This sermon was given by the Revd Alan Brooks at the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for our monthly Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The readings were Acts 10:34-43 and John 20:1-18

The Revd Alan Brooks is a dear friend of Open Table Liverpool, a retired Head Teacher and part of the community at Crosby All Saints with St Frideswyde which hosts Open Table Sefton

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

This sermon was given by the Revd Dr Colin Hart at the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for our monthly Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ community. The readings were Romans 15: 1-7 and Mark: 2:23-3:6.

Rev Dr Colin Hart has research degrees in both New Testament and Ethics, and taught both subjects for many years at St John’s College, Nottingham, a Church of England theological college. He has also been a vicar and taught in Grammar schools and a sixth-form college.

Colin has written four Grove Booklets on New Testament Ethics and has more recently co-authored school textbooks on Critical Thinking. He is currently Principal Examiner in Thinking Skills for Cambridge International and has permission to officiate in the Diocese of Chester. He is a member of the Liverpool and Wirral Open Table congregations.

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

We were delighted to welcome the Revd Dr Colin Hart to Open Table and St Bride’s to share a lecture on this important topic.

In his lecture, Colin looked in detail at the (sparse) New Testament teaching about same-sex attraction, sexual acts and relationships, in order to assess the widely-held view that “Bible-believing Christians” must condemn some or all of these.

Rev Dr Colin Hart has research degrees in both New Testament and Ethics, and taught both subjects for many years at St John’s College, Nottingham, a Church of England theological college. He has also been a vicar and taught in Grammar schools and a sixth-form college.

Colin has written four Grove Booklets on New Testament Ethics and has more recently co-authored school textbooks on Critical Thinking. He is currently Principal Examiner in Thinking Skills for Cambridge International and has permission to officiate in the Diocese of Chester. He is a member of the Liverpool and Wirral Open Table congregations.

To download a PDF copy of Colin's Powerpoint please click here.

To download a copy of the handouts Colin shared please click here.

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

This sermon was given by Mr Warren Hartley, LGBTQIA+ Ministry Facilitator for the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for our annual Glitter Ash Wednesday Service. The reading was Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21.Glitter+Ash exquisitely captures the relationship between Ash Wednesday and Easter -- which is the relationship between death and new life. We do not live in fear of ash - of death - we place it on our foreheads for the world to see. We know that fear will rise, cramping our hearts.We also know that God specifically calls us not to project that fear onto the Other, the alien, the stranger in our midst. God insists that we look for the spark of life, of hope, in ourselves and one another. This Ash Wednesday, we will make that spark easier to see. As Christians, we will witness to the gritty, glittery, scandalous hope that exists in the very marrow of our tradition.

Liz Edman, founder of the initiative says "what I was imagining with glitter + ash...the glitter from a drag queen's makeup falling to the floor, being swept up with the dust as that same drag queen walks home on darkened streets, risking life and limb by being their full self in view of others. This courage, this embrace of abjection, this determination to find joy while making queerness and beauty visible, audible -- all of this is the history and the conviction that I hoped we would smear on our foreheads for the world to see"For more about the initiative visit www.queervirtue.com/about-gaFor details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

This sermon was given by the Revd Tim Meadows, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for our monthly Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ community. The reading was Luke 6:17-26.

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit www.opentable.lgbt

This reflection was given by the Revd David Halliwell, Team Rector of St Luke in the City at the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for a Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ Community.

The reading was John 2:1-11.

⁠For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

This reflection was given by the Revd Lu Skerratt-Love, Assistant Curate of St Luke in the City at the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for a Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ Community. as we honoured Transgender Day of Remembrance The readings were Isaiah 43:1-4 and Matthew 22:34-40. ⁠

For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠

This reflection was given by the Revd Canon Amanda Bruce, Dean of Diveristy for the Diocese of Liverpool at the Open Table Liverpool community hosted by St Bride's Church Liverpool, UK for a Communion Service for the LGBTQIA+ Community. The readings were Romans 8:35-39 and Joh 15:9-17. ⁠For details on the Open table Liverpool community visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Open Table is a network of ecumenical Christian worship communities which offer a warm welcome to people who are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) and all who seek an inclusive Church. The first Open Table community began at St Bride’s Liverpool in June 2008. Now Open Table communities gather across England and Wales, hosted by inclusive churches in four denominations (Anglican, United Reformed Church, Baptist, Methodist). To find out when and where you can 'come as you are' visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.opentable.lgbt⁠