"Called In" - Acts 8:26-40

In the book of Acts, we encounter the disciples going out into the world to share the Good News and to create the Church, the body that does the work of Christ in the world.  Having started within the Jewish community there was controversy around welcoming Gentiles, non-Jews, into the fold.  In this week’s text, the Holy Spirit directs Phillip to an encounter with this sexual minority, non-Jewish person that ends with the Ethiopian recognizing that God’s love includes him and being baptized.  While people argued about who was in and out, the Spirit of God was extending extravagant welcome to those on the outside.

I wish that I could say that we are beyond debating who is and is not welcome into the Church and God’s plan in the world, but that would be a lie.  The Congregational Church has been open and affirming for five years and it can be easy to forget that LGBTQ people are still broadly rejected by others in Christianity.  We believe that members of the LGBTQ community are beloved by God, made in the image of their creator and we affirm them in the full life of the church.  This is a radical thing; we have listened to the spirit in the past and expanded our welcome to reflect God’s kingdom more fully. As we regather and re-engage the world, let us listen to where the spirit calls us and to speak love to those who have been left out.

- Pastor Shannon Smith