We weren’t inclusive . . . and then we were. 

So a very short story, but it captures something worth knowing about us. Our church centers Jesus, and emotional health, and the dignity of all humans. But we also get it wrong, and sometimes profoundly so. And when we come to see that, we try to make it right.

Sanctuary came into being in a denomination that restricts the freedom of queer persons. But the pastors here came to believe that God loves and empowers all, particularly those who’ve been forced to the margins, so we--using the Christian term--repented. Said sorry. It took about six years from beginning to end, so we don’t want this to sound more awesome than it was. But we did leave our denomination, and dismantle the belief system that produced exclusion as a valid Christian practice, and are in the on-going adventure of building up something new. 

The experience has translated into undoing patriarchy, and racism, and agism, and economic prejudice--all the ways that some of us would seek to diminish others. Always we find God out ahead of us, leading the way. And the outcome is, we think, a marvelously diverse community with exuberant faith and a spirit of humility and freedom.

1 + 1 = 3 ?