Reconciling in Christ (RIC)
We Are a Church for All
Welcoming. Affirming. Inclusive.
St. Mark Lutheran Church is a Reconciling in Christ Congregation.
Lutherans for Full Participation
(ReconcilingWorks.org)
ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation has advocated since the 1970’s for full inclusion of LGBTQ people in the life of the Lutheran Church. Its Reconciling In Christ Program, begun in 1984, recognizes Lutheran communities that publicly welcome believers of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions, and affirm their place in the Church. The Florida-Bahamas Synod is Reconciling in Christ as well as St. Mark Lutheran Church, Dunedin. Check out the Central Florida Chapter of ReconcilingWorks: (reconcilingworks.org) for more information.
What is the Reconciling in Christ Program?
The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program is for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations. Lutheran communities that publicly welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are accepted onto the Reconciling in Christ Roster which now exceeds 880 settings.
We are Lutherans working with the recognition that racism, sexism, ageism, able-ism, heterosexism, homophobia, and all the other artificial distinctions that seek to raise one group into privilege and preference over another, conspire together to diminish our world and church.
Reconciliation is a fundamental value; it is what the Apostle Paul says we are all called to do. Through our Reconciling in Christ Program, ministries, resources, events and alliances, ReconcilingWorks builds community for worship, education and support; fosters welcome and acceptance in all Lutheran settings; and advocates for the ecclesial changes necessary to ensure full participation in all sacraments, inclusive liturgical resources, and ministries of the Church, inviting all people into Gospel lives of authenticity, integrity, and wholeness.
An independent, Lutheran, membership-supported organization, ReconcilingWorks is committed to strengthen all of God’s beloved for authentic, visible, faithful lives and to work for systemic change within the church and society.
We believe reconciling works, for the sake of the world.
RIC Video Series
Biblical Reflections on the LGBTQIA+ Community
Check out our new video series! These videos were created by a team of people from our church. Each video includes an introduction by our pastor followed by a biblical reflection by one of our members. If you’d like to read more, we recommend “Reconciling Scripture for Lutherans: Sexuality & Gender Identity.” It was a very formative resource for our study group.
Our first video starts at the beginning, Genesis 1.
ReconcilingWorks Resources
These are helpful resources provided by ReconcilingWorks and GLAAD. Curious about how you can be inclusive and affirming? Check out these links:
Relationships building Creation
This video focuses on Genesis 2. We hear that we have been created in the image and likeness of God, each a unique bearer of God’s image in the world. Our need for relationship is a mark of image and likeness of God; it is a reflection of the Trinity that dwells in a community of perfect love. As Christians, we understand that God creates through relationships rather than separation and division. In Genesis 2 the need for lasting companionship and union of flesh is a gift given by God.
Hospitality in Scripture
This video focuses on Genesis 19 where Christians interpret the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. This scriptural passage is unfortunately often cherry picked as a “clobber passage” to alienate our LGBTQIA+ siblings. Watch this video to better understand why God rained down sulfur and fire destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah completely.
When Christians seek to exclude same-gender couples from entering a relationship, they are in fact creating the problem that God intended to solve and forcing our LGBTQIA+ siblings to live in loneliness and despair, rather than celebrating the kind of commitment that Jesus himself recognized as foundational and God-given.
Empowered
At first glance, Deuteronomy 22:5 seems like a fairly easy and straight forward verse to understand:
“A woman shall not wear a man’s apparel, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whoever does such things is abhorrent to the Lord your God.”
When it comes to Luther’s plain reading lens, however, we have to remember that “plain reading” does not mean “taking this verse at face value as it’s translated into our current language and context” There are several scholarly beliefs and questions surrounding this scriptural verse. So we as Christians have to ask one final question in light of all these contextual clues: How does this verse apply to us today? If trans folks are not wearing clothing as part of a ritual worshiping other gods, or to damage their relationship with God or with their neighbor, is it really the same thing as the practice this verse was originally referring to? Please join us in watching this video which addresses these questions.
Prejudices of Paul & Power and Powerlessness
St. Mark releases the final two videos in the series of Bible passages that have been used to exclude our LGBTQIA+ Siblings in Christ from worship in faith communities. The scriptures discussed in the videos are Deuteronomy 23 and Romans 1, possibly the most used scripture.
As we watch these videos, look at the entire scripture passage and seek to determine how this applies to us today.
If you would like more information, we recommend this RIC resource, “Reconciling Scripture for Lutherans: Sexuality & Gender Identity.”