"I love family reunions."  Those are the words with which I began last weeks e-link.  For the past several days, we have been in the midst of our big family reunion at General Conference.  There is something electric about worshipping with 1200 people, all who are family.  We are from so many places.   Wednesday night, we had the pleasure of hearing my dear friend, Florin Buhuceanu, from Romania preach.  This morning we hear a lovely woman from South Africa, Rev. Nokuthula Dhladhla speak of being rejected from her childhood church when she came out; then of being gang raped by four men and her church telling her she deserved it.  Then of getting a false positive HIV test and being rejected still more.  Then she walked into MCC and found her home.  She was a powerful speaker in a lovely lilting South African accent, a lovely accent telling a horror story with a happy ending.  She kept repeating "God is never too late.  God is never too early.  God is always right on time."  She told the gospel story of the woman who had hemhoraging for 12 years who touched Jesus' clothes and was healed. We had a panel discussion yesterday that was a model used by Oprah.  Our youngest MCC pastor, from Australia, moderated a discussion between Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, our Moderator, Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.  We saw a film clip from 23 years ago in which Tammy Faye interviewed a young man who is now an MCC pastor about being gay.   And 23 years ago, Tammy Faye was telling her huge TV audience that parents needed to accept and keep loving their children no matter what.  Jay himself has had an incredible faith journey and has an incredible ministry of inclusion.  Paul wanted a picture with Jay Bakker, one of his heroes.  When I "took" the picture,  I hit the off button instead of the correct button and got no picture.  Paul stood in line again and this time I got it right.  This morning we had a wonderful communion service with incredible music.  Each worship has been unique and moving in  its own way.  More than one of us from Open Arms MCC have had tears streaming down our faces during worship.  And meeting and greeting our brothers and sisters from all over has been like having desert all day long.  I met a wonderful young pastor from Nigeria where there is such restrictive law against our LGBTQ people that just talking to a gay person can cause you to be put in prison for 5 years. And yet, this young pastor is fearless and passionate about MCC work in Nigeria. It is exhausting.  We are on the go from early in the morning till late at night.  We are being enriched with good ideas for our own church.   We are staying in a lovely place with pools and good food and 114 degree temperatures. I love family reunions.  Steve and Chris and Martha and Deb and Lu and Bonnie and Paul will all have their own stories of grace to tell you.  Be sure to ask them "how was General Conference?" when you see them.  And in the midst of all this wonder,  I miss you at home and am excited to see you on Sunday.

Rev. Jim

Deacon's Corner

Yo God,

The long ear bunnies are all around....
The birds sing from the cactus...
The mountains hang as a backdrop...
The sun is bright in the clear blue sky as temperatures reach 107.
Hundreds of us stand in line from all over the world as General Conference XXIII begins.

My Open Arms family has all gotten here safe, Steve, Chris, Deacon Bonnie, Rev. Lu, Deacon Paul, Rev. Jim, Martha and myself....I've run into our past pastor Rev. Cathy and we are doing lunch...and we have run into brother Bill who moved here early this year from Rochester.

You even opened a door for me for reconciliation with an ex-lover.

Monday night's worship service was awesome and rocked!

The place was packed with all of Your people God.

Young and old, people of color, male, female and transfolk,

and those on their own personal journey...all of us,

each an equal member of Your family....

Rev Elder Nancy Wilson has set the stage for this week. Hebrews: 11:1
"Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Deacon Debbie

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First this note from Rebecca about the float and Pride Parade on Saturday, July 14:

Hello Darlings!  Things are coming into place for our fabulous Pride Parade Float!  We will be working on the float on Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14.  On Friday, I will be at the church at 9am to begin preparations and will be staying through the night.  Please come by and lend a whenever you can.  Our trailer should arrive in the late afternoon/early evening.  On Saturday, we plan to start at 9am once again.  We'll work at the church until 3pm and head over for the line up on Argyle and Brunswick Streets.  The parade will begin at 5pm.  The Pride Parade theme is "Go Hollywood."  So, OAMCC will be "Popping with Pride" with our movie popcorn theme. You can help out during our prep times by bring scissors, tape, markers, or food to snack on.  We'll have a pair of fabulous sunglasses for all participants to wear along with stars on our backs.

A few cars will be needed to help transport some supplies to the line up site.  If you and your vehicle are available please let me know.  I hope to see all of you there!  If you have any questions, please email Rebecca G

Line-up for the Parade is at 4pm on Argyle and Brunswick Streets between Park Ave and East Ave.

SUNDAY PRIDE WORSHIP AT GENESEE VALLEY PARK:

There is NO worship at church on Sunday.  Worship has been moved to participate in the Pride Worship in Genesee Valley Park in the Roundhouse at 11AM. 

After Worship:

Pastor's Reflection

A busy church is a happy church.  We complain about how much we have to do and we do more anyway.  Even in summertime, there is a lot going on.  Praise God.   The events of Pride weekend are important.  We give witness to the aliveness of our community.   Sometimes people think that the time we are in worship is what church is.  I say NO.  Church is all that we do together as community.  It is building floats and marching.  It is small group work.  It is social justice work on hate crimes and lobbying political leaders and working for marriage equality.  It is all the time we spend together in whatever capacity.  Any time you are involved with any number of church folks, even one, you are being church.  Worship is just the icing on the cake.  It is the place we get our strength and motivation to continue spreading the word about our incredibly loving God.

