Stay Awake with Me

It is a beautiful thing to be gathered here with you this evening around the light of candles.  It feels like we are staying awake together.

With torture and execution looming, Jesus is in anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane and requests that the disciples stay awake in Matthew 26.  When Jesus needs the disciples the most, the disciples keep falling asleep.  Jesus is let down.  Ultimately, the disciples just can’t stay awake and it adds to Jesus’ anguish.

In this queer space that we are attempting to create together…a space where everyone can be exactly who God created them to be.  The great question is will we stay awake?

When we are tempted to turn back from who and what God has made us to be…will we follow God or we turn away from God and follow our own path?  Will we stay awake with God?

When we open our mouths and express who we are as individuals…and people are disturbed by our lack of normativity…will we stand beside each other as the insults and violence flies?  Will we stay awake with each other?

When we begin to open up to each other in this space and become disturbed by what someone else has said…will we have the courage to sit with that person and try to understand where they are coming from?  Will we stay awake with them?

When the world is spiraling out of control…will we have the courage to stay awake and be the lone voices of love and justice?

When we begin to open up and express who we are…will we have the courage to push past what others might think of us?  Will we stay awake with our self?

I pray that this will be a space where we love our self, each other, our world and God with eyes wide open.  If we stay awake…it will be dangerous…but God is there waiting to join us in the task of love.

In time, God will lead us through the Spirit and through each other to past the place of fear to a space called queer.  We have a chance to stay awake with each other on this journey of all journeys.

Will you stay awake with me?

Amen.

Delivered at The Queer Church of Dallas