| Houston was pummeled by two huge storms on either side of Pride Month. True to this month’s sermon theme, “thriving together,” Resurrection pulled together in a strong way. For example, the church opened its doors for cooling and charging and offered a fun lunch with hugs and fellowship. That’s what strong families do; they love each other through it. We thrive together. I fell in love with this resilient church when I moved to Galveston for school in 1988. I saw authentic, vibrant, diverse people praising God exuberantly and working together for justice-love in beautiful ways. At that previous location, I remember a chair lift in place to help traverse the stairs into the main sanctuary, but I liked bounding up the stairs to the loft area. I couldn’t do that today! I imagine there were a number of people who could not access the sanctuary at all. When I came back to visit RMCC during an extended work trip to Houston in 2019 with my son who uses a wheelchair, I was thrilled to find a much more accessible church building as well as ASL interpreters during Sunday worship services. During the COVID pandemic, many churches began putting services online. RMCC went way beyond and developed an entire online church that continues to grow and thrive and is a shining example for all churches to follow. This paved the way for my son Marco and me to join the church even though we live and work in Taos, NM. One program of the online church that is dear to my heart is “God Talk: Conversations on Faith, Society, and Self-Love with LGBTQ+ Christians,” which occurs online on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30. We have some lively dialogue, and it is a great way to have engage with our online community. In June, most of our topics centered on Pride and concluded with Queer Theology. July is Disability Pride month, and we will be starting that discussion on July 25th. The online church continues to grow and develop. There are many many ways to learn and blossom and minister to others, both in person and online. There are celebrations and justice work and gorgeous services that build us up and challenge us to do more, be more, to be there for each other. There was an accessibility campaign last year, which is yet another example of the ways that RMCC continually strives to build a bigger table so that all may be included in the embrace. What all of this says to me is that I am welcome, just as I am. May you feel that welcome too, and be that welcome for others. |
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| Carol Kiesling MCC Clergy Candidate RMCC Online Ministry (Taos, NM) Host: GodTalk View Last Sunday’s Service Here |