Who is in?
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I remember being a kid and going to the park everyday to play baseball with my friends. You see as a little kid, I was living my life as a boy and sports was how I passed the time. Almost every day at school or on the playground everybody would line up and they would pick teams. However there were times when there were more people than could play the game. Oftentimes that you wouldn't be picked. We were told to sit on the sideline, and not participate because we were perceived not good enough to play. This was a truly terrible feeling as a kid, and made the day difficult to navigate. Nobody wanted to be the one who was left out of the group and not allowed to play the game.
Oftentimes I would see these kids who passed me up on the playground as jerks for not giving me a chance to play. However painful the experience of being passed up, I kept coming to the playground day after day. This example lives on today in the modern church. People are lining up to be a part of spiritual communities. People want to be a part of something they believe in. However, just as the playground people are being excluded from the game for the perception that they have nothing to offer. Our exclusion is not because we can't hit a ball, it's not because we don't understand the scriptures, it's not even because we don't have talent. Our exclusion in the church is simply because of who we are. Just like a kid who could probably hit the ball over the fence every time, we are passed up on this playground for having glasses, or not looking the part. This is how the church treats the queer community today. We are excluded, we are told that we are no good, and we are told because of who we are that we don't belong.
There are countless scriptures in which God leads his people to lay down the exclusionary gospel and take up one that allows everyone on the team no matter what. God doesn't ask people to change who they are or who they were born as or even their biology to conform and be a part of the religious group. God simply tells people to include everyone.
ACTS 10 - 9The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour
to pray. 10And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11and saw
the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14But Peter said, “By no means, Lord;
for I have never eaten anything that is common or
unclean.” 15And the voice came to him again a second time,
“What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20Rise and go down and
accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23So he invited them in to be his guests.
………….
34So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that
God shows no partiality,
Did you catch it? God intentionally tells Peter to ignore scripture and do the right thing. 99% of the world at that time were gentiles. God was trying to make his church and his gospel inclusive when man was trying to exclude.
ACTS 10: 44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.(Gentiles those who were not included before) 45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Peter pleaded with the leaders to let the gentiles be baptized. In the next chapter he meets criticism from the leaders of the church for eating and baptizing “uncircumcised people”. The church had certain social requirements for inclusion, but God spoke through the disciples to say they WERE INCLUDED, and they were not required to be circumcised and change their identity.
Saul of Tarsus was considered about the same status as LGBTQ people of his day. He was vigilant against the church, and actively tried to defeat the church. Musch like the unhealthy practices of LGBTQ activists now. When Saul/Pauls conversion happened he was not accepted at first in the church, but later became its greatest leader after he was afforded the opportunity to lead. This can serve as an example to the modern church that if we include those who we deem unwelcome in leadership, they could bring some of the richest blessing to the ministry of the church.
ACTS 15:1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and
debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3So,
being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” 12And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles
who are called by my name,
says the Lord,
who makes these things
18known from of old.’
19Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
Use all of this scripture to tell you one thing today. Don’t call something unclean if God has willed them to exist. God has created people like me who are transgender and wants us to be included in his church to give us the fullest and most inclusive gospel the world has ever seen. don't demonize something God created. I don't need to beg you for my existence but God begs to differ with your exclusionary gospel.