RECONCILING IN CHRIST

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE

Epiphany is a Reconciling in Christ congregation of the ELCA – meaning that we welcome and affirm people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions as full members of our congregation. People often wonder what this means - here are some common questions we receive.

Can LGBTQ+ people participate in your congregation?

Absolutely yes. We believe that God loves each one of us for the person that we are, not for the person somebody thinks we should be. Jesus shared God’s life with a wide diversity of people and never once demanded that anyone pretend to be anything other than themselves in order to be included in his community – we believe we should do the same.

So is this like, “love the sinner but hate the sin?”

No.  Sin – things that keep us from being in relationship with God and with one another – is a real presence in all of our lives.  But our capacity to experience love and intimacy, our capacity to experience our God-given bodies in all their dimensions – these are gifts that are for relationships, not opposed to them.  Whatever form they may take for each one of us.

So tell us the name and pronouns you want to use, and we’ll use them. You can celebrate your marriage to the person you love, or decide that staying single is right for you – and we’ll support you.  We’ve learned God calls LGBTQ+ people to all kinds of roles, ministries, and leadership and we’ll walk with you and discern your call together with you, no matter who you love or how you identify.

I thought the Bible says you can’t be LGBTQ+ and Christian. Don’t you follow the Bible?

As Lutherans, we take the Bible very seriously and confess the Scriptures as “the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of [our] proclamation, faith, and life.”  The Bible teaches us that God’s saving love is for everyone, that Jesus breaks down barriers that human beings place between ourselves, and that the Holy Spirit consistently falls on those whom religious people habitually look down upon. We believe that affirming LGBTQ+ people is what the Bible calls us to do.

We recognize that the Bible was written in a culture that was profoundly invested in an unequal and hierarchical view of gender and sexuality. The Biblical writers often told stories intended to protect and lift up the vulnerable within that culture – but that can sound to modern ears as if they were accepting or even promoting the patriarchal elements of that culture. But when the Bible is read in the light of the good news of God’s love revealed in Jesus, and Paul’s teaching that in Christ “there is neither male nor female” (Gal. 3:28), we hear a different and more authentic word from God.

So yes, there are a few isolated verses that some Christians read as disapproving of LGBTQ+ people, but we believe that the better interpretation of these passages (and others) points rather to inclusion and affirmation. If you want details, this video is a good place to start.

Isn’t this a divisive question in your congregation?

Like many Christian groups, our congregation – and the ELCA as a whole – has had some difficult conversations over these issues over the years. Our members don’t always agree completely with one another on these – or almost any other – questions. But we’ve all learned to accept and love the LGBTQ+ members of our families and members of our congregation – as real flesh and blood people whom we know and care for, not as an “issue” to argue about. Taking practical steps to welcome LGBTQ+ people in our congregation, to elect LGBTQ+ people to leadership positions and call them as pastors, and to formally adopt a policy of inclusion, have been occasions of grace for us. Learning how to love one another in spite of our differences is what church community is all about.

I don’t know – it sounds too good to be true. I’ve been hurt by my church before.

We get it. Spiritual trauma is real and many of us have experienced it. Being hurt by a person or community you trusted can be deeply painful. We know many people have learned to be very cautious about connecting with church. We’ll be sure to give you all the space you need.

What we’d like to share with you is the key insight of Martin Lither: that Christian faith, properly understood, frees us from every use of religion to control and every kind of performance anxiety regarding our relationship with God, so that we can actually be free enough to love God and neighbor and experience true love in return. We don’t always succeed in living this vision as fully as we’d like, but we’re committed to trying.

I wish my family and my congregation were this accepting.

We do too! Many people have been taught that there’s only one Christian way to approach LGBTQ+ people and need help – support, encouragement, information, whatever – to find their way to a more affirming perspective. If there’s something we can do to be helpful, just ask.

Where can I learn more?

You can reach out to us any time – just send an e-mail to pastor@epiphanylutheran.org and feel free to ask anything you like. We hope to have an LGBTQ+ faith discussion group for interested people meeting soon over Zoom – let us know by e-mail if you think this might be for you. And you can check out our services on YouTube and you can get a sense of what we’re about.

Some other resources you might want to check out:

Queer Grace: “an online encyclopedia for LGBTQ and Christian life” (includes at the top of the page some phone numbers for hotlines and help centers for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth)

Q Christian Fellowship: “cultivates radical belonging among LGBTQ+ people and allies through a commitment to growth, community, and relational justice.”

Queer Theology: a community of LGBTQ+ people and allies exploring Christian theology from a queer perspective, including Scripture courses and a weekly Bible podcast.

ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for full participation; helps congregations to become “Reconciling in Christ” by adopting inclusion statements for LGBTQ+ people.

Transmission Ministry Collective: “an online community of transgender and gender-expansive Christians committed to growing our faith, supporting each other, and healing the world.”

Another community or resource that we should link to? Let us know.