I’ve always loved language and the nuances of our vocabularies. I’ve long thought that communicating as clearly and thoughtfully as we can is an important habit of the heart. Did you know that nearly 700 new words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary just last year? It’s hard to keep up! As this congregation continues its journey of Welcome, we’ll consider the vocabulary of our gender identities and sexual preferences. It’s not that the range of LGBTQIA+ identities is new. Nor – sadly – are the challenges to equality. It’s that our understanding of the landscape and how we speak about it continues to evolve. Let’s gather to imagine how we are called, again and again, to pay attention.

Topics: Transformation