‘Here we are—Lutherans in the middle of the City, having Christmas for LGBT+ people.’
Rev. Maris Sants, LCiGB pastor of the Nordic Church in Liverpool, in one simple sentence summarises the joy of so many who attended the queer carol service at St. Mary-at-Hill Church on 12 December. The event was jointly hosted by the CLC and St. Anne’s Lutheran Church, and accompanied by the rich ensemble singing of Solomon’s Knot.
The service combined scripture readings, traditional carols and selected poems to celebrate the good news of the Christ child’s birth. Further, the music and words proclaimed a God who loves and welcomes all people and condemns no one for who they are or whom they love.
Blessed are the worshipers, praying from closets, pulpits, pews, and hardship.
—from ‘Blessed are the Queer’ by Helen HP Rivers
Theological student Tym Novak appreciated being a participant in the service. ‘I think as queer people, we’re not really represented or acknowledged in the churches,’ he expressed. ‘I had a conversation at my university today…they were talking about how suppressing [queer identity] was probably the best thing to do.’ Novak chose to challenge his fellow students, using this service as his example: ‘I think you’d find that Jesus would be here with us, celebrating life, celebrating us as human beings.’
Celebration was the order of the evening, which continued with a time of fellowship extending for hours after the final notes of ‘Joy to the World’ had faded. Rev. Sants marvelled at the simple fact that the service was taking place at all. ‘Never before in my life did I imagine being in a mainstream church having this kind of celebration. It was also amazing seeing so many people whom I know and whom I have seen in other contexts, who have been out of church—outsiders—and now they are in!’
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —over and over
announcing your place in the family of things.
—from ‘Wild Geese’ by Mary Oliver