sacred

Last autumn, Jayne Ozanne and I had meal together and shared hopes and dreams for the year ahead.

Jayne shared her desire to see a place where we could worship within the evangelical tradition of Anglicanism that has always been home, a place that would exist to bless LGBTQ+ Christians and welcome those members of our rainbow family who might like to find faith but find church just too daunting for words. I couldn't have agreed with her more; I love finding places that embrace inclusivity - but so often wish that I found more of it in my own wing of the church. A place where home feels like home.

We both agreed that we loved visiting Nick Bundock and his team at Didsbury. And yet we longed to see something in our own part of the country. And so the first seeds of 'Sacred' were born.

By the New Year, Jayne had put a proposal to the Cathedral Chapter in Oxford, and I had also spoken to one or two folk there, and the Chapter met and decided that a safe, inclusive, evangelical service once a month after cathedral evensong on a Sunday evening was a terrific addition to their worship schedule. A steering group was organised with us and cathedral folk and others, both LGBTQ+ and allies, and we started to plan for our first event.

Being evangelical and inclusive, we wanted to show that everyone is welcome from the start.
So Jayne was our clear choice for our first preacher. I would lead the service. Graham Ward, canon at the cathedral and Regius Professor of Divinity would welcome us. Liam Cartwright would lead our sung worship. Martin Percy, Dean of Christ Church, amazingly offered hospitality at the Deanery after the service. Hannah Cartwright took on prayer ministry. Clare Hayns, Philippa White, and Rajiv Siddhu, Alannah Jeune and others I am forgetting to name also took on crucial roles.

Now, so far this was just a good idea. We felt, from talking to friends, that this was a good idea lots of people wanted to share, but it was just our good idea. We had no idea - really no idea - who would show up, or if anyone would!

Optimistically, we put out flyers, and had interviews in the Oxford Mail and the Cherwell, the student newspaper. We hoped for forty people.

But as Graham offered a deeply personal and generous welcome at the start of our service on February 23rd, I got up and saw the best part of a hundred folk gathered in to the north transept of the cathedral. There were older folk and students. Different genders. People by themselves, with friends, with partners, with children. I saw folk I knew across the LGBTQ+ family.

And we worshipped. And God blessed us. And we wept. And prayed. And listened. And laughed. And worshipped some more.

The cathedral website will carry recordings of our sermons. Jayne's is available to listen to here.

To have this service, where all God's children are valued and valuable, where everyone is equal and equally loved, where there is no prejudice or silence or shame, just joy and life and freedom and worship and wide open Bibles and hearts that are safe simply to be -

It is the definition of gift. Of grace. Of 'a radical new Christian inclusion'.

And it continues next month, and the month after, and all are welcome here.