Another one of those wondrous, unexpected adventures in grace.
A dear on-line friend sent along a quote which he thought might be appropriate to the shared support we are currently offering a mutural on-line buddy. It was by Richard Rohn O.F.M. yet another radiant life I had never come across.
As per usual, the quote, lead to some background research; led to an impressive, interesting Google search and to Father Rohr's official website.
It also led to a surprisingly succinct collection of four quotes by Father Rohr on the Wikepedia site of all places; each of which stands on its own, but together encapsulate so much of what is currently at stake in our blessed Communion.
So without comment, or further ado
"The question for us is always 'how can we turn information into transformation?' How can we use the sacred texts to lead people into new places with God, with life, with themselves?"
"We have for too long been reading sacred texts from our dualistic consciousness, split from the very mystery that the story of the birth of Jesus seeks to reveal." -Jesus in the Manger: A Story of Transformation
"Jesus is the universalist par excellence, always making the outsider the heroes of his stories: the non-Jews appear as those with more faith and more compassion, the sinners become those who are saved, the women better than the men, and as he continually puts it, 'the last will be first'." -Awakened and Astonished
"At last we have a group of dedicated Christians who are willing to use disciplined and Christian means of nonviolent protest against its church's failure to live the Gospel.... Our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered brothers and sisters have been left outside of his realm of grace for far too long. We can do so much better, and we will." - Letter of Endorsement to Soulforce, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organization
Amen.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Checking my dance card
Just how much posturing, dishonesty, threats and duplicity is the average person to take from those in certain quarters who claim to be the ‘confessing’ leadership of our Church?
And then, of course, in other well-intentioned quarters, there’s the diplomatic silences and ineffective fumbling & bumblings of those who fear being expelled, or in one particular case at least, those who have been almost-hypnotized into ineffectiveness by staring down their own ‘worst case scenario-‘ the rupture of the Communion.
One thing I’ll give ‘em- the only thing I’ll give them- those dissembling bullies of Gafcon, they sure know where it hit for maximum effect those of us walking the tightrope of a living faith we average Christians walk every day. And more specifically in the case of we LGBT people of faith, in that place of waiting in hope for our often-abusive parent (the Church) to come to its senses, to own the effect of their past actions, and to open their eyes and hearts to the true and lasting work of reformation and renewal the Holy Spirit is working in the Church in these times.
Please don’t misunderstand me- when I look at the big picture, or the long run and remember the wondrous fruits of renewal, healing and reconciliation I find going on throughout the Communion and in the lives of so many LGBT folk, I am anything but despairing. But the fact is that once again, I and an untold numbers of brothers and sisters throughout the world have had to witness men with all the outer accoutrements of leadership within our Church resorting to formulas which, for generations have caused untold damage to countless LGBT lives of faith. (Their lack of originality of course only confirms their real impotence)
What saddens me even more however is the silence and ineffective bumblings in other quarters of the Church as certain of the apparent leadership try to hold on to their own version of what effectively no longer exists i.e. a whole Communion. ( ++Katherine and a cherishe brother ‘in the eye of the storm’ being the two most visible, radiant exceptions to this passive despair.)
The bottom line (the most glaring example perhaps) is the accumulated time and energy which has been expended by the collective Church responding to or dancing around the venomous outbursts, priacy, threats and posturing of brothers who have knowingly & intentionally chosen to alienate themselves from us. (A tremendously greater investment than that the Church has made in learning from & listening to the witness of our LGBT lives of faith, which was supposed to have been their declared intent.)
Slipping on my ‘organizational transformation’ cap, I can’t be too surprised by the outcome of Jerusalem.
Of course they’re not ‘leaving’. Being a lot more savvy (bullies often are) than many voices of inclusion, they’ve realized the limits of their threats, (and just how much they might lose in real estate and loot by storming out.)
Typical bullies they ‘want their cake and to eat it too,’ and have no qualms about dismantling the Church as we know it, re-writing decades of Spirit-lead embodiment, scholarship and renewal within the Communion, and remaking the household in their own grasping likeness.
