Take Pride in Our Differences

2025-32
sermon preached at Church of the Good Shepherd, Federal Way, WA
www.goodshepherdfw.org
by the Rev. Anna Lynn, Deacon
The Seventh Sunday of Easter (Faith 4 Pride Sunday), June 1, 2025
Acts 16:16-34 ; Psalm 97 ; Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 ; John 17:20-26

Whenever I hear this scripture from John, I find it to be one of the most intimate, loving, and unifying prayers in the Gospel. It speaks to Jesus’ vision and hope as he prepares to leave his earthy ministry and go back to the Father.

Today we are at the end of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse, and our reading is a part of a longer prayer in the 17^th Chapter of John. This is the last prayer that Jesus prays prior to his Death in John. It is unique, as it is multi-layered, in the way that it calls for unity among all believers- emphasizing love and connection. 

As we enter this prayer today, Jesus has already prayed for himself - for strength during the coming crucifixion. Next, he prays for his disciples. Then, at the end of the prayer, Jesus vastly expands the group for whom he is praying. Jesus says, “I ask not only on behalf of these (his disciples), but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word.” That mean us! - You and I - We have come to believe in Jesus because of the words of those first disciples. Had they never gone out and told the story of Jesus, we never would have heard it.

We are believers today because of this unbroken connection, this community of faith that goes back to the time of those first disciples, over 2,000+ years ago.

When Jesus prays for us, “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” This is Jesus’ true desire for his followers to be one, just as he and the Father are one. Through this unity that transcends our differences, Jesus is calling for a love that embraces all people and it’s that love that He wants the whole world to see.

This unbroken connection to those who have come before and the love that connects and unifies us, reminds me that today is June 1^st and as a faith community, we are recognizing and celebrating the beginning of Pride Month.

When I think of Pride, I always think about those shoulders that I stand on, the ones who came before. And the unity and love that I feel for my LGBTQIA+ Siblings today. I also think of the massive contrast between the pride of my youth and what pride represents today.

When I was young there was no Pride Month (I highly doubt that would have been tolerated), Instead we had the Seattle Pride Parade and in those days my friends and I would have pre pride conversations to remind ourselves that we were to avoid newspaper reporters and photographers ---and any of the tv news stations or their cameramen at all cost! The last thing any of us wanted was to end up on the evening news or on the cover of the Tacoma News Tribune the next day ----because we would have been outed! My friends and I were in the closet back then and our families did not know that we were gay and we certainly did not advertise that fact, as it was the only way that we knew how to stay safe and not face verbal or physical backlash for who we loved.

I do remember feeling so free to just be myself and how joyous it was to meet others from the larger community at Pride. There was love and connection that was freely given and it was such a blessing in my life, to understand that I belonged within that community. It most likely saved my life.

The following year my friends and again attended the Seattle Pride Parade – and yes -- we were all still all in the closet – and we witnessed the - let’s say religious far- right- also attending the Pride Parade - with their big signs, bibles and bullhorns. They were yelling that, “God hates f**s,” cherry picking versus from Leviticus to blast through their bullhorns and yelling that, “we must all repent, or we were going to Hell”. That was the year that I decided if God loved people like that – then He could never love me. But my community loved me - - and that was all I needed then (or so I thought).

I can remember attending Seattle Pride the year that the Postal Service allowed their employees to march in their postal uniforms, as well as the City of Seattle Police and Fire. I could not wait to get home and call my mom (who worked for the post office for her entire career), so I could tell her that the Post Office /the Federal Government was progressing and so was our society. I felt joyous in the knowledge that the community was growing, and we felt the movement being more open and freer.

Oh, and around that time- I also came out of the closet…as did a few of my friends – I could no longer not authentically be myself, especially to my family. And the freedom that came in that gut wrenching decision (as I later discovered) was a pure blessing from God. And once I tasted that freedom -of being out - I was never going back in!

Fast forward almost 20 years, and I had become a Christian and an Episcopalian – Wow! How did all of that happen!

