Celebrating Affirming Sunday (alone)
The first Sunday of June is a great time to celebrate the unique gifts and history of LGBTQIA+ people in the body of Christ.
Today is Affirming Sunday, the first Sunday of Pride Month.
What is your church or community of faith doing today—or at any time this month—to celebrate your presence, gifts, relationships, and witness in the world as a queer person?
If they are doing something... how hard did you have to work to make it happen?
My siblings in Christ, this is a day for joy at the beginning of a month of joy and gratitude. Whatever the responses of our houses of faith, let us celebrate our unique and useful presence in the body of Christ and rejoice in the communion of saints that we, our allies, families and friends continue to manifest in the world.
The Body of Christ wouldn't be complete without us. Thanks be to God that isn't even an option!
Affirming Sunday was designated in 2022
nuFoundation designated Affirming Sunday, the first Sunday in Pride Month, as “a day for churches to celebrate and affirm LGBTQIA+ members of their community.”1 Find out more and check out their list of Affirming Sunday speakers2 for next year (since now you know the assignment) at nu.foundation/en/affirming-sunday.
If you’d like to find a church where they already (a) know about Affirming Sunday, and (b) have made a public commitment to celebrating LGBTQIA+ siblings in Christ year-round, check out a list of affirming communities at nu.community. (nuCommunities is a product of nuFoundations, “a non-profit focused on building a network of communities, resources, and events that are inclusive, anti-racist, jesus-loving, and social justice oriented.”)
If your spiritual community would like to show your public affirmation on this list and you’re not (yet), you know the assignment: apply to be listed at nu.gd/submit. Do it this week: National Coming Out Day is October 11, and some acknowledgement on Sunday, October 13, might be appreciated by people you don’t even know are watching!
I’m celebrating Affirming Sunday by myself this year.
It’s lonely.
Next year I hope I will celebrate with the great cloud of queer witnesses in physical community with others. I pray that for myself, I pray that for you, and I pray that for all queer people of faith.
Be well!
For decades, affirming churches have held special Pride, Affirming, or Reconciling services and events in the month of June. I like the idea of designating a day at the beginning of the month around which to rally as many affirming communities of faith as possible.
The list of speakers at https://nu.foundation/en/speakers has some pretty amazing people on it. I’m honored and amused that one of those speakers is me! By the way, I’m a lot cheaper and available than some of those other folks. Let’s talk!
I became much less lonely when I saw the woman with the Pride/Trans flag handkerchief tying up her hair, the compliments on my rainbow shirt, news that another person in the congregation would have been wearing rainbow colors if she weren't at a special Pride Eucharist before that church marched in the local Pride parade... sometimes the communion of saints just shows up and slaps you in the face to get your attention!