July 9, 2013

While in Boston I have been attending a church called Old South each week. My church experience in Boston has been anything but "average" (whatever that means), and I have loved it. Old South is a gorgeous old church on Boylston Street, in fact it's right next to where the first marathon bomb went off. This church is so old that little infant Ben Franklin was baptized there (anyone else but me have a hard time picturing Ben as a baby?).   But even though Old South is gorgeous, I mainly love it because of the sheer love and warmth that comes out of this otherwise old and intimidating building. While I think that most churches in the U.S. would say that they welcome anyone...at Old South they really really mean it. More on that in a second.

The main service I have attended  is on Thursday nights. Already something different...since I don't think I'd ever stepped foot in a church on a Thursday before. The service is called "Jazz Worship" which means that instead of a typical organ or piano, they have a small (and fantastic!) jazz band there each week to play a mix of familiar worship songs, as well as classics from jazz artists like Miles Davis, Duke Ellington..etc. It's a lovely service, set in a smaller chapel and usually only lasts about 50 min.  It's simple and sweet, and moving.

Before visiting Old South, one of the few things I knew about the church was that they were (in their words) an "open and affirming congregation". But basically I figured this out from the little rainbow flag in the corner of their webpage. :) This wasn't a factor in why I visited the church (I mainly was interested in the jazz service!), it was just one of the few facts I knew going in.This is obviously way more common in New England, than say, Texas, but honestly sometimes it depends on the city. I know this is a huge hot-button issue for many, and I'm not going to jump on either side of the debate and start ranting about what is right and wrong. I am just stating..that Old South has this sign outside of their church:

And they mean it.

They make a point each week to say things like "no matter who you love, no matter what type of body you have..you are welcome". And each week, I see the diversity that proves this. There are people who come alone (like me), there are families, people who are paralyzed, mentally challenged, white, black, Asian, African, Colombian, gay, straight, homeless, old, young, tourists, people who just moved to this country, disabled...and on and on. Everyone feels welcome. Everyone is respectful. Although..I guess when I say everyone, I mean everyone who understands the "openness" of Old South before walking in off the street...

This past weekend, I attended Old South's Sunday evening service. It's a lot like the jazz service, except with more traditional music, and they often invite a congregation member to speak about something meaningful to them. This past week, a man probably in his late 20's got up to speak about his struggles as a gay man, who has only been "out" for a few years..and what that meant for his church life, family life..etc. Again, I know this is a controversial topic to many. But I was just sitting there thinking, wow, what courage it takes for someone to get up in front of strangers and share such personal struggles (no matter what the struggles are!). I was moved by this sweet, smart guy and his willingness to be so completely honest and vulnerable up there. But very unfortunately...in the audience, there were people who obviously walked in to Old South with no prior knowledge of the church. That's not really a big deal at all..EXCEPT for one thing. When the man I mentioned got up to speak, as soon as it was clear that he was a gay man who would be talking about his journey, several people stood up and left. Maybe is doesn't sound too rude, but it was, because this service is held in a small chapel, and there weren't all that many people there on that Sunday to begin with (holiday weekend), so it was very obvious when these people walked out. When it happened, my heart sank. I've seen it happen several times before at Old South, and every time it's equally disheartening.

I am far from an expert on the Bible, Christianity or Gay Rights..but here is what I would have told those people who walked out:

You don't think that the word "gay" belongs anywhere near a church? That's fine, that's your opinion...but SIT DOWN. Why? Because by leaving before even hearing what this man has to say, you are displaying actions that are a giant ugly pimple on the face of Christianity. You are adding fuel to the flames of those who say Christianity is closed-minded and judgmental. You are proving them right. You are hearing one fact about a fellow human being, and you are choosing to stick your fingers in your ears and either run away or shout over them. I am by no means asking you to sit there and agree with everything (or anything!) that this man is speaking about. I am simply asking that you have an open enough heart and mind to be able to sit here and listen to your fellow man share his struggles. Because don't we all have struggles? Don't we all have  passions, and worries, and fears and hopes that would take a lot of courage to share with anyone, let alone a room full of strangers? 

The issue at hand here isn't agreeing...it's simply listening.

All of that being said, I will truly miss Old South when we move. Trav came with me absolutely whenever he could (his days off), so I'm thankful he got to attend as well. I love that church and feel that it is truly something special. But honestly the sweet spirituality, and warm welcoming attitude of Old South is something that has left me forever changed and inspired, and for that I am very grateful!

p.s. props to Trav for already having posted the pic of that sign on his facebook months ago. We both loved it, and I'm glad he had the pic, so I could share it!