The resources on this page will help your congregation

  • celebrate your ONA covenant.
  • develop a liturgy for annual renewal of your ONA covenant.
  • with ideas for liturgies and music that is inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expression.

Liturgies, Music, and Scripture Resources

A Place in God’s Heart: A Place at Christ’s Table is an archive of liturgies and music from the ecumenical Welcoming Church movement. It was published in honor of the Rev. Ann B. Day and Donna Enberg, former ONA program leaders in the Open and Affirming Coalition.

Songs for the Holy Other: Hymns Affirming the LGBTQIA2S+ Community

HRC Foundation’s Out in Scripture

Many Voices: A Black Church Movement for Gay and Transgender Justice
Worship catalog.

Queer Sacred Music Scores, recordings, and videos of original hymns, worship songs, and rounds.

Sample Sermons

Come on Out!

The Rev. Michael Slagenweit-Coffman
Oct. 12, 2014

We’re all pretty familiar, I think, with the story of the Prodigal Son. It’s probably one of the most read of Jesus’ parables and one that we can usually find ourselves in at some point in our faith journey. We’re not unlike the prodigal, his brother, or the father. The characters are not unlike our own families sometimes and maybe that is how the text connects us with the LGBT Community, whom we celebrate with in the month of October.

Don’t Gimme That Old Time Religion

Pastor Beth Lyon
Oct. 12, 2014

“Will I go to hell for who I love?” The short answer is “No.” But since other Christians often disagree with us and pull out bible verses to prove their point, how do we understand this as a faithful stance for Christians to take? Let’s start with Jesus.

Sermon starters on LGBTQ inclusion

The Rev. Rod Mundy
Oct. 10, 2014

Clearly, according to Christ, we are to love ourselves and our neighbors and our God. Self-acceptance, and acceptance of others, is part and parcel of what it means to be a Christian. According to the Gospels Jesus takes that which is seen as different (upside-down) and makes it (downside-up) no longer different but acceptable in the eyes of God. Those whom society thrusts to the margins have a place of value in the eyes of God.

The Call to Affirm

The Rev. Detra Evans
June 25, 2014

The call is to affirm everyone, even those we don’t understand. The call is to lift up the trampled and bring them in the church and take care of them like the wounded soldier they are.

It Gets Better

Pastor Chuck Kelsey
Jan. 19, 2014

Yes, each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. There is no need to pretend we are someone else. No need to hide who we are from ourselves or from others. Hang in; hang on, because you are not alone. You see, you are a part of this community of faith and together we have so much to celebrate and share. Know that you are created in God’s image and the Holy One is pleased.

The Most Important Commandment

Pastor Beth Lyon
Jan. 25, 2009

We’ll be voting later on this afternoon at our annual meeting on a statement that says we are open to and affirming of people regardless of their sexual orientation. To pass this statement means that gay and lesbian persons are welcome as members, as employees and as leaders in our church. To pass it means that their families are welcome here. It means that we’ll do our best to minister to them and their families just as we do with the rest of our members. It means that we believe that those who love someone of the same gender are no more inherently sinful than anyone else.

Want to share a sermon?

This page offers a sample of sermons and sermon starters by preachers in the United Church of Christ. They serve multiple purposes: sermons preached by congregations before an Open and Affirming vote, or on a Sunday celebrating the renewal of an ONA covenant, or during Pride Sunday, Spirit Day or National Coming Out Day. If you’ve a sermon you’d like to share on this page, please write us at ona@openandaffirming.org.

Daily Taizé Morning Prayer for ONA Churches

Begin your day (Monday through Friday) with a quiet and centering experience of Morning Prayer at 9 EDT. Based on ancient Christian practices of daily prayer, this 20-minute service includes a Taizé chant, psalms, a reading, prayer and silence. In stressful lives and a world in turmoil, Morning Prayer will reconnect you with God.