This piece is titled, "Coming Out as Prophetic Witness" and posted in full at: https://allianceofbaptists.org/coming-out-as-prophetic-witness/
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Since the beginning, the family of God has depended on truth-tellers, sometimes called prophets. To come out is a form of truth-telling, and the Church needs more truth-tellers these days.
Recently, Alliance co-director Rev. Dr. Elijah Zehyoue led an online session on the topic of “Black Liberation in Prophetic Preaching.” He brought to the group’s attention the Transfiguration narrative in Matthew 17, especially connections to Elijah and Moses. Jesus’ ministry was powered by the Holy Spirit and the ancestors, including prophets that he references in his own prophetic ministry. Mystical relationships with ancestors give strength to transform the now. Jesus spoke truth from his ancestors, and as followers of Jesus we are invited to do likewise. What truth are you being invited to share?
For LGBTQ+ people, October 11 is a sacred day of truth-telling, National Coming Out Day. The date was chosen to honor the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights October 11, 1987. The Washington Post reported, “During the slow, 20-block procession, marchers lined up 30 abreast behind a phalanx of AIDS patients, many in wheelchairs, and many well-known civil rights, labor, religious, women’s rights, and gay rights activists whose participation was intended to underscore the human rights aspects of the event.”2
The power of being unashamed, unafraid, and visible in such a sizable community strengthens everyone from the front of the march to the back, from the healthiest to the sickest, from the youngest to the oldest, from the deeply closeted to the flamboyantly out.
I may not have been at the first or second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, or Mt. Sinai, or the Transfiguration, but my ancestors were there so I was there by proxy as I connect to their stories and wisdom. I draw on their strength and learn from their mistakes in my own challenging times. I am also comforted by the joy my Queer ancestors lived into as they risked everything to tell the truth about themselves and the life-and-death need for civil rights.
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Click through for the full article including an introduction referencing the mainstream television show that raised gay visibility and a powerful closing about the inclusive body of Christ: https://allianceofbaptists.org/coming-out-as-prophetic-witness/
Rev. Erica Lea-Simka
MW USA Southwest Regional Representative
Albuquerque Mennonite Church Pastor
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