring about their sexual and/or gender diversity.    A place where we understand that God creates everyone differently, but loves us all as God's beloved with whom God is well-pleased.  

As we continue through Advent with today's commemoration of St. Andrew, we should pray that all of us be able to extend our hands to others to welcome them into the company of God's holy people.  

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your Holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for St. Andrew, Book of Common Prayer, page 237).

St. Andrew the Apostle: A Saint with A Message of Inclusion

The Church calendar today invites us to consider St. Andrew the Apostle. If you look at the order of Collects (the prayers used at the beginning of Eucharistic Liturgies and at the end of Morning or Evening Prayers) you will find something very odd. The date of November 30th and feast of St. Andrew is at the beginningof the list of Holy Days in the Book of Common Prayer on Page 237. Now why do you suppose that is? Author James Kiefer wrote in today's commentary for Morning Prayer: "Just as Andrew was the first of the Apostles, so his feast is taken to be the beginning of the Church Year. The First Sunday of Advent is defined to be the Sunday on or nearest his feast (although it could equivalently be defined as the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day)."

Earlier in the Commentary James Kiefer wrote: "Most references to Andrew in the New Testament simply include him on a list of the Twelve Apostles, or group him with his brother, Simon Peter. But he appears acting as an individual three times in the Gospel of John. When a number of Greeks (perhaps simply Greek-speeking Jews) wish to speak with Jesus, they approach Philip, who tells Andrew, and the two of them tell Jesus (Jn 12:20-22). (It may be relevant here that both "Philip" and "Andrew" are Greek names.) Before Jesus feeds the Five Thousand, it is Andrew who says, "Here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish." (Jn 6:8f) And the first two disciples whom John reports as attaching themselves to Jesus (Jn 1:35-42) are Andrew and another disciple (whom John does not name, but who is commonly supposed to be John himself -- John never mentions himself by name, a widespread literary convention). Having met Jesus, Andrew then finds his brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. Thus, on each occasion when he is mentioned as an individual, it is because he is instrumental in bringing others to meet the Saviour. In the Episcopal Church, the Fellowship of Saint Andrew is devoted to encouraging personal evangelism, and the bringing of one's friends and colleagues to a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ."

If we were to attend Eucharist today, the Gospel for today's Liturgy would be taken from Matthew chapter 4:18 to 22. This is the story of Jesus calling on Simeon Peter and Andrew as well as James and John to leave their nets and trade their fishing business and "Fish for people". (Matthew 4:19). In today's Speaking to the Soul we read: "Someone may wonder: At the Lord’s beckoning, what or how much did these two fishermen, who scarcely had anything, leave behind? On this, my beloved, we should attend to one’s intention rather than one’s wealth."

This is a great place to talk about the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in the Church and society. I am choosing this because this is one of those places where the religious right especially evangelistic preachers just loves to pick on gay people. It is a full demonstration of spiritual violence and pastoral abuse for sure, but one that LGBT individuals will do well to learn how to answer. Evangelistic preachers with their hell, fire and brimstone love to attempt to say: "Your sinful life of homosexuality is the net that is keeping you from following Jesus Christ and therefore you are selling your soul to the devil." This is especially a tactic that preachers in Christian college chapels enjoy using on LGBT and Questioning youth. For that reason it is very important here to employ and use a good spirituality that affirms LGBT people and does not shame or make us feel guilty.

Let's take a look at something shall we? All Andrew really had was a net and a business with which to feed and care for his family. He was living in the time of the Roman oppression of the Israeli Nation. The amount of fish he and his brother Peter caught would often cause them to owe a tax on the fish to the local tax collector. It was a difficult time to work and live in. So, when Jesus called Andrew, he did not call some man who had all the right theology. Jesus did not call upon Andrew because he was a wealthy pastor who got his money out of pushing his agenda and deciding who should be excluded from the Church. No, Jesus saw a simple fisherman with a hungry soul looking for God to come and give Andrew some peace in his life. Jesus called out to Andrew and invited him, his brother Peter, James and John into a new way of life, a new business and one that was not about who could be excluded. In fact, Jesus was about to build a new community where everyone was to be welcomed. It was to be a Church where sinners of all kinds were welcomed and given an opportunity to be reconciled with God, without sacrificing who they were. In Andrew's situation he really did not have much to loose, yet he gave everything. Once Andrew knew that he had found everything he needed in God's perfect revelation in Jesus Christ, what did Andrew do? He brought others along to meet and be touched by the God who had changed his life.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people come to the Church with as much or as little to give as anyone else. We come with our lives broken by prejudice and discrimination because we are "different." We come to God with our wounds, our hurts, our confusions and questions. When LGBT people are told my Church leaders that they cannot participate in the Church as members or leaders because of their sexual orientation and/or gender expression and/or identities, unless they "change" what they are in fact doing is spiritual violence and pastoral abuse. When I came out to one Priest I worked with as an organist, I was told: "Everyone has their weakness, this one just happens to be yours." Again, an example of spiritual violence and pastoral abuse, no matter how "loving" the Priest thought he was. Within a persons sexual orientation and/or gender identity and/or expression whether gay, straight, bisexual or transgendered is the soul of an individual whom God is madly in love with. How do we know this? Because every individual is created in the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. I would like to call everyone's attention to Genesis chapter 1 verse 24: "And God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness,,," Notice here that my quote here has written in bold the plural words us and we. These are very important. When we say that we and all people are created in the image and likeness of God, we are correct. God exists though in a Community of Love in the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. All of us including LGBT people were created as we are by that Communion of Love known as God the Most Holy Trinity. Just that knowledge in and of itself means that LGBT people are not "intrinsically disordered" as the Catechism of the Catholic Church suggests. What is in the soul of LGBT people are people created and redeemed and are being sanctified by God in that Community of Love and no Priest, Bishop, Pope or Minister has any business taking that dignity away from us. God does not ask that we surrender the very soul of who we are to be in a relationship with God. As one of the most wisest Priests once told me: "You have to love people in the way God created you to love them." Our love for our same-sex partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse and best friend is just as blessed and honored by God as the love between heterosexual people.

What God is asking of us though is to become people who lead others to God through our giving of ourselves on behalf of others. Same-sex relationships are relationships of self sacrifice and a total giving of ourselves for the benefit of someone else. As an individual who once lived a very promiscuous sexual life, who went into an ex-gay ministry for 17 months and came back out and into a very fulfilling committed gay relationship, I can say that giving up my life for the man I love is a life so much more meaningful than spending it in bars, sex parties and on the web reading porn all day. Having been through all that, I cannot and will not pass judgment on anyone else and their relationships or experiences. Everyone has to find their own path to happiness and wholeness. But, I can say that when God does not call on us to give up who we are, God does call us to give of ourselves in service to others beyond ourselves. God does want us to invite others to come into God's presence and experience healing and wholeness in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God does want us to experience that unconditional love and share it with others. As we go through this season of Advent, God calls on us to prepare for the coming of Christ by helping others to find their path to God and to be instruments of service and healing for those in need. LGBT people can often be "Wounded Healers" as Henry Nouwen once wrote. We are people who are wounded by hatred, oppression and prejudice. God can and does wish to heal us and make us ready to serve others. Yet we can hear the call of Jesus to be Apostles and evangelists, leading others to Christ as Andrew once did.

In what ways are we allowing the religious oppression we experience to keep us from a relationship with God? How are we answering God's call to leave everything and follow Jesus? How are we leading other people to God through our lives, our loving and our service?

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your Apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, Page 237, Collect for November 30 Feast of St. Andrew.)