A Heart of Love

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“We can’t heal the world today, but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, an act of kindness.”

- Mary Davis

As a church, we are entering into a series about loving and listening to the LGBTQ+ community. The church in general has not done this well in the past.

It is officially June and this means it is also LGBTQ+ Pride month. This month brings pride parades, picnics, parties, and events that attract millions of participants around the world. June was chosen as LGBTQ+ Pride month because of the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Inn served as a safe haven for New York City’s gay, lesbian, and transgender community. Police raids on gay bars were common, but at this particular time, members of the city’s LGBT community decided to fight back. This event would spark the new era of revolution for the LGBTQ+ community.

The church has found its place on the wrong side of pride and the LGBTQ+ community. Where has the church been? We profess to be followers of Jesus and we act exactly the opposite. For a long time, the church has added to the violence and hate of such people. Instead of extending grace, we post up signs that declare the sins of the LGBTQ+ community. The church has a lot of work to do. The church has a lot of reconciliation to do in this area. Healing needs to occur, and it needs to start with us. Transformation is going to start from within the church.

Where do we start? We need to move in the way of mercy and love. One way we can practice this is by looking at Jesus. What does Jesus show us? He shows us the greatest commandment.

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

We are called to love God first with our entire being and also love our neighbor. We need to know our own hearts in order to better love our neighbor. We also need to know God in order to better love those around us.

At Evergreen, our core values flow from our desire to worship Jesus Christ, follow Him as disciplemakers, and participate in His redemptive mission. These inform and shape our Evergreen Community as we gather and scatter, living out the hope of Jesus in the city. Our core values consist of love, rest, story, peace, multiplication, and community.

At Evergreen we are striving to do our best at receiving the unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ and then giving it away to everyone where we live, work, and play because the Church isn’t a place, it’s a people. So inviting people to Church looks like inviting people into our lives. We welcome you and invite you, no matter what you believe, into the life Jesus Christ through Evergreen Church because it’s where you belong.

  • We receive God’s holy love and extend it to ourselves, others, and the world.

  • We welcome and listen to all people’s stories.

  • We make friends and open our hearts and homes with all people.

  • We receive and extend the peace and wholeness of Christ to ourselves, neighbors, city, and world.

Here at Evergreen we value ALL people. If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community, you have a home at Evergreen Church.

Jesus loves you and so do we.

Derik Heumann