Those eight of us who went to General Conference came back filled with enthusiasm for MCC and the work of the church throughout the world.

One small moment tickles my memory.  Paul and I were sitting in a hallway just resting.   Our Moderator, our presiding Bishop, came walking by, guided by someone who was leading her to business.  But when our Moderator, the Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, saw Paul and me sitting there, she stopped, came over, called us by name and gave us hugs.  I spent a lot of my life in a church where the bishop would never ever know your name and most likely would not stop to greet you and make you feel singled out and special.  That moment reminds me that one of the greatest things we can do is to take our faith and our joy and the knowledge of how loved we are and share it with those in our world who don't know the wonder of God's love.

Rev. Jim

Deacon's Corner

Yo God,
As the last worship service ended...
As the Elders carried the alter and elements away till 2010 in Acapulco...
As good-byes to old and new friends were said with laughter and tears...
As the last dip in the pool in 107 degree weather took place...
As the plane hung above the cotton candy clouds... I was ready to be home.
God I am thankful for my time with my extended Church family...
...but I am ready to be home with my Open Arms Church family.
I am ready to share with them all the "family news".
I am prepared to answer questions, tell stories, share fairy-tales....
I am hoping to bring the spark of conference and set it ablaze at Open Arms.
Let that blaze begin this weekend with our Pride Parade and Pride Picnic.
Let me remember that so many need to hear the story of Your love.
Let me remember that my actions and words need to reflex Your love.
Let me remember that Your are my rock and redeemer. Amen-

Deacon Debbie

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The Soulforce riders (8 of them) will be at church on Wednesday, tomorrow (or today, depending when you're reading this) at 5:30pm to share a meal with us.  They will be leaving at 6:30 to attend a panel discussion at DUPC (Downtown United Presbyterian Church) on Marriage Equality.  Anne and Bess will be panelists.  If you are able to join us for dinner, please email (oamcc@frontiernet.net) to let us know so we'll have enough food.

Pastor's Reflection

Pride 2007 is behind us once again.  Many thanks to Rebecca, who coordinated the Parade Float and all those who helped make it a reality.  Special thanks to Martha for getting the wagon and pulling it and then pulling it some more to return it.  These kinds of projects can only be the work of many hands.  God bless those hands!  Once again, I hear we won a prize for our participation in the parade.  I don't know yet what prize.  This is at least the third year in a row that we've won.  Kudos to the creative advertising Rebecca devised.  Our marchers handed out 1000 bags of popcorn, each one with an Open Arms MCC label.  There were three separate labels:  one for marriage equality, one advertising Show Tune Sunday and one giving information on our Sunday worship.  A social worker I work with was in the crowd with her husband and little daughter.  This little girl, 4 now, has been at Pride each of the years of her life.  Her pronouncement was that our popcorn was excellent.

Pride worship before the picnic on Sunday was a treat.  There were about 100 people at worship at the park, about half of them Open Arms congregants.   The service was coordinated by Tawa Pano and Open Arms.  Rev. Denise Donato from Spiritus participated, as she always does.  Rev. Bill Taber from Lake Ave Baptist was with us, as was Rev. Deb Roof from Lakeville UCC.  Rev. Deb will be Steve's field placement supervisor as he works to complete his seminary degree. Michael Nicosia, co-chair of Interfaith Advocates was also there, as was the other co-chair, Rev. Sharon.  Jacobson.  Steve and Michael (from Tawa Pano) played keyboard and our choir sounded wonderful under Steve's direction.  Paul gave an offering call in full Pentecostal style (according to Michele).  It was a good service.

With Pride 2007 over, we enter a time of many transitions.  Our music leadership is changing with Steve preparing to leave at the end of July.  Gene will also be in his field placement at a UCC church.   Lu will be ordained and will begin a new chapter in her life of ministry.  We fortunately will have her with us for at least another year.  New people have once again begun coming to worship with us and their excitement rekindles ours.  The gospel story tells about leaven and how a small lump (of yeast) leavens a whole loaf.   The yeast of God's grace at Open Arms MCC keeps bubbling and leavening and creating more and exciting things to do, keeps drawing people in and filling them with joy and excitement.  And those of us who've been around for a while just smile at it all - and then pick up whatever piece of work we're doing at the moment. 

And it's all about the incredibly inclusive love of God.

Rev. Jim

Deacon's Corner

Yo God....was it only last weekend that we struted down Park Avenue?
Was it only four days ago that we were Poppin' with Pride in the parade?
We marched holding our heads up and claiming the joy of who we are.
There was laughter, cheering, and clapping as our float passed by.
Open Arms marched with other faith communities, proud and strong...
bringing the message of Your love to all.
Three youth stood in front of the protesters protecting us from their hatefulness.
Their strength, courage, and support was indeed a blessing.
Was it only last weekend that we struted down Park Avenue?

Yo God....was it only last weekend that we held "church" in the Park?
Was it only three days ago that we held Pride Worship?
We gathered together before the Pride Picnic to worship as a community.
We sang together...we prayed together....we heard the "good news" together.
We came to Your table and shared that meal of love and faith, together.
Yo God....was it only last weekend that we as a Queer community,
struted down Park Avenue and celebrated communion in the park?
God, what a blessing the weekend was. Amen-

Deacon Debbie

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