So Much Cause for Hope

As noisy and hurtful, as acrimonious and nasty as things might get at times in some corners of our blessed communion I am literally awed by the articulate intelligence and passion of our LGBT brothers and sisters of faith, and our inclusive friends, speaking to the current chance for renewal.

What is grounds for gretest joy is the fact that these wondrous brother and sisters are speaking/writing/blogging from within the church. Presencing as baptized, confirmed (and in many cases) ordained LGBT people of faith, claiming Christ's promises through grace, and courageously taking on their part in the renewal of the church.

Perhaps no blog site more regularly feeds me with this joy and hope than that of Susan Russell+'s An Inch at a Time, and would particularly refer your attention to her recent posting 'St. Patrick's Day Then and Now' where Susan, using Patrick's biography simply but so powerfully remnds us that within the church is where we LGBT people are most necessary at this time- always to God's greater glory. http://inchatatime.blogspot.com/

In addition to being a partnered priest & mother, Susan + is also current president of Integrity U.S.A. and a very well-connected, conscientious blogger, as witnessed by the wondrous diversity found on her site.

Bill Carroll+, another Episcopal priest has a powerful posting 'Pentecost in Lent' which I gratefully recommend http://anglicanresistance.blogspot.com/ . I know nothing of Bill personally, but his theology is so 'on' when he writesof the Holy Spirit at Pentecost:

Without playing favorites, the Spirit fell on Mary and the
Twelve and the other disciples in the room. Each received the same Spirit. The
living Spirit of the living God. God was not divided. Each received the same.
And the Spirit filled them, directly, inwardly, and outwardly with more gifts
than any could receive. We should think about that, next time someone tries to
limit what the Spirit can do, or to set up a human hierarchy with one above
another. The Spirit makes us brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, and children
of God (the Father). The Spirit breaks down human barriers, as she/he does in
Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, both of which involve invocation of the
Spirit. And we enter, through the grace of the Spirit, into the life of the
blessed Trinity, in which "none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or
less than another." (Athanasian Creed) We also enter into the Church, which is
an icon of the Trinity. Or is it?'

In an earlier post Bill+ praises the Anglican Church (Canada) Response to the Windsor Report, http://www.anglican.ca/faith/identity/wrrg-response.htm more grounds for much hope.

I'd also refer you to 'From Glory into Glory' the blog of another wondrous gay man- Michael Hopkins+- living out his vocation as a partnered Episcopalian priest. Michael+ is also the former president of Integrity U.S.A., and his post on the meeting he and Susan+ had with ++ Katherine is both informative and insightful. http://fromgloryintoglory.blogspot.com/

All cause for hope and deep, heartfelt thankfulness.

What a wondrously exciting time to be born LGBT in the image and likeness of God!

Amen.