Becoming a Resilient Community
Today at Holy Trinity we are celebrating Reconciling in Christ Sunday. What does this mean?, you may ask.
Reconciling in Christ (RIC) is a program of Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full Participation. Since 1974, Reconciling Works “has advocated for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community.” (reconcilingworks.org/about/)
The RIC program began in 1983 and it is a way “for faith communities to see, name, celebrate, and advocate for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions in the Lutheran church…and to work for racial justice and to commit to antiracism work…The RIC Program is made up of congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, outdoor ministries, and other Lutheran organizations.” (reconcilingworks.org/ric/becomeric/)
Our New England Synod, is a RIC synod. Our beloved Camp Calumet, on the shores of Ossipee Lake in New Hampshire, is a RIC Lutheran outdoor ministry. After a process of deliberation and mutual conversation (so I’ve been told), the people of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church voted to become a RIC congregation in 2016.
Why is it important to commit to being a RIC community of faith and to display signs of that commitment in the building and to fly the Progress Pride Flag on the street? you may wonder. The sad truth is that today – in the year of our Lord 2025 – the world is still not always accepting of nor is it safe for LGBTQIA+ people. Today, our country is even less safe, given the mean spirited Executive Orders that the new President has signed in the last 2 weeks. These Executive Orders that impact vulnerable people, particularly transgender people, in hateful ways.
Publicly stating – in word and signage and flag – that Holy Trinity’s community of faith welcomes, accepts, affirms, includes, celebrates, and advocates for people of all gender identities and expressions is a sign of hospitality; it is a sign that this community is a safe place where LGBTQIA+ people can come and be their full selves and share the beautiful gifts they have to offer the church and the world – and they can worship God and be in community and serve their neighbor and work for justice with other people of faith – and they will be safe. Here they will know they are loved by God and embraced by the people of this community.
Being a Reconciling in Christ congregation – and flying the flag (Progress Pride flag – the light blue, pink, white stripes represent trans and nonbinary individuals; the brown and black stripes represent marginalized people of color) – is a sign that God’s love reigns in this place; and God’s people gathered in this place are doing their best to reflect and share that love with all of God’s people, each one of whom is created in God’s own image.
So, today we celebrate that Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is a reconciling in Christ congregation. We celebrate that this congregation is committed to “welcoming all God’s creatures of every race, ethnicity, heritage, culture, age, gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, physical or mental ability, socioeconomic status…and committed to the difficult work of antiracism, social and economic justice, and environmental care” (to quote HTLC’s Welcome Statement).
We celebrate that this is a resilient community of faith, willing to grow and change over time, following where the Holy Spirit leads; a community that offers safe space for people to grow in love and relationship with God and each other; a community that encourages one another to adapt and grow stronger during difficult and challenging times.
Becoming a resilient community of faith is hard work; it means giving up old ways of doing things (traditions) and accepting new practices – like using someone’s preferred pronouns or wearing a color-coded labels to show your own level of comfort with being touched (culture of consent). It means being willing to put aside one’s own need to be comfortable in this space so that someone else can be safe. (an example – the all accessible bathroom; a much needed space for a transgender person; another sign of hospitality). And it means accepting people as they change and grow into becoming the person God created them to be.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, offers us an example of resiliency, of growing in faith and adapting to change over time. You’ll recall Mary’s courage when she gave consent to bear the Christ child, even though she was not married, and her strength as she traveled to Bethlehem for the census, where she gave birth to her firstborn child on the floor of a cave. Today we find her bringing that child into the temple in Jerusalem, to fulfill the law of Moses; to present the child to the Lord and to complete her own purification.
Mary is a faithful and devout Jew and a wonderful parent. She is willing to do all that is required and all that is necessary to raise her child in the faith of her ancestors to love and serve God. It is not always easy; there are challenges in raising the Christ child (like the time when he was 12 and he remained behind in the temple in Jerusalem after a festival, talking with the teachers, while the rest of the family headed back to Nazareth). Yet, Mary persevered and watched over her child and accepted him as he grew into the person God created him to be. And Mary was standing near her child, at the foot of the cross, when he was crucified by the Roman government because he loved God more than he loved earthly power (this is sword that pierced Mary own soul, as Simeon predicted in the temple).
On a Sunday morning in July 2014, a young couple brought their firstborn child into this sanctuary and presented the child before God and this congregation to be baptized. Kate and David wanted to raise their child in the faith of their ancestors to love and serve God. The parents made promises that day – to live among God’s faithful people; to help their child grow in the Christian faith and life. This congregation also made a promise – as we do every time a child is baptized – you all promised to support this child and pray for them in their new life in Christ.
Kate and David have kept the promises they made that day. They have been faithful in bringing this child to the word of God and the Holy Spirit; teaching them the prayers and commandments; placing the holy scriptures in their hands. These parents have watched over their child and accepted their child and supported their child, as that child continues to grow into the person God has created them to be.
So, today, in this holy space, we will see, name, bless and celebrate Marley, a beloved child of God; claimed by God through their baptism; as they now publicly claim the name by which they are now legally known.
We rejoice and give thanks for the wonder of new life that flows through Marley by the power of the Holy Spirit and for the beautiful gift of faith they share with this community.
We rejoice and give thanks for the faithfulness of Marley’s parents, siblings and family, as they love and support Marley through this journey of new life.
We rejoice and give thanks for this resilient community of faith, that offers a safe space for people to grow in love and relationship with God and each other.
Most of all, we rejoice and give thanks to the One God who creates each one of us in the diversity of their own image; who loves us with an everlasting love; who walks with us in Spirit and in life and in truth.