“So God created human beings in God's own image; in the image of God, God created them…”- Genesis 1:27
Creation of human beings – what a marvelous part of God’s ongoing work of creation! Nearly every time I read that verse above, my breath is taken away not only by the power of those words, but also by the vastness of who God is. If we take seriously that human beings are created in God’s image, then that means every single human being we encounter somehow points to an image of who God is and what God is like. Is every human perfect? No…we know that for sure. At the same time, when we look at the core parts of people – the parts of who they are that are woven deeply within them and are distinct parts of their actual being - THAT’S where we find imago dei– the Image of God.
Isn’t it beautiful to think about? Within each and every human being on this planet, God has woven pieces of God’s self into the deepest places of our hearts, our bodies, and our minds. As a church leader, I believe that when we look at the diversity of God’s creation and the images we have before us, it’s important to include the diversity and beauty we see represented in our siblings in the LGBTQIA+ community, too! Through these people, we can see a much bigger picture of who God is and what God is like! Through them, we are continually learning more about the vastness and beauty of God’s creation and image as it is represented within our queer siblings in Christ.
A moment of raw honesty here: this belief is not shared by all Christian traditions. In fact, serious harm has been done in the name of Jesus to those in the LGBQTIA+ community.
With that being said, a collection of Green Bay and Fox Valley area churches is working to change that narrative!
On Sunday, June 12, a collection of five churches are teaming up to host the Imago Dei Celebration at the indoor shelter in Perkins Park in Green Bay. Together, we are hosting a worship service and celebration that uplifts and affirms the dignity, humanity, and blessedness of our LGBTQIA+ siblings.
The celebration will begin at 1:00 p.m. with a worship service planned and led by leaders from the various churches. At 2:30 p.m., the celebration continues with a picnic meal and activities. All participants are asked to bring a lawn chair. If you’re interested in contributing to the event by singing in our choir, shopping for food, donating a dish, providing servingware for our meal, grilling or serving our meal, or cleaning up the park after the event, we would be deeply grateful for and delighted by your assistance. You can indicate your interest in attending or contributing through this RSVP form.
Participating churches include: First Congregational UCC (Green Bay), OUT|LOUD at St. Norbert College Parish (De Pere), Pilgrim Congregational (Green Bay), Union Congregational (Green Bay), Christ the King Lutheran (Combined Locks), and West Side Moravian (Green Bay).
Beloveds, this is an opportunity to stand together to affirm the humanity and the beautiful image of God that we see through our siblings in the LGBTQIA+ community! We hope to see you on June 12th!
Peace be the journey,
Pastor Dara
