Welcome home, sister we’ve just met

by Erin Littlestar

Easter is a time of rebirth, of reinvention, and forgiveness. For me, that promise was never more significant than this year. I was going through a lot of changes in my life personally and professionally, the most noteworthy of which was that just a few weeks before, I fell in love with a woman for the first time in my life. Having grown up in a very conservative church, I was fairly sure this meant that I was about to be outcast from the Church, if not from the Kingdom of God. So when my, very unknowing, parents visited me for Easter, I brought them to the church that advertised that “all are welcome”, and desperately hoped that included me. I was immediately drawn in by the beauty of the building, then the music, the diversity of people, and the way the dynamic pastor could draw you into a story with his voice. I was intrigued, but still skeptical about the “welcome” I would receive. I had fallen in love with many churches before, only to leave disappointed and broken hearted. I was wary, but I so craved a community of believers, I was willing to take this chance. I came back on my own several times in the following weeks.

I heard about Theology on Tap, and figured any church that had bible study in a bar was worth going to. After one session, I was hooked. As many can attest, those Monday night discussions over beer became my weekly therapy. Each week I was learning more and more about the true nature of God, and reading the Bible as if for the fist time. After I came out to my parents it was even clearer how important this group of Pilgrims was becoming in my life. God was pushing me further and further into this community, and as you accepted me, I was able to accept myself. I was able to accept the love of God, and see myself as a whole and complete person.

I was invited on to the worship planning team, something I figured was only for longtime members and people in the inner clique of the church. I thought perhaps I was the “token new girl”, but before I knew it I was planning and cooking a Homecoming lunch for 75 people. To be honest, I was terrified. I was terrified no one would show up, or that I would somehow screw it up and then I’d be that new girl who ruined Homecoming. But you were gracious, and accepting of the change, and treated me as if I’d been around for ages, as if I was a daughter, a sister, a friend. You allowed me to share my gifts with you in the kitchen, and then in the classroom. Today ends my 3 week series on Food Politics, a subject I am passionate about, but which is not always the most palatable. Factory farms and slaughterhouses are not the sort of thing I was brought up to discuss in polite company, and certainly not at church! But you amazed me again, and filled the classroom and asked questions, and seemed genuinely interested. You welcomed not just the nice, polite parts of me, but also the passionate and controversial parts. You accepted me in as family. You pushed me to use my passion for others, and leap outside my comfort zone. I was enveloped in your welcome, and came out a stronger woman.

So really, this story is about you all. It’s about how you took a risk and welcomed a stranger, and how you changed her life in ways you may not even see. It’s about the power of God to bring you what you need, exactly when you need it. It’s about the humbling experience of receiving true hospitality. And it’s about what comes next- Just as you have welcomed me into this house, so am I now obligated to welcome the next stranger. You’ve given me the power to welcome them to our home. And for that I’ll always be grateful.

Welcome home, sister we’ve just met.