Last week I made a short presentation about Northern Lights MCC to other people in our Newcastle City Centre Churches Together group. It was a very interesting evening, learning about the traditions and practices of St. James’s United Reformed Church and St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland. We have different worship styles, different traditions about the celebration of communion and target different communities. As time was limited for each presentation, it was interesting to decide what the key aspects of our life are as Northern Lights MCC that I wanted to get across. As most people in the room had never heard of us, I started with a brief history of our denomination, telling the story of Reverend Troy Perry hearing the ‘still small voice of God in the mind’s ear’, telling him, as a gay man, how much he was loved by God. I talked a little about our current Moderator, Reverend Nancy Wilson and asked folk to pray for us, as we go through the process to find her replacement.
I suppose then I talked about the things that really matter to me about being part of MCC and our ministry at Northern Lights MCC. I love the way we value ‘the priesthood of all believers’ – that is, everyone having the opportunity to be involved in ministry. A MCC clergy friend and I were chatting recently. Like me, he is having to take on several roles in worship at the moment. We agreed that it just felt wrong – not because we are lazy, but because it is not the MCC way to have the pastor do everything in worship. I explained a little about our use of inclusive language and how we all experience God in different ways. I got quite a nod of agreement from some of the women listening when I said I didn’t think God just sent peace on earth to men.
Our mission statement at Northern Lights MCC is ‘Be yourself, find meaning, know God.’ Being ourselves might be to do with our sexuality, it might be to do with other aspects of our lives. I explained that our worship is open to all - we don’t have a machine that beeps if someone is not LGBT : ). One of our guest preachers last year came from a tradition where he wore a cassock to preach. He could be himself and wear his cassock, even though it is not the tradition at Northern Lights MCC for me to wear vestments (the special clothes that clergy sometimes wear). Our name and logo reflects our vision to be hope and light in the NE. of England. I was so proud to show a photo of us at Pride with Big Jesus from Liberty Church and talk about our outreach into the community we serve. My final slide showed our website, Facebook and Twitter details, some of the other ways of being church. We are not a church that hides behind closed doors; we go out, taking Jesus with us. We make a difference.
God bless,
Cecilia
I suppose then I talked about the things that really matter to me about being part of MCC and our ministry at Northern Lights MCC. I love the way we value ‘the priesthood of all believers’ – that is, everyone having the opportunity to be involved in ministry. A MCC clergy friend and I were chatting recently. Like me, he is having to take on several roles in worship at the moment. We agreed that it just felt wrong – not because we are lazy, but because it is not the MCC way to have the pastor do everything in worship. I explained a little about our use of inclusive language and how we all experience God in different ways. I got quite a nod of agreement from some of the women listening when I said I didn’t think God just sent peace on earth to men.
Our mission statement at Northern Lights MCC is ‘Be yourself, find meaning, know God.’ Being ourselves might be to do with our sexuality, it might be to do with other aspects of our lives. I explained that our worship is open to all - we don’t have a machine that beeps if someone is not LGBT : ). One of our guest preachers last year came from a tradition where he wore a cassock to preach. He could be himself and wear his cassock, even though it is not the tradition at Northern Lights MCC for me to wear vestments (the special clothes that clergy sometimes wear). Our name and logo reflects our vision to be hope and light in the NE. of England. I was so proud to show a photo of us at Pride with Big Jesus from Liberty Church and talk about our outreach into the community we serve. My final slide showed our website, Facebook and Twitter details, some of the other ways of being church. We are not a church that hides behind closed doors; we go out, taking Jesus with us. We make a difference.
God bless,
Cecilia
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