This weekend, I had the honor of witnessing and being a part of the beautiful multireligious, multilingual, multicultural, multigenerational, queer wedding celebration and joining of the families of two of my dear friends and their kiddos. In many Christian traditions, we emphasize that we are called to help bring in the Kingdom of God here on earth. My friends’ wedding was a glimpse of this bringing in of God’s Kin-dom.

At the beginning of the Prayers of Community, I shared these words of welcome (Scott Reiter’s adaptation from Congregation Sha’ar Zahav):

“How good it is to gather,
In a rainbow of affections and sexualities,
In the house of a God
Who loves each of us as we are created,
Without limit and forever.

How sweet it is to gather,
In a spectrum of gender identities,
In the house of God
Who transcends human limits and categories.

How pleasant it is to gather,
People of all faiths and of no faith,
In the house of a God
Who listens to the prayers, joys, and heartaches of all people.

How fine it is to gather,
People with firm beliefs,
Together with people with questions in our hearts,
In the house of a God
Who values deeds of caring and justice
Far above the recitation of creeds.”

Then during our prayers, I led these petitions:

Loving Creator, God of many names, as we gather today to celebrate love, we acknowledge that this opportunity is both a gift and a privilege. We know there are many who are excluded and rejected, who can neither gather nor celebrate.

So – as we gather today – we take this time to offer our prayers for the world.

We pray for our LGBTQIA+ siblings – both near & far – who experience unwelcome and rejection in their faith communities, schools, neighborhoods, and homes. And we lift up those who are gravely impacted by harmful anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.

Loving God, while so many seek to exclude, you are a God who welcomes us with loving arms. Hold all our queer siblings in your tender care, offer healing to those who seek communities of support, and help them remember who they are and whose they are: beloved children created beautifully in your image just the way they are.

We give you thanks, Mother God, for all communities – whether faith, familial, collegial, or social – that affirm and celebrate the belovedness of queer bodies and queer love. We celebrate and pray for the love that does not fit into the boxes that our heteronormative society has created. May the love that is beautifully queer burst through the confines with shining colors, vibrant sequins, and very sparkly glitter.

******

May we not only pray these petitions through our words, but may these prayers be embodied through our actions: as we shut down harmful rhetoric and speak out against all forms of hate & intolerance; as we seek to change inhumane legislation and dismantle all systems that oppress; as we work to create welcoming, safe, and brave spaces for all to live fully as their authentic selves and as we learn how to love & celebrate our siblings for who they truly are.