I had discovered that the entire time that I thought God could not love me -- Because I was gay, that he had been walking right beside me, loving me- all along. And through that love, he led me to the Episcopal Church – To St. Matthew / San Mateo in Auburn to be exact-- And that faith community which I had been searching for and needed so badly in my life, was ready and waiting with arms wide open to welcome this queer seeker, into their community of faith.  Thank you, Lord.

I know this sounds like my journey into the church was easy, but I do want you to know that I tried and failed multiple times to find the right faith community. And what I learned is there is no hate, quite like Chirstian Love! But I refused to let Christian Evangelicals then or the Christian Nationalists of today, twist a religion of love – to justify their hate.

My first Seattle Pride Parade as an Episcopalian, I had a new mission. No longer was I going to simply meet up with my friends and attend the parade – No - I was going there to march with my church with a sign that read, “God Loves You! No Exceptions”.  And that the Episcopal Church was happy to welcome the 300,000+ LGBTQIA+ folks, their allies and families who lined the streets of the pride parade. And this time, I would have loved to have been on the news or on the cover of the Tacoma News Tribune!

I also met the Rev. Deacon Earl Grout that day, which made me so proud to know that our church would send Deacons and Priests in their liturgical collars to support our march in the Pride Parade – Clergy and laity - shoulder to shoulder– Yes! That is the way it should be.   

As a postulant for the Diaconate, I wrote an essay on the history of the Episcopal Church and LGBTQ inclusion dating back to 1976 through 2023:

Here were my final closing thoughts in that essay:

“In 2022, at the 80th General Convention, it was mandated that a Task Force on LBGTQ+ inclusion be created and initiate a churchwide audit of how The Episcopal Church has lived into its 1976 commitment to provide full and equal claim to the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church to its LGBTQ+ members and begin the process of creating an archive of the history of the work for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Episcopal Church.

"I am overjoyed to be a member of a church where this Task Force exists and is doing such important work (especially honoring those who began this work so long ago and those who are committed to the ongoing work today). 

"Clearly, the Episcopal Church has come a long way towards the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ identifying people, but we must remain aware that even though someone has been invited to have a seat at the table, if they are not allowed to speak or if they are not being listened to, then they are not truly included. All means all, and I pray for the joyous day when all people feel seen, heard, and included in the congregations and leadership of the Episcopal Church.”

Which brings us to today. The Episcopal church has kept its promise and recently hired a new Staff Officer for Gender Justice – Aaron Scott. Aaron stated, “what excites me about the job is getting to connect and build power with the thousands of gender justice leaders across our church. I am here to support gender justice work that’s been underway for generations, both inside and outside of our institution. Our people, prayers, and power are badly needed on the right side of history at this moment in the world."

I could not agree more.  

So, when you hear someone say, “Why do they have to celebrate Pride for an entire month?” – I hope I have given you some insight into the importance of the love and community that Pride provides. Sometimes that community is all that a LGBTQIA+ person has and within that month – they can feel proud of that history – and find a connection to those who came before – it’s a celebration of our differences, unity and history.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus prays for us to live a life of love, unity and inclusion with one another – so that the world will notice and believe.

Are we ready to be the continuation of that 2,000+ year connection?

When our LGBTQIA+ neighbors drive down 312^th Street and notice our electronic sign that sends a message of welcome, inclusion and love for all people inside the walls of this sanctuary – Just how wide open are our arms, if we are blessed and folks walk through that door? Are we ready to listen and hear what they have to say? Pride month is a good time to search our hearts for that answer.

Today in recognition of our Faith for Pride Sunday – we are taking up a special offering for the Trevor Project – I want you to know that the Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people – They do this work 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week / all year round. If you feel so inclined today - it would be a be such a blessing to help them save the lives of our LGBTQIA+ youth.

In closing, I would like to read a quote from Poet and Activist, Audre Lorde:  “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

Go in Peace and Love my friends and embrace those differences! The world is watching! And Happy Pride to you all!

Amen.