Blessed Pride
Last summer, a couple of days before I started at St. Barnabas, I marched in the Cincinnati Pride Parade with our Diocese. I‘d been to Pride plenty of times over the years, and always loved the joy, sense of community solidarity, and the beautiful diversity of people from across the region. Last year, however, was my first time marching as the Church.
The sad truth is that churches have hurt a lot of LGBTQ+ folks. So I wondered, how would we be received?I got my answer before we even left the starting grid. As our group of lay and ordained Episcopalians were getting ready to march, one of the parade volunteers—a lesbian woman—came by for our final check-in. As she was about to launch into her instructions for us, she suddenly stopped and said, “You’re a church?”
We told her a bit about ourselves and told her that Episcopalians have been blessing same-sex weddings for over a decade. She lit up. She began to ask: Is there a church like this where I live? How do I find one of your churches? What do I need to do to visit? Could I come to your church?It’s not every day that I meet someone visibly excited and overjoyed to find out that the Episcopal Church exists. That was my first taste of Pride as the Church. That moment and the rest of the parade were truly a blessing from God.
Once the parade began it was more of the same. I saw many people, literally dozens throughout the parade route, openly weeping tears of healing, joy, and hope as they realized that we were a Church marching in the Pride parade. It was a powerful sight to see the diverse tapestry of Cincinnati Episcopalians, lay and ordained, decked out in rainbows and various pride flags alongside clergy collars and even one priest in a traditional cassock robe. It seemed to be a healing surprise for many of the folks at the parade to see a church with deep faith and tradition and also a spirit of love and welcome for LGBTQ+ folks like them and their loved ones.It might have been the first time that they’d ever seen or heard of a church that both loves God and loves them. It might have been the first time they saw openly LGBTQ+ Christians, lay and ordained, bold in both their faith and their identity without conflict or contradiction. It might have been the first time they saw a church boldly declare that God loves them for who they really are and not despite who they are.
I have never seen so many people visibly moved by the mere presence of people living out the love of Jesus Christ. We bring the love of God and the hope of Jesus Christ to more people in one day of Pride than we might in many ordinary days, weeks, or even months. Pride truly is a blessing and an opportunity to be a blessing.
Join us on June 27th for Pride
You are invited into the joyful blessing of Pride this year too. St. B will join with folks from other churches in our Diocese to march in the Pride Parade on June 27th in downtown Cincinnati.
Here are a few reasons why it’s so important:
Belonging: Some of the people right here at St. Barnabas are LGBTQ+ or love someone who is. Showing up for Pride is not about an external cause, but about telling the people already in our church family that this is their home, that they fully belong here and aren’t just guests, and that you love, support, and defend them as your own.
Friendship: You don’t need to be an activist or an expert in all things LGBTQ+ to go to Pride. You already know how to be a friend, how to be present with people, and how to be kind. The Pride Parade and the Festival afterward are great opportunities to simply be friendly, present, and open. The warmth and friendliness of everyone at Pride is itself a powerful blessing.
Thanksgiving: Pride is an opportunity to give and to show thanks for the LGBTQ+ folks in our lives and community. It’s not merely an occasion to defend others or promote our church, but a chance to show our gratitude for the real people we know and love whether we ourselves are LGBTQ+ or have friends and family who are.
Witness: While society often tells us that religion is a private matter, Jesus tells us to be witnesses to the love of God. It’s often tricky to figure out where, when, and how to do that. Pride is one of the most straightforward opportunities to live out this aspect of our faith. By marching in Pride, we are serving as witnesses to the truth of a God who loves everyone. It’s a positive, life-giving opportunity to live your faith out loud.
Reconciliation & Repair: The Church, including the Episcopal Church historically, has hurt many LGBTQ+ folks over the years. We are called to be repairers of the breach (Isaiah 58:12). Many people don’t even know that churches like ours exist where they would be welcomed, affirmed, and treated like the beloved children of God that they are. Pride is a chance for the Church to participate in Christ’s reconciling work, repair the breach, and reconcile with those who have been hurt.
Hope: At the core of Pride is a hopeful vision for a community where everyone is free to be themselves. For one day, everyone is free to be exactly who God created them to be. In our world of division and social pressure to conform, Pride offers a vision of hope for a more welcoming and inclusive world, and a world that fully recognizes and welcomes the many spiritual gifts of LGBTQ+ folks.
Joy: Above all else, Pride is a day of joy. Joy in community, belonging, hope, and love is at the heart of our faith and life as St. Barnabas, and it’s also at the heart of Pride. If for no other reason, I hope you’ll join us at Pride to experience this joy and have fun.
So come be part of the blessing. Join St. Barnabas and other churches from across our Diocese for the Pride Parade and Festival on June 27th in downtown Cincinnati. To learn more and sign up, Click Here.
