The following is an excerpt from Open Table ...This is my story: God’s good giftsSilhouettes of hands against a sunset background, showing hope and mutual support, by Shuang Paul Wang on iStockPhoto‘This is my story’ is an occasional series of short devotions, based around the Bible, the experiences of Open Table members, reflection and prayer.This month we hear from OTN Co-Chair Sarah Hobbs, on what it means to be truly authentic with God.Reading:LISTEN to Sarah Hobbs reading this reflection on our podcast [4mins].Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!Matthew 7:9-11 (NRSV)Reflection:“It felt like I’d spent over 30 years asking God to give me the bread of freedom. But all that crying out got me was a stone of defeat.”I have always known that I was transgender. Outside the classroom of my Year 2 primary school teacher, it crystallised in my mind for the first time. But far from bringing me peace, it brought me fear.I resolved to never reveal this secret to anyone else. I would keep it hidden in my own heart. But as well as being confusing, that started a pattern of internalised hatred and transphobia.The only person I felt I could tell was God. I wasn’t a person of faith and my family didn’t go to church, but aged six, I began a nightly ritual that lasted for years. I would time myself for an hour when I got into bed. I prayed that I would wake up and that God would have fixed the problem, that I would have woken up with a new gender.By 17, confusion completely reigned. God had not answered my fervent prayers and so my tactics changed. With tears and groans, I cried out to be healed. I confessed, I received prayer, I was counselled. I tried my hardest to stop being less than what I thought was the best God had for me. I sank into a cycle of shame where every time I let myself be myself, I was racked with guilt.And then, aged 38, our magnificent, beautiful and loving God intervened. One piece of scripture - the one quoted above - changed everything. It felt like I’d spent over 30 years asking God to give me the bread of freedom. But all that crying out got me was a stone of defeat.I realised that, either this Scripture isn’t true, and that when you ask, your Heavenly Father gives stones instead of bread, or that being transgender was bread and I was mistaking it for stone.Maybe God does love me as I am! Since then, reading the Bible with that lens has led me to a hope and a euphoria greater than I could ever have possibly imagined.Reflect for a moment: What would it mean for you if you really believed that God gives good gifts to his children.Imagine that one of those gifts is true authenticity. You are able to be completely yourself before God, with no judgement.Think what a difference that could make to your life and your faith.Prayer:Loving God,today, let us see ourselvesthrough your eyes.Help us to recognisethat you have plans to prosper us,to give us hope and a future.Grant that we may spend our livesknowing that youare our refuge and our strength.Amen.Author:Sarah Hobbs is the Co-Chair of the Open Table network. She is also an ordinand, training within the Church of England.
Blessing prayers are go!On Tuesday 12 December 2023 the House of Bishops met to commend the ‘Prayers of Love and Faith’ for use starting this Sunday, 17 December. The only exception is the special standalone services for same-sex couples, which are not yet authorized.Though prayers for same-sex couples in churches have happened for decades, this Sunday (17 December 2023) marks the first time that prayers of blessing can officially happen with the blessing of the Church.The Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England welcomes this step taken by General Synod and the House of Bishops. We encourage as many churches as possible to make use of the Prayers of Love and Faith in their pastoral ministry. We understand there are already some churches who will be using the new prayers in their Sunday morning services to give thanks for the love of long-standing church members whose relationships have never been able to be formally celebrated in church until now. If you would like to join them, either this Sunday or later, please download and read this invitation: Use the PLF this Sunday.Though of course we welcome this as positive, it is still only a small step towards the full equality, dignity and respect that LGBTQIA+ people and their relationships deserve. There remains much more work to be done, not least for clergy to be permitted to marry their same-sex partner. At present a priest in a same-sex marriage risks losing their job, their income and for many the tied housing that comes with being a priest. It is incomprehensible that an organisation founded on Jesus’ teaching of love and inclusion would make someone homeless and destitute just for marrying their partner.We are also saddened that some in the Church are opposed to these new liturgies. Opposing Christians offering prayer rooted in love is not something that church groups should be doing. There are generous provisions and safeguards for those who feel unable to use these prayers. Clergy have to opt in to using them, and the bishops have been quite clear that no one will be compelled to use them. The Church has made space in the past on significant differences, such as the ordination of women or the remarriage of divorcees in church, and there is no reason why similar generosity in the common life of the Church cannot be found over prayers for loving same-sex couples.We hope that as these prayers are used as part of ordinary services they will help to change the culture within the Church, showing that there is nothing to fear from celebrating the love of any two people before God. We hope that the bishops will proceed now also to authorise standalone services of blessing, already welcomed by General Synod, and that the Church can move swiftly to the full ‘radical Christian inclusion’ we were promised, now many years ago! By which we mean equal marriage in church for everyone.
“We believe in inclusive church – a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.We will continue to challenge the church where it continues to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality.We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.”