Staggered only a little more than momentarily by the Jerusalem pronouncement and a sound bite on the CBC of the ‘Australian voice of Gafcon’ talking of ‘defending ourselves from post-Modernity’ and ‘rescuing’ folks, I hauled out my bench and sat in prayerful silence, resorting to the elements of practice counting the breaths at first to get beyond the verbal mis-representation and patriarchal posturing I’d just read.
In the long run though none of this should really prove all that surprising...
As much sharper minds than mine have long ago witnessed, this is about a whole lot more than the consecration of a single bishop, the blessing of the committed lives of faith and faithfulness of our LGBT brothers and sisters, or even the ordination and consecration of our sisters in faith- (all three of which I would suggest have been the means for endless blessing in the continued life of our Church.).
it’s even greater than colonialism or post-colonialism as Gafcon would suggest.
Yes, in part at least, it has something to do with embracing and learning to the fullness of our Divinely created humanity
Yes, in part a least, it has to do with power
Essentially however what’s at stake here is our understanding and experience of the meaning of our individual and collective lives, and our relationship with God who since the beginning of time has ‘loved us beyond our wildest imagining’ and Whose Love has too long put up with the posturing, pronouncements and theatre of men as they try to colonize and create franchises of that Love.
Of course there’s also our stewardship of the planet and the botched job the patriarchy has done of that
The care we take or refuse to take of our brothers and sisters living in poverty, with illness, or fear for their lives
There’s our understanding of God’s bounty and how grossly disproportionally certain humans have chosen to distribute it
There’s the impotent prison of self-alienation patriarchy would perpetuate, which bumbles all too often off to war; squandering the bounty of this earth on great arsenals ‘just in case’ and then becoming their own self-fulfilling prophecy
There’s the objectification of any difference outside patriarchy’s collective small mind, and the generations of violence, alienation and the empovrishment this has brought about
None of which denies that wondrous, unfailing love ‘beyond our wildest imagining,’ it only confirms the self-destructiveness of patriarchy and dualistic thinking.
As more than one radiant life has recently witnessed what we’re suffering at present are the violent last grasps of patriarchy.
Patriarchy which is implicitly dualistic to shore up its illusion of authority, its privilege & its excesses.
Patriarchy which arrogantly disassociates itself from the excesses, lies and abuses of the past in the Church and which denies itself the lessons, grace and healing in those same difficult truths
Patriarchy which judges, objectifies, orders & condemns, inspite of Scriptures injunction that we judge not, lest we be judge.
Patriarchy, which is implicitly monolithic: requiring a ‘them’ to sustain the illusion of a chosen ‘us’; a monolith built on the backs those who seemingly don’t know better, all too often all the while isolating itself from the lived reality of the faithful.
Almost sounds like a medieval curia to me, and ‘Curia ain’t no compliment’ to quote a dear acquaintance of mine.
So what do we do?
Building on the norms of inclusion and non-dualistic communication and the example of so many of radiant brother and sisters in faith who have claimed the promise of their baptism both in the Church and on-line, I would suggest that more than ever we are called to embody the future Church the Holy Spirit is leading us into.
A muscled embodiment which doesn’t resort to dualism, or condemnation, threats or name-calling, but which is the radiant, loving proof of Christ’s redemptive power in our lives.
A muscled embodiment which isn’t afraid of honest Scriptural study: God doesn’t need us to lie on her behalf.
A muscled embodiment which owns and learns from the centuries since the scriptural canon was closed: God didn’t go into hibernation when they closed the canon.
A muscled embodiment which honours and makes room for the experience & witness of all the faithful in its rites and liturgies.
A muscled embodiment which discerns between cultural norms and the true revelation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.
A muscled embodiment confident enough to learn and grow from the experience of other traditions and faiths.
A muscled embodiment not afraid to listen, to share, to apologize.
A muscled embodiment not afraid to establish limits to the behavior we find acceptable, and to act on those boundaries
A muscled embodiment which is not afraid to take God at his/her Word.
