Metropolitan Community Churches is one chapter in the story of the Church, the Body of Christ. We are people on a journey, learning to live into our spirituality, while affirming our bodies, our genders, our sexualities. We don’t all believe exactly the same things. And yet in the midst of our diversity, we build community, grounded in God’s radically inclusive love for all people. We are part of an ongoing conversation on matters of belief and faith, shaped by scripture and the historic creeds, building on those who have come before us. Our chapter begins when God says to us: “Come, taste, and see.”

“Come, taste, and see.” Jesus Christ, You invite all people to Your open table. You make us Your people, a beloved community. You restore the joy of our relationship with God, even in the midst of loneliness, despair, and degradation. We are each unique and we all belong, a priesthood of all believers. Baptized and filled with Your Holy Spirit, You empower us to be Your healing presence in a hurting world.

We expect to see Your reign on earth as it is in heaven as we work toward a world where everyone has enough, wars cease, and all creation lives in harmony. We affirm Your charge to all of humanity to care for the land, sea, and air. Therefore, we will actively resist systems and structures which are destroying Your creation.

With all of creation we worship You—every tribe, every language, every people, every nation. We know You by many names, Triune God, beyond comprehension, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, who invites us to the feast.

As we continue our “Faith Revealed” series leading up to Lent, we are diving deep into what we actually mean when we talk about faith at Open Table MCC. Following our discussion last week on the “Queer Trinity” and embodied theology—the idea that God is revealed through our physical bodies and identities —today we explore the document that binds our global community together: The MCC Statement of Faith.

The preaching highlights that unlike many older denominations, MCC does not focus on long lists of rigid, dogmatic theologies. Instead, our faith is defined by several core pillars that emerged from years of global conversation and research within our denomination.

At the heart of our community is a “radically inclusive love for all people”. This isn’t just a slogan; it is the foundation of our identity as a church that affirms diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions (SOGIE).

Our faith is “progressive,” which means it is actively informed by justice. We are not passive observers; we are called to be a healing presence in a hurting world, resisting systems that destroy creation and marginalize people.

When asked what MCC faith looks like, many members describe it as “home”. We strive to be a sanctuary where everyone—including those living with HIV and families exploring progressive theologies—can feel safe and valued.

The current Statement of Faith, approved in 2016, moved away from strictly traditional patterns to better reflect our lived reality. It acknowledges that we don’t all believe exactly the same things, yet we remain part of an ongoing conversation shaped by scripture, reason, and our own experiences.

The sermon reminds us that our faith is “revealed” through our diversity. Whether you are a “legacy member” or a guest visiting for the first time, you are invited to “taste and see”. We reclaim the idea that God is beyond comprehension and yet revealed in the very human acts of building community and seeking justice.

Loving God, thank you for this community. Thank you that despite our imperfections, You gather us here to learn, to grow, and to mature. Speak to us through Your Holy Spirit and guide us as we continue to build a community founded in Your love. Amen.

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