A Taste of God’s Heartbeat!
Contents of Section 1: GOD’S HEARTBEAT
1.1. God’s heartbeat for every city, village, town
"God is love…" (1 John 4:8b)
GOD IS PASSIONATELY IN LOVE WITH EACH ONE OF US! God is also deeply in love with the world (John 3: 16). The message is so simple. God is so in love with us that heaven and earth has literally been moved to embrace us through Jesus Christ. God is Love and loving. It is this Lover who invites us into a beloved relationship. Each of us is precious to God and made uniquely beautiful in Divine image. God has a very special love for GLBTH seekers. The Divine Heart of our hearts is calling us by name and even knows when we sit or stand. We are so cherished by the Loving One that even before a word leaves our mouths, it is known. The Beloved One understands our deepest thoughts and fears. We are cherished and precious in the sight of God. This Wonderful One created us in beautiful diversity and with a marvelous spiritual orientation for soul food and drink. We are blessed with a very special soul food through friendship with the Sent One who is Jesus of Nazareth. We are made for God. Our souls are restless until we let ourselves be loved by God.
1.2. God loves us for who we are
"We love because God first loved us" (1 John 4:19 TEV).
The greatest truth in the world is that God is deeply in love with each of us. If only one GLBTH person existed, God would go to the ends of the earth just for us. We are that precious to God! Some would call that "amazing grace." This amazing One invites us ever so gently to be deeply and passionately in love with the Creator of all that is good and beautiful. And then we are to share this love with others. We are very special as God’s lovers and friends. Welcome to the Mystery of Love and the kindness of God.
1.3. The gospel truth in three simple words
"Love …….Love…...Love…. is…. best" (1 Corinthians 13).
God is deeply in love with us. We can hear enough of this love! Personal transformation begins in reclaiming our belovedness with One who created us as 21st century examples of Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan. Some people may sneer at "Adam and Steve" but God is bigger than we may believe. Only God knows the origins of sexual orientation. God has created people for loving relationships. This wonderful message must be shared with every "closeted" and "out" person. The three most important words everyone needs to hear is "God loves you."
A popular TV sitcom in North America is titled "Touched by an Angel." Every week shows the Love Drama in wonderful ways. God knows us. God cares. God is involved and always seeking people even when we are not seeking the Sacred. Lives are transformed when people finally realize God is deeply in love with them just as they are. This is the Gospel truth which transcends every nation, language, culture and sexual orientation. We are invited to love the Loving One with every fiber of our being, along with our neighbors as ourselves. This is the Great Commandment Jesus taught! Love God. Love neighbor. Love self. Love with all your heart, soul, mind and being!
Recently I saw a bookmark that said something like this: When we reach up, God is reaching down. The Gospel truth is that God has been reaching out to us all our lives before we ever thought of reaching to God! We have been wooed ever so gently by the Spirit of God. God is calling our names softly and tenderly. God loves you. Take a chance with God. Let yourself be "surprised by joy!"
1.4. Serenity Prayer for Who & Whose we are
"Nothing is impossible for God!" (Luke 1:37)
The Serenity Prayer has done more to transform and empower people with inner peace and wholeness than the world will ever know. It can help GLBTH seekers come into peace with God for who we are and whose we are! While "the debate about homosexuality rages on" in many Christian churches and denominations, we can pray for serenity for our world in conflict. God desires to bring us serenity and wholeness in whatever sexual orientation we have been blessed with. We belong to God just as we are.
Our life experience will help us determine what truth is for our lives. The Wesleyen tradition of Bible interpretation honors personal experience as part of wisdom. Very simply put, this is a four step method based on Scripture, tradition, reason and experience. Many people have found in their personal experience that sexual orientation change was impossible. Peace with God (serenity) is our spiritual birthright and blessing. A beautiful Hebrew word often used in the Bible for this kind of peace is "Shalom." We can have shalom with God as GLBTH people.
The serenity prayer has helped people in every kind of life situation. Most people only know a small part of the prayer. "God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference." These are wise words to live by. But the entire prayer as written by Reinhold Niebuhr is worth praying.
"God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference:
living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
asking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen."
Claim the power of this prayer for your personal life. Ask for the serenity of God that surpasses all understanding to guard your mind and hearts in Christ Jesus.
God is faithful and will never leave or forsake us. God delights in answering prayers. Take a chance with God! Live life well as the best person of faith you can be. Delight in who you are, and whose you are! You are God’s beloved. May all the Biblical blessings of Ruth and Naomi be yours!
"As God has sent me, so send I you…." (John 20: 21b)
"God loves you" are three words which need to be heard throughout the world. The larger Christian church (many diverse denominations and faith traditions) urgently needs our prayers and witness. Precious seeking people in every city, village, town, culture and language desperately need our prayers and witness as Christian closeted and out people. Often we are our own people’s best missionaries! We understand the cries of our peoples heart in every culture, country and language. People are hungry to hear our stories of how we received serenity and shalom from God as GLBTH Christians. We are to be a sent people from Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1a). Many homophobic Christians would deny our spiritual heritage as GLBT people of faith. But the Bible clearly includes all God’s children. Sometimes the Christian church has done great harm in the name of Christ. In North America, well intentioned Christians fought over the issue of slavery and human rights. Many of these groups argue over the status of women ministers and the ordination and inclusion of sexual minorities. Many people have been spiritually injured by these well intentioned and earnest people.
