Communion & Gay Brunch

“The word that seems best to summarize the desire of the human heart is 'communion.' ...wherever we look it is communion that we seek.” -Henri Nouwen

As a gay Christian, I’m always fascinated when I see a holy longing in the beauty of the LGBTQ+ world. One of my personal favorite ways to experience that is a good gay brunch… I love brunch! But why is that gay and why is that holy, you ask?

In church, COMMUNION is an invitation to COME and find UNION with Christ’s literal broken body (relationship with Jesus) and metaphorical broken body, (relationship with his hot mess of a church). A more traditional word, EUCHARIST, literally means thanksgiving. Combine those two ideas and it sounds like it should be a sweet and meaningful gathering to reflect on what matters most to us over a gratitude-inducing meal. To me, that is what gay brunch is all about!

As we take the bread… or pancakes and french toast,

And the wine… or mimosas and mock-tails,

As we confess our sins … or spill the tea (gossip),

As we gather together as the family of God… or as one chosen family,

As we remember our identity in Christ… or our identity as proud LGBTQ+ individuals,

As we see how someone saved a place for us and that we BELONG at the Table… or a table,

I’m reminded of how much goodness I have experienced in my life when I’ve found my seat at BOTH of these tables.  But that division creates an even deeper desire for these two families of people to come and find union by realizing how much more we can have a Jesus-worthy celebration together!

The church needs more of the vibrance, beauty, and acceptance of the queer community.

The church needs more opportunities for its people to share their hurts, struggles, and stories without spiritual bypassing.

The church needs to remember its identity as the adulterous idolatrous fabulous bride of Christ.

The gays need more of the message that nothing we could ever do or say or feel would cause Jesus to take away our seat at his table.

The gays need more opportunities to share their hurts, struggles, and stories without fear of rejection or the need for superficial validation.

The gays need to know that Jesus cruised around town with 12 single guys and is still very open to relationship with more.

I'm grateful for the love and community that surround me, but I have a holy longing to see the type of communal banquet where Christ’s love is more than enough to fill every cup and plate.

How about you?

How are you longing for more communion in your life?

Who is someone you know that could use a seat at your table?