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As the liturgical calendar closes in on the end of another year, and as I continue in my service as a board member in this season of ELM’s ministry, I cannot help but reflect upon the arrival of All-Saints Sunday. Whenever I think of the saints throughout history as well as those in my personal life, one thing that stands out to me is the way they all rose up in their particular context, to boldly live out lives of faith rooted in the grace and peace of our Creator. From the bold witness of members of the early Jesus-movement, to family and friends whose lives leave a lasting impact upon us, I am perennially struck by how vast the cloud of witnesses is, and how fortunate we are to remember, honor, and reflect on the impact of their lives.
ELM also has its own cloud of witnesses, as it were. There is certainly no shortage of saints who boldly and faithfully committed themselves to the work of living out God’s love even when the systems and powers that be actively resisted their efforts. Leaders, volunteers, witnesses, and allies, each a precious and beloved child of God, rose to the occasion of their specific context and showed the Church through their very lives how expansive, how inclusive, and how radical the love of God truly is. It is for the historic and ongoing witness of these saints that I give thanks today.
And, now, ELM finds itself in another specific time and place. In a recent meeting, the current members of ELM’s board partook in a ritual of recommitment to this storied and important ministry. In this ritual, we spoke aloud our intentions to stay committed to the vision, direction and values that have always been at the core of this ministry, while prayerfully letting go of what was not serving us in our endeavors. In this current moment, the board’s efforts are focused on: making expedient progress in the process of hiring a new director, working to lock down the day-to-day operations of ELM so when a new director is hired, they can transition into their position smoothly and easily, and return the board to the work of visioning and guiding the direction of ELM’s ministry.
In all of this work, we continue to follow the Spirit’s guidance towards a church where queer leadership is valued, celebrated, empowered and normalized. We anticipate a churchly reality where marginalized communities are liberated and honored, and the radical, world-changing justice we encounter in Christ through the sacraments may imbue us all with new life and new passions to boldly step into this moment as faithful followers of the One called Love.
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