FLC Marches in the 2024 San Diego Pride Parade

Last week we celebrated Pride San Diego. It began for us on Sunday the 17th with the inclusive message of our Loving God in the music of David Yantis, it continued with the Light Up the Cathedral worship on Wednesday, float parties on Thursday and Friday (including a last minute get-together Saturday morning edition), the Parade on Saturday, and a marvelous worship on Sunday with special guest Jack Nooren of Casa de Luz. What a week!

There are many to thanks to share, not the least of which is the whole congregation of First who supports our collective reflection of Gods love for all people through the person of Jesus. We have received such a gift of Grace and we are happy to share it in return. Happy Pride!

Special thanks to and for:
Bill Engel for his faithful and thoughtful crafting of worship music, for stepping in at the last minute to represent First at the Cathedral worship, and for offering his expertise, again at the last minute, to decorate the float.

Chuck and Frank for their enthusiastic and tireless effort over the years to make this time special. This year Chuck attended all the planning and preliminary meetings with our sibling congregations, was our safety rep, and not only built the float but helped take it down. Frank came to build, came early Saturday morning to finish, kept working while waiting for the parade to begin, and then watched over our contingent in his top hat and umbrella.

Brendan, who attended planning meetings a took the basic idea of family portraits, ran with it and brought to fruition with Colleen by his side, 14 marvelous portraits of witness to how God works through families to bring love into the world. The float was lovely and meaningful, in part, because of their beauty.

Joann who made the parties work and fed the multitude in Colleens absence.

Rich, Michael, Kaaren for lending creative hands to the decorating and building process.

Mary Ann who attended planning meetings to help new congregations understand how the parade works and who patiently made sure everyone that needed to made it on the shuttle from Church to the parade and back.

To all our marchers who arrived in their Lutherans for Love shirts who braved the heat, who marched the good march and who made sure the crowds knew we were with them.

Finally to the folks who contributed physically and financially and who assisted without my knowledge at all. Thank you thank you thank you for your strong and mighty witness to the Gospel.

Happy Pride!