Other well intentioned and conservative Christian groups continue to preach GLBT people cannot be Christian. Because so many have diligently trained with this perspective, many GLBT people believe heterosexual Christians are an enemy. People have agonized in Ex-Gay ministries to change what may not be changeable.
As a result an entire people across the world has been denied Jesus Christ and God’s shalom. People are crying out for soul food and drink. We a magnificent life work in unfinished evangelism. This is our 21st Century calling! We have a special time in history to be God’s blessed politically incorrect, spiritual revolutionaries who pray in the name of Jesus Christ as Lord.
We have the power and authority as believers of the Risen One to turn the world upside down with very good news in a "news starved world." Remember this! Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8: 35 - 39).
1.6. A place in world history as Christians
"Here am I, send me" (Isaiah 6: 8b).
In my study hangs a simple wood plaque with these words: "All the darkness in the universe cannot hide the light of a single candle." Jesus has said "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life "(John 8:12). He taught his followers "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid……let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matthew 5: 13-16).
At a near-by lake there are days when the waters are calm. The still waters actually look smooth as glass! Yet if a stone is dropped in the water, the ripples spread out in ever widening circles. So is the power of our faith stories. When "Christ-Positive" seekers among us share the good news of God, a sometimes dramatic, sometimes subtle ripple effect begins. We can share the hope within us and break false stereotypes. People need our stories. We have a special calling as we share. There are times when we are to "come out" to God and for God. The power of one person’s Christ positive story of faith has enormous ripple effects. We can change world history as people of faith. We are the messengers of this remarkable love story.
Even though there has been a perfect creation, somehow things went wrong almost from the beginning of time. We live with the "traditional family values" and inherited brokeness of the original Adam and Eve. The world suffers the consequences of that first family and groans in pain. There are wars and rumors of war throughout the world. Families turn against each other and reject or/and abuse their children. Poverty, injustice, pollution and evil exist. A great evil began when many in conservative Christian churches and throughout much of the secular world began to fear, persecute and oppress GLBT people. Many have been deeply sinned against and denied the unconditional love of God.
The greatest lie in the universe is that "Gay People Cannot be Christians." This is poisonous religion. Jesus Christ has a special affection for same-sex relationships. To love and be loved is a gift from God. Our voices urgently need to be heard to bring God’s truth to all orientations!
We can change world history. One with God is a majority. When two or three are gathered in the name of Christ a mighty force begins. God cannot be stopped. We are part of a growing Christian voice. We too are part of the body of Christ known as the Church. God uses the church to change the world.
"Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world……" (1 Corinthians 1: 26 -28).
God uses ordinary people who are willing to share this good news in extraordinary ways. Nothing is impossible for God! Many Christians are surprised to learn Christianity was originally a magnificent lay movement. It still is. Many people are actually reluctant to talk with clergy and "professional" religious experts. The first three hundred years of the early church had no ordained clergy as we know today. For that matter Jesus never went to seminary and neither did the early followers. Early Christianity spread by gossip and chat in the marketplace through everyday conversations, special times of trial and troubles by people who simply shared what they knew about this astonishing Jesus Christ.
Jesus called people that society threw away, despised and found of little social value. Those of power and influence often found Jesus scandalous! He associated with prostitutes, beggars, sickly and tormented people. He treated each with respect and dignity. The Spirit of Christ is among GLBT people! Christ is among us. Jesus Christ is using us to bring the full Gospel of inclusion to the larger Christian church! How like Christ to do this. Each of us has a very special calling for God.
Every one of us has a story to tell about how we know God. God yearns for our voice to be heard. We may not know the whole story, but we can share what we know and have experienced. Jesus Christ is wonderful to be with. People are crying out for spiritual soul food only found in the One called the Bread of Life. We are "simply beggars telling other beggars where to get food." Everyone is welcome. Every one has a place at this table! No one will ever be denied. This is our love story and 21st century calling: sharing God’s heartbeat.
1.8. A Satisfying Life of Soul Food
"Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6: 35).
These gracious words are found in the New Testament Gospel of John: They were spoken for all people, in every village, city and town in the world for every generation of seekers. These words are for every culture, language and sexual orientation. "Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever................And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go..............If anyone thirsts, let them come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (Bible translation is The Message, by Eugene Peterson.)
There IS a place at Christ’s table for every one. Jesus is graciously inviting us to linger at the table and enjoy being together. Our hunger and thirst will be satisfied with the finest soul food and drink. Our cups shall overflow. Our banquet feast will be enjoyed even in the midst of our enemies.
Section 2: THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER IN GOD’S VOCABULARY IS ONEThe author of this material is "Surprised by Joy" (surprisedbyjoy@yahoo.com). "Surprised by Joy" is an ordained UFMCC Christian minister who discovered that God is wonder-full to be with. It is our hope and prayer at soulfoodministry.org that all visitors will experience the tenderloving- kindness of God and receive spiritual food for their journey.
