God works through us in our dreams. Every time we say, “I need to sleep on it” when making a big decision or trying to solve a tough problem. Maybe it’s God Themselves or Their angels, just as Jesus had his disciples to help us. Our God desires great things for us. That includes friendship, companionship for those who don’t seem to have it. Everyone has a divine right to be whole and well in God’s praise. Everyone should be able to celebrate life, to find reason to give thanks. Those who are alone, in poverty both physically and emotionally, are the ones God has dreams for. That one of us angels of mercy would extend compassion and Christian friendship. God’s dream is to include everyone. I am guilty and ashamed of all the times I pass by, ignore the opportunity to offer the spiritual “cup of cold water”. God’s dream is that the world would be radically transformed through us. One act of kindness at a time. There is no magic wand that God will wave that everyone seems to be waiting for. We wait for God’s return in Jesus, yes, but it is not meant to be inactive waiting. The kingdom of God has already come, but Their work is ongoing.

[Excursus: you may be wondering why I am using plural pronouns in referring to God. It is an intentional effort to honor and respect that some people who of course God loves and cares about refer to themselves in non-binary language. They accept their reality of identifying themselves in both genders. They have dreams that God still accepts them even if the world does not. I am not trying to be controversial or invite argument].

We are slow learners; old dogs resisting the new tricks. The world has changed at a frightening tempo, and we lament. But the inner essence of God in us is a reality that no sociological or psychological analysis can fully quantify. The LBGTQ community have dreams that they will be included in God’s family. They desire Christian fellowship, even if they don’t express it or know how to. That’s where we come in. There is always more than enough room at the banquet table. We are a mixture of those hungry for change, something fresh, as well as those who want to keep things as they are. To those in the latter category, I humbly submit that you failed to get onboard before the ship set sail. Uncharted – these are the waters that 21^st Century churchgoing Christians find themselves in. We cannot stay in one spot, as much as we might wish to. The dreams God has for us are worth exploring and seeking out.

We are participants in the kingdom of God. Sometimes we are so busy doing church that we forget to be church. I know this is merely a blog and this might be sounding more like a sermon (please forgive me – I can’t help it sometimes!), but we are being transformed in order to change the world one soul at a time if we must. This, I believe, is the essence of God’s dream. The unity prayer of Jesus in John 17. The unconditional love that I struggle to see as trans-, non-binary. God is certainly bigger than any sociological or psychological construct, just as They are timeless. Faith moves us forward, whether we want to go or not. Dream big with God.

Pastor Art