So blessed to be gay, allow me- for once- and one time only- speak for the hetrosexually-challenged brothers of the patriarchy..... dearly beloved, radiant sisters, though they have yet to find the words, they are, in their truest selves and in their greatest moments of grace sorry; they are so sorry..... but they're also still terrified of the radiant, unconditional love of the true and living God, and of the gift of the radiant life that is our vocation in & through Christ Jesus... Frightened of the straight-jacket of their dualistic needniess; terrified of their own procilvity for violence and bluster; and rendered almost senseless by the radiant grace and monumental courage embodied by so many of our sisters in faith... But believe me, they are sorry- though it may take a gay man to let you know.
Which brings me to the living example of another radiant being I claim as a sister in faith: Elizabeth+ Kaeton, Priest of the Episcopal Church of St. Paul, Chatham N.J. Along with the great ++Katherine and Susan Russell+ , Elizabeth+ has regularly blessed me with her writing, and born witness to the great leavening and renewal being carried out in the Communion as our radiant brothers and sisters claim and act upon their Baptismal vows. In particular, I would draw your attention to a sermon Elizabeth+ first preached on October 9, 1995- and can that sister preach!!!
'Wade in the Water' is an awesome testament, not only to LGBT grace but to the promises Christ Jesus has made to his church. And yes- need you ask- Elizabeth moved me to grateful tears.http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com/
So very much of what Elizabeth+ preached then speaks to current days in our Communion
They knew that before the creation of the new order of freedom, God was gonna have to trouble the waters.... It seems that before there is creation, even the creation of freedom from the chaos of slavery and bondage, God's gonna trouble the water...
we are here as midwives to a new order of creation with which the Body of Christ has been laboring long and hard...
Within the placental waters of our Baptism, the voice of Jesus calls us from the womb of creation into deepen the commitment of our partnership with God in Christ. ..
If we are not about this high calling., If we are not about living into the chaos of the mystey of our faith, then we have no claim to the priesthood of all believers. We are imposters and frauds, no better than the Levite and priest who passed by the man going down from Jerusalem to Jerico who fell into the hands of robbers, leaving him half dead. In the history of this church 'that man going down from Jerusalem to Jerico' have been and are African-Americans. They have been and are, still, women. And they have been and are gay and lesbian people of all colors...
The good news of tonight;s scripture is that Jesus gives us a choice of the role w are to play in our community of faith. We can be helpless victims, half-dead on the road. We can be the priest who was obedient to temple laws. We can be the Levite who was obedient to cultural imperatives. Or we can be the Samaritan who considered all these things and acted on faith. ..
Our very identity as Christians is on trial here. This is not about following laws. This is about following the imperatives of Christ...
The only way to accomplish the imperatives of Christ is jump into the waters of our faith. .. It is our feet, these feet, wading in the water, which troubles the water.
And that's only a sample!
Elizabeth Kaeton+ Priest and radiant sister http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com/ and while you're on her site please read the incredible story of Sybille- another radiant sister.
As always- God's Greatest Blessing to God's Greatest Glory- Always!
Amen
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