29.06.2026
Saint Francis
Sermon – Pride Sunday (Pentecost 5A 2026)
Rev. Christian Jennert, Bridge Pastor
June 28, 2026
Grace to you and peace from God our Creator and from our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today is Pride Sunday. It is also the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost.
And that matters, because today we are not setting aside the Gospel for a special occasion. Rather Pride Sunday and today’s Gospel have come together. The appointed Gospel from Matthew speaks about one thing above all else: welcome.
Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me. . .and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple. . . none of these will lose their reward.” In Jesus’ day, welcome meant much more than saying hello. Hospitality was scared. To welcome someone meant opening your life to them, receiving them with dignity, treating a stranger as a neighbor.That sounds simple enough. Yet Jesus reminds us that hospitality is holy work because, in welcoming another person, we may well be welcoming Christ himself.
Churches often place signs outside that read, “All Are Welcome.” I’m grateful for those signs. But a sign can only make a promise. Only people can keep it.
Hospitality is not something painted on a well. It happens in a smile. In learning someone’s name. In noticing the person standing alone after worship. In making room at the coffee hour table. In listening before speaking. In offering, as Jesus says, even a cup of cold water – and that was a refreshing gift on a hot desert day. Like a fresh cup of coffee or a cappuccino or tea for us today.
Today, several from St. Francis will head downtown after worship to march in San Francisco’s Pride Parade as part of the United in Spirit contingent – a witness alongside other faith communities proclaiming God’s welcome for all people.
For many LGBTQ people, Pride is more than a celebration. It is also deeply personal. Some carry painful memories of rejection – sometimes by families, sometimes by friends, and sometimes by the very churches and faith communities where they first learned about God’s love. Those wounds can run deep. That is why Jesus’ words matter so much. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.” Christian hospitality is not merely being polite. It is participating in Christ’s own welcome.
Our presence today is not about declaring that we have everything figured out. It is about pointing to Jesus Christ, whose welcome creates room for healing, belonging, and hope.
This weekend we are also sharing an outreach booth with other faith communities. Our own Angela and other volunteers will be there to answer questions, offer information about St. Francis – and yes, hand out a little swag. Sometimes a simple conversation becomes the beginning of healing. Sometimes a person who has almost given up on the Church discovers that there is still a community where they are received with dignity and loved as a beloved child of God.
One of the things I have come to appreciate about St. Francis is that this congregation does not wait behind its walls. You offer movie screening nights for the neighbors. You gather for Theology on Tap. You partner with neighbors. You show up in the community. You meet people where they are.
Hospitality is never simply about increasing attendance or filling pews. It is about revealing something of the heart of God. Every handshake. Every conversation. Every welcome extended in Christ’s name points beyond ourselves to the One who first welcomed us.
As we head into this Pride afternoon, may our witness be joyful, humble, and gracious.
May people encounter not simply St. Francis Lutheran Church, but the Christ who says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.” And may we never grow tired of offering – even in the smallest ways – that cup of cold water which has the power to refresh both body and soul. For in welcoming another, we may discover that it is Christ himself whom we have welcomed.
Amen.