Sitting here, gratefully aware of many of the wondrous examples we have throughout the Church of this radiant, muscled embodiment, there are two portions of Scripture resonating within me:
Corinthians 13 ( the way forward)
and Romans 8: 38-39 (the promise)
So what more could be ask?
And as to that ‘big picture’?
It’s inevitable- the monolith of patriarchy is a self-consuming beast- their anger, venom and self-delusion makes it so. A creature which sees itself called to ‘protect itself’ and ‘rescue people’ bound to starve in its self-created fortress.
They just don’t get it.... before all the canons, the recognition of the sacramental, before all the orders and liturgies there was and is God’s inestimably precious gift of Life itself; the original, un-mediated sacrament; forever changed and redeemed by the life, teachings and sacrifice of our radiant Lord Jesus Christ.
One day, we’re all going to be dancing on the tomb of ‘patriarchy’ and if he’s lucky- real lucky, i just might invite +Peter to join- he is a brother after all. But he’s going to have to be patient- my dance card’s filling up pretty fast ( many of them names you might recognize)- more radiant brothers and sisters who have blessed my life than you can ever imagine, and +Peter will have to wait his turn.
But oh we’ll dance! To the Greater Glory of God- with deep and with profound gratitude for the lives of faith who have gone before, and in absolute wonder at the miracle God will have wrought.
Undoubtedly still in the thick of process now- that same process itself stands proof of life in the Church, of the larger lives we are called to and of the actively engaged, patient, loving God who is calling us.
Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Amen.
And then, of course, in other well-intentioned quarters, there’s the diplomatic silences and ineffective fumbling & bumblings of those who fear being expelled, or in one particular case at least, those who have been almost-hypnotized into ineffectiveness by staring down their own ‘worst case scenario-‘ the rupture of the Communion.
One thing I’ll give ‘em- the only thing I’ll give them- those dissembling bullies of Gafcon, they sure know where it hit for maximum effect those of us walking the tightrope of a living faith we average Christians walk every day. And more specifically in the case of we LGBT people of faith, in that place of waiting in hope for our often-abusive parent (the Church) to come to its senses, to own the effect of their past actions, and to open their eyes and hearts to the true and lasting work of reformation and renewal the Holy Spirit is working in the Church in these times.
Please don’t misunderstand me- when I look at the big picture, or the long run and remember the wondrous fruits of renewal, healing and reconciliation I find going on throughout the Communion and in the lives of so many LGBT folk, I am anything but despairing. But the fact is that once again, I and an untold numbers of brothers and sisters throughout the world have had to witness men with all the outer accoutrements of leadership within our Church resorting to formulas which, for generations have caused untold damage to countless LGBT lives of faith. (Their lack of originality of course only confirms their real impotence)
What saddens me even more however is the silence and ineffective bumblings in other quarters of the Church as certain of the apparent leadership try to hold on to their own version of what effectively no longer exists i.e. a whole Communion. ( ++Katherine and a cherishe brother ‘in the eye of the storm’ being the two most visible, radiant exceptions to this passive despair.)
The bottom line (the most glaring example perhaps) is the accumulated time and energy which has been expended by the collective Church responding to or dancing around the venomous outbursts, priacy, threats and posturing of brothers who have knowingly & intentionally chosen to alienate themselves from us. (A tremendously greater investment than that the Church has made in learning from & listening to the witness of our LGBT lives of faith, which was supposed to have been their declared intent.)
Slipping on my ‘organizational transformation’ cap, I can’t be too surprised by the outcome of Jerusalem.
Of course they’re not ‘leaving’. Being a lot more savvy (bullies often are) than many voices of inclusion, they’ve realized the limits of their threats, (and just how much they might lose in real estate and loot by storming out.)
Typical bullies they ‘want their cake and to eat it too,’ and have no qualms about dismantling the Church as we know it, re-writing decades of Spirit-lead embodiment, scholarship and renewal within the Communion, and remaking the household in their own grasping likeness.
