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A Christian Church for Everyone
with a special outreach to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and
Transgendered
Treasure Valley Metropolitan Community Church
Boise, Idaho
Rev Robert C Cross
Each week, Pastor Robert emails a letter concerning the activities of
the church, social and legislative concerns, Boise area and state social and
legislative concerns, national and UFMCC announcements, as well as thoughts
about life. If you would like to receive these e-letters, e-mail and ask to
be added to the e-mail list.
Below is a sample of such a letter:
FROM THE PASTOR
with a special outreach to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered
Treasure Valley Metropolitan Community Church
Boise, Idaho
Rev Robert C Cross
Below is a sample of such a letter:
As we get older, certain things in our lives begin to remind us of our
mortality. A couple of our members have recently lost their mothers.
Rose's mother and Judy's mother have both passed away recently.
It isn't that we don't feel good about each of them and their relationship
with God. Both understood God's love for them and knew that they were
going to a better place. Both Judy and Rose accepted what will eventually
happen to all of us. Both Rose and Judy know that their mother is with
God.
What is difficult for all of us is the profound sense of lose. Someone who
was so near and dear to us we can not longer reach out and hug. We can no
longer pick up the phone and make a call to hear their voice. It is a
profound sense of loneliness which one senses when a parent dies.
My sense is that it is even more difficult when we lose a child.
Death is not something that we look forward to, not because we are afraid
of what lies ahead, but because we sincerly miss those who have gone before
us. It is not enough to think that they are in a better place or that they
are waiting for us.
However, we worship and honor a God who has the same experieces as we have.
God suffered the loss of a child. God knows the pain of death and is ready
to confort and surround each of us with God's love.
I know that we have all heard the story of "Footprints in the Sand". It is
the story of God walking with us on the paths of life. We notice that when
things are most difficult, there seems to be only one set of prints. We
ask God, "How could you abandon me in my greatest hour of need?" God
answers, "My child, that was when I carried you."
May we rely on God when things are the darkest, knowing that God is with us
and has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the earth.
In Christ,
***************************************************************
3/18/00
Dear Friends in Christ:
The scriptures are filled with relationships which are described as
covenants. A covenant is a promise exchanged between two people.
Sometimes a covenant was made by God with another persons on behalf of a
group of people.
During Lent we have been hearing stories of some of the covenants which God
made with the children of earth.
A covenant has three elements. The first element is the promise. Each
party in the covenant relationship makes a promise to the other about the
way that they will act with each other. The second element of the covenant
is the sealing of the covenant between the parties. In our own culture, we
seal promises with a handshake. In the Hebrew scriptures, covenants were
often sealed with a sacrifice. Finally, the covenant has a sign which
helps both parties remember what the covenant is. Just because one person
breaks the promise, that does not give the other person permission to
ignore the promise themselves.
In the Noah story, the promise was that the earth would not again be
destroyed by flood. The sealing of the covenant was with a sacrifice and
the sign was the rainbow.
What is the covenant between God and Abraham? What was the sign? What
about the covenant with Moses and the people of Israel before they entered
the promise land? The sacrifice? The sign? God made a covenant with King
David. Do you know what it was?
Covenant relationships are present in our own culture as well. The Holy
Union or Marriage is a covenant relationship between two people. Promises
are made, a hand shake is given and often a sign (the ring) is exchanged.
The New covenant which Jesus made with his followers was that they would
receive new life. The sacrifice was Jesus' death on the cross and the sign
of the covenant was the Holy Communion. "Whenever you drink this cup and
eat this bread, do it in memory of me."
Each of us have made a covenant with God about how we are going to live our
lives. The sign of that covenant is the way we live and the sacrifice
which we make is losing our life and finding it in God.
During Lent, I encourage each of you to examine the way you live and the
promise that you have made with God. The covenant is up to you to keep.
Remember that God always keeps the promise which God has made to us.
In Christ,
Robert+
Robert+
