Pride 2009

Happy PRIDE! I hope you're planning to join MCC Austin as we participate in the week's activities. Specifically, I hope you'll worship with us at the PRIDE Multifaith service on Thursday, June 4, at 7:00 at University Baptist. Our own Jeff Lutes, Executive Director of Soulforce, will be the featured speaker. A combined MCC Austin choir will sing and several of our members and staff have helped plan and will help lead the service. On Saturday afternoon, from 4:00 to 8:00, we will be hosting a booth at the PRIDE festival. We'd love to see you there. (Please note there will be NO Saturday @ 6:24 service this Saturday.)

Shortly after the festival booths close, we will be walking in the PRIDE parade. You're welcome to cheer from the sidelines of the parade route as the 6:24 Band "floats" by or put on your walking shoes and come walk along with us. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a couple hundred of us invited parade goers to visit our Church Without Walls?

And finally, we will celebrate PRIDE together on Sunday at worship. Now, I don't want to give it all away, but I will tell you that we're going to have a wonderful time sharing our stories with each other. As I told you last Sunday, I finally did myself the huge favor of reading Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees. Here's what Kidd tells us about stories through the words of Lily, the book's narrator:

One thing I was starting to understand was that August loved to tell a good story.

"Really, it's good for all of us to hear it again," she said. "Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here."

Come and worship with us this weekend as we remember who we are and why we're here!

Love, Peace, and PRIDE,