Karen Roe in prayer
Dear God, Lovely God,
Thank you so much for the United Church’s welcome of me (at the time in the 1990s when I as a closeted lesbian) especially as one who thought your United Church GBTLQ+ welcome was heretical.
Thank you that many formerly homophobic or questioning members are now wholly affirming. It took me a while myself, to accept that the “welcoming” United Church attitude was theologically and exegetically sound and the voice of Your heart. Please work on the hearts of those who are still harbouring hate, fear and disdain of my people. I bet some of them are worried they might be gay themselves.
Thank you for lifting me up out of a horrible pit and miry clay of the ex-gay ministery of the Christian community I formerly lived in. Thank you for placing me about 10 years later into Comox United Church.
It was devastating when our first vote to become an Affirming church was rejected. Like a large stony or steel door slamming hard in our faces. Thank you that we finally became Affirming a few years back, once the “older, harsher church generation” had died off or left. (It wasn’t just older people either, as You well recall!). Thank you especially for the staunch, warm allies I have in my church family here.
A major prayer request—please help us all in the United Church who are Affirming learn how to make our “queer” community know that they are more than welcome in our midst. I had thought I had to choose between you and earthly love. I love you that I can have both.
[Shared with permission of Karen Roe, Comox United Church, Comox, BC. November 12, 2017].