Staggered only a little more than momentarily by the Jerusalem pronouncement and a sound bite on the CBC of the ‘Australian voice of Gafcon’ talking of ‘defending ourselves from post-Modernity’ and ‘rescuing’ folks, I hauled out my bench and sat in prayerful silence, resorting to the elements of practice counting the breaths at first to get beyond the verbal mis-representation and patriarchal posturing I’d just read.
In the long run though none of this should really prove all that surprising...
As much sharper minds than mine have long ago witnessed, this is about a whole lot more than the consecration of a single bishop, the blessing of the committed lives of faith and faithfulness of our LGBT brothers and sisters, or even the ordination and consecration of our sisters in faith- (all three of which I would suggest have been the means for endless blessing in the continued life of our Church.).
it’s even greater than colonialism or post-colonialism as Gafcon would suggest.
Yes, in part at least, it has something to do with embracing and learning to the fullness of our Divinely created humanity
Yes, in part a least, it has to do with power
Essentially however what’s at stake here is our understanding and experience of the meaning of our individual and collective lives, and our relationship with God who since the beginning of time has ‘loved us beyond our wildest imagining’ and Whose Love has too long put up with the posturing, pronouncements and theatre of men as they try to colonize and create franchises of that Love.
Of course there’s also our stewardship of the planet and the botched job the patriarchy has done of that
The care we take or refuse to take of our brothers and sisters living in poverty, with illness, or fear for their lives
There’s our understanding of God’s bounty and how grossly disproportionally certain humans have chosen to distribute it
There’s the impotent prison of self-alienation patriarchy would perpetuate, which bumbles all too often off to war; squandering the bounty of this earth on great arsenals ‘just in case’ and then becoming their own self-fulfilling prophecy
There’s the objectification of any difference outside patriarchy’s collective small mind, and the generations of violence, alienation and the empovrishment this has brought about
None of which denies that wondrous, unfailing love ‘beyond our wildest imagining,’ it only confirms the self-destructiveness of patriarchy and dualistic thinking.
As more than one radiant life has recently witnessed what we’re suffering at present are the violent last grasps of patriarchy.
Patriarchy which is implicitly dualistic to shore up its illusion of authority, its privilege & its excesses.
Patriarchy which arrogantly disassociates itself from the excesses, lies and abuses of the past in the Church and which denies itself the lessons, grace and healing in those same difficult truths
Patriarchy which judges, objectifies, orders & condemns, inspite of Scriptures injunction that we judge not, lest we be judge.
Patriarchy, which is implicitly monolithic: requiring a ‘them’ to sustain the illusion of a chosen ‘us’; a monolith built on the backs those who seemingly don’t know better, all too often all the while isolating itself from the lived reality of the faithful.
Almost sounds like a medieval curia to me, and ‘Curia ain’t no compliment’ to quote a dear acquaintance of mine.
So what do we do?
Building on the norms of inclusion and non-dualistic communication and the example of so many of radiant brother and sisters in faith who have claimed the promise of their baptism both in the Church and on-line, I would suggest that more than ever we are called to embody the future Church the Holy Spirit is leading us into.
A muscled embodiment which doesn’t resort to dualism, or condemnation, threats or name-calling, but which is the radiant, loving proof of Christ’s redemptive power in our lives.
A muscled embodiment which isn’t afraid of honest Scriptural study: God doesn’t need us to lie on her behalf.
A muscled embodiment which owns and learns from the centuries since the scriptural canon was closed: God didn’t go into hibernation when they closed the canon.
A muscled embodiment which honours and makes room for the experience & witness of all the faithful in its rites and liturgies.
A muscled embodiment which discerns between cultural norms and the true revelation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.
A muscled embodiment confident enough to learn and grow from the experience of other traditions and faiths.
A muscled embodiment not afraid to listen, to share, to apologize.
A muscled embodiment not afraid to establish limits to the behavior we find acceptable, and to act on those boundaries
A muscled embodiment which is not afraid to take God at his/her Word.
Sitting here, gratefully aware of many of the wondrous examples we have throughout the Church of this radiant, muscled embodiment, there are two portions of Scripture resonating within me:
Corinthians 13 ( the way forward)
and Romans 8: 38-39 (the promise)
So what more could be ask?
