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A Few Words From Pastor Bryan
It was such a joy to be at the McFarland Pride Fest in late June. I was proud that our church had a table and official presence, and the whole day went so beautifully (other than the wind having its way with the Krattiger's tent!). The overall experience was heartwarming and hopeful, and I hope we can build on this for next year.
Unfortunately, there have been several other similar Pride events in Wisconsin towns and other states where protestors and haters showed up in some very ugly and intimidating ways. In nearby Watertown, WI a week ago a number of neo-Nazis in uniform with guns swarmed the event and it was a very frightening experience for those who were present, many of whom were children. Another close friend of mine who is a UCC clergyperson in an Illinois town went through a very painful division in the church he was serving because people in his own congregation did not want their church to support the pride event that was being held in the town green where the church was located. Members of the church angrily "stood their ground" to prevent the "sinners" from stepping foot on church grounds.
Madison will be holding a large Pride Fest event on Sunday, August 20th, and there is concern that protestors will try to disrupt the event. The opponents will likely include certain conservative church groups. To be straightforward, I think Christians from congregations such as ours need to be present and to stand for the simple, beautiful, and challenging truth that the God we worship is about Love, Kindness , full inclusion, and being who we truly are. I am planning on going, and I'm wondering if others of you would like to join me.
I found a website on which we can design our own t shirts. I would love to see a bunch of folks from our congregation of all ages attend this event throughout the day and wear t shirts something like the one I designed above. It's a little hard to read it in the photo I took on the website, but it says, "God is Love. It really is that simple." And then McFarland UCC is in red below the "It really is that simple."
What do you think? Would you buy one and wear it at this event (or in other places?). I really think it's important for the world to know that churches like ours exist, and that we oppose the hatred and violence against the LBGTQ+ Community. The t shirts would cost about $28.00 each. We could change the design if you like. I mean they don't HAVE to be black :) I'm open to design ideas. What would you want it to say? This one certainly speaks for me, but feel free to share your suggestions. I'm also curious to know if you like having our church mentioned on the shirt or if it would be better to leave that off. I see pros and cons either way, but I lean toward including it.
One more thing. Our Sunday Bible study group has requested that we focus our Bible study on the 7 portions of the Bible that are often used to say that the Bible condemns LBGTQ+ people. Beginning the Sunday after Labor Day we will take one of these Scriptures each week and explain and explore what I consider to be a more faithful and inclusive way to understand them. This will be available on zoom as well as in person, so if you have friends who might find this meaningful, let them know!
Okay that's all for this week.
God is Love. It really is that simple. And that wonderful. And that challenging to live out in this wild world of ours.
Hope to see you Sunday,
Pastor Bryan
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