Someone wrote me to say: “The only place for women in the church is sitting in pews with their heads covered.”

According to Paul, God doesn’t even see us as male or female, Jew or Gentile. And God doesn’t see people as gay or straight. This from a near-death experience:

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When I got to heaven, I asked about my sexuality. I had been concerned all my life. The angel directed my attention to a large screen.

On the screen, I saw two points of light engaged in intimate relation. The angel asked which was male and which was female.

I said, “I don’t know.”

The angel said, “That light is what God sees, for God sees the soul. Gender is a temporary thing. It will not always be with us.”

The angel said God never makes a mistake in the way we are made.

And God knows how each of us will be challenged and how we will be blessed.

We are called to grow spiritually as we are.

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So—Jesus was being literal when he said we are the light of the world.

Some folks want gay people, women, people of color, immigrants, and many others to put their light under that “bushel” Jesus talked about.

But Jesus told us to shine–all of us. Shine–as we are, where we are.

God doesn’t abide by the labels we put on people.

God doesn’t see Baptist, Methodist, Muslim or Jew—nor American or foreign.

God just sees his children—fighting over labels that don’t count.

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Fun silent auction and bake sale tomorrow—10:00 to 2:00. Come!