And as to that ‘big picture’?
It’s inevitable- the monolith of patriarchy is a self-consuming beast- their anger, venom and self-delusion makes it so. A creature which sees itself called to ‘protect itself’ and ‘rescue people’ bound to starve in its self-created fortress.
They just don’t get it.... before all the canons, the recognition of the sacramental, before all the orders and liturgies there was and is God’s inestimably precious gift of Life itself; the original, un-mediated sacrament; forever changed and redeemed by the life, teachings and sacrifice of our radiant Lord Jesus Christ.
One day, we’re all going to be dancing on the tomb of ‘patriarchy’ and if he’s lucky- real lucky, i just might invite +Peter to join- he is a brother after all. But he’s going to have to be patient- my dance card’s filling up pretty fast ( many of them names you might recognize)- more radiant brothers and sisters who have blessed my life than you can ever imagine, and +Peter will have to wait his turn.
But oh we’ll dance! To the Greater Glory of God- with deep and with profound gratitude for the lives of faith who have gone before, and in absolute wonder at the miracle God will have wrought.
Undoubtedly still in the thick of process now- that same process itself stands proof of life in the Church, of the larger lives we are called to and of the actively engaged, patient, loving God who is calling us.
Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Amen.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Prophetic pieces
What a week!
Two incredible documents of faith crossed my path, and I'm not referring to either the Windsor Report or the latest self-important pronouncement from the gang of pirates wandering between Jordan and Jerusalem.
Remarkable for several reasons, they're articles, speaking with voices of Anglican witness, appearing in rather surprising quarters- which should be a lesson in itself about underestimating the grace of our loving God.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/141505
'Let Me Worship As I Am' (NEWSWEEK)is a powerfully honest witness to the healing, health and humanity Jimmy Doyle has found in the Episcopal Church, at times inspite of the opinions and issues which might incline him to stay in bed some Sunday mornings.
http://MEN.STYLE.COM/GQ/FEATURES/FULL?ID=CONTENT_698
LET GOD LOVE GENE ROBINSON (GQ Magazine) is the result of an in-depth interview with the living blessing currently occupying the Episcopacy of New Hampshire.
Both powerful pieces of writing, both moved me to tears of joy and gratefulness. Both also reminded me powerfully of what an awesome blessing it is to be alive in the Church in these times, to witness and to participate in the incredible reformation of the 'structures' and a breaking-open of our lives in/of a God who 'loves us beyond our wildest imigining.'
I encourage you to bless your day with both articles, and find your own joy and blessedness in the witness of these three brothers (Jimmy, +Gene and Andrew Corsello the author of the GQ piece).
Both articles have within them a prophetic voice which speak to the incredible work I believe the Holy Spirit is working in our Communion for all humanity.
Jimmy Doyle: 'It is right to stand before God as I am, and speak my own truth.'
As to the article on dear +Gene, I'm not even going to try to lift extracts. I'll warn you though, watch out for when the blessed man cuts to the quick of the current situation, when he speaks of fear. Which of course resonnated with his witness on the same emotion in his new book ' In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God.'
All of which only resonates even more within me because of a rather remarkable series of exchanges I've been having with a 'shanga brother' who like me was damaged in the name of God and who calls himself a 'intellectual Buddhist' ( more on that another time.)
Writing this, I am only too aware of how far short my efforts fall of doing any of these remarkable men the credit they deserve for the blessings they have brought me this week. All I can do is urge/encourge you to access the links;to get +Gene's book, and find your own joy and blessings in these exceptional gifts.
for God's Greater Blessing, to God's Greatest Glory- always & unconditionally
David@Montreal
Two incredible documents of faith crossed my path, and I'm not referring to either the Windsor Report or the latest self-important pronouncement from the gang of pirates wandering between Jordan and Jerusalem.
