I am humbled
Just posted this in our church Facebook group but the deeper truth is there. It is humbling.
Admin: feel free to delete this post if it is out of place.
I just want to share how I was truly humbled yesterday. Especially in light of the upcoming discussion in our church Dec 2, and the UMC conference next year, on lgbtq+ issues.
My husband's family is very Pentecostal in their faith and background. They are amazingly good and sincere people, and deep in their faith. There's more preachers in the family than I can count.
As many of you may know, our daughter came out as transgender and has been on hormone therapy and transitioning since last January, so just almost a year now. As her parents, we are proud and happy for the way her lifelong depression has lifted, she has been able to find and experience joy getting to be her true self, and truly blossomed.
We haven't hidden her journey, as those of you that happen to be Facebook friends or in a Sunday school class with me know, and of course everyone at St B has been nice about it.
But, Pentecostal is a step further, and I know it must truly violate every tenant of teaching.
So I haven't hidden her journey but I didn't have high expectations either. And she hasn't attended any family functions either.
Yesterday, we got word of an uncle in ICU and it doesn't look good. We wanted to go be with family in the waiting room, of course. She wanted to come, as well. The waiting room was more than half taken up by family, and it is not a small waiting room.
Y'all, the love and easy acceptance she was greeted with was amazing. And humbling.
When I think of the monumental stretch we just asked of Evangelical Pentecostals who not are just religious, they just Are. In every fiber of their good souls that is who and what they are, and they surrounded Maxine with all the love and acceptance they gave me, a lost Jewish girl from Detroit, so many years ago.
I am humbled. That. That was Christ in action the way He is meant to be.
I don't know, church family. If they can do it, why can't we?
Admin: feel free to delete this post if it is out of place.
I just want to share how I was truly humbled yesterday. Especially in light of the upcoming discussion in our church Dec 2, and the UMC conference next year, on lgbtq+ issues.
My husband's family is very Pentecostal in their faith and background. They are amazingly good and sincere people, and deep in their faith. There's more preachers in the family than I can count.
As many of you may know, our daughter came out as transgender and has been on hormone therapy and transitioning since last January, so just almost a year now. As her parents, we are proud and happy for the way her lifelong depression has lifted, she has been able to find and experience joy getting to be her true self, and truly blossomed.
We haven't hidden her journey, as those of you that happen to be Facebook friends or in a Sunday school class with me know, and of course everyone at St B has been nice about it.
But, Pentecostal is a step further, and I know it must truly violate every tenant of teaching.
So I haven't hidden her journey but I didn't have high expectations either. And she hasn't attended any family functions either.
Yesterday, we got word of an uncle in ICU and it doesn't look good. We wanted to go be with family in the waiting room, of course. She wanted to come, as well. The waiting room was more than half taken up by family, and it is not a small waiting room.
Y'all, the love and easy acceptance she was greeted with was amazing. And humbling.
When I think of the monumental stretch we just asked of Evangelical Pentecostals who not are just religious, they just Are. In every fiber of their good souls that is who and what they are, and they surrounded Maxine with all the love and acceptance they gave me, a lost Jewish girl from Detroit, so many years ago.
I am humbled. That. That was Christ in action the way He is meant to be.
I don't know, church family. If they can do it, why can't we?