Remarkable for several reasons, they're articles, speaking with voices of Anglican witness, appearing in rather surprising quarters- which should be a lesson in itself about underestimating the grace of our loving God.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/141505
'Let Me Worship As I Am' (NEWSWEEK)is a powerfully honest witness to the healing, health and humanity Jimmy Doyle has found in the Episcopal Church, at times inspite of the opinions and issues which might incline him to stay in bed some Sunday mornings.
http://MEN.STYLE.COM/GQ/FEATURES/FULL?ID=CONTENT_698
LET GOD LOVE GENE ROBINSON (GQ Magazine) is the result of an in-depth interview with the living blessing currently occupying the Episcopacy of New Hampshire.
Both powerful pieces of writing, both moved me to tears of joy and gratefulness. Both also reminded me powerfully of what an awesome blessing it is to be alive in the Church in these times, to witness and to participate in the incredible reformation of the 'structures' and a breaking-open of our lives in/of a God who 'loves us beyond our wildest imigining.'
I encourage you to bless your day with both articles, and find your own joy and blessedness in the witness of these three brothers (Jimmy, +Gene and Andrew Corsello the author of the GQ piece).
Both articles have within them a prophetic voice which speak to the incredible work I believe the Holy Spirit is working in our Communion for all humanity.
Jimmy Doyle: 'It is right to stand before God as I am, and speak my own truth.'
As to the article on dear +Gene, I'm not even going to try to lift extracts. I'll warn you though, watch out for when the blessed man cuts to the quick of the current situation, when he speaks of fear. Which of course resonnated with his witness on the same emotion in his new book ' In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God.'
All of which only resonates even more within me because of a rather remarkable series of exchanges I've been having with a 'shanga brother' who like me was damaged in the name of God and who calls himself a 'intellectual Buddhist' ( more on that another time.)
Writing this, I am only too aware of how far short my efforts fall of doing any of these remarkable men the credit they deserve for the blessings they have brought me this week. All I can do is urge/encourge you to access the links;to get +Gene's book, and find your own joy and blessings in these exceptional gifts.
for God's Greater Blessing, to God's Greatest Glory- always & unconditionally
David@Montreal
Sunday, June 1, 2008
How often are we able to make such a concrete difference
You know I wouldn't be bothering you if this wasn't essential
To one degree or another we've all lived reminders of just what a scary place the world can be at times.
Some of us have paid a very real price for the violent fear of others
And some of us have also been mightily blessed to meet others who have paid, and who continue to pay that price in larger, more real ways than we will ever have to.
I'm referring to the Bishop +Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire who, with his beloved partner Mark was obliged to live with bodyguards in the weeks and months between his election and his Consecration as Bishop of New Hampshire. Who with Mark had to wear full body armour under their vestments at his Consecration.
The same man who continues to live and preach the unconditional love of God for all creation- a passionate love 'beyond your windest imagining.'
The same man who continues to speak love to those who curse and abuse him, the same man who offers to meet and share with those same 'brothers in Christ.'
The same man who has put up with the cowardly waffling of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and yet who has urged his brother bishops to turn up for a key church event he is being excluded from.
Well +Gene and Mark, with a great crowd of LGBT witness of faith are going to be at Lambeth.
Not protesting, witnessing.
Willing to meet, to share, to witness and to pray with those present.
Lambeth yes, but out there in the same world which continue to include regular death threats against these two brothers.
Lambeth yes, but out there in the same world where gay and lesbian men and women continue to pay with their lives, continue to suffer curses and condemnation in provinces of the church.
Lambeth yes, but even before the first prayer's been invoked, the threats have not only been made against Mark and +Gene on two continents, they've even invaded their home via their answering machine.
So this is where you come in...
A sad and scary world which requires body amour for a rite of Consecration...
Unfortunately one of the necessary costs for the LGBT presence at Lambeth is protection for +Gene and Mark, and that costs.
Canon Elizabeth+ Kaeton (part of the Lambeth Initiative) and the good folks at St. Paul's Chatham have made it possible for us to have our own presence at Lambeth- by contributing to the cost of security for +Gene, Mark and our LGBT brother and sisters of faith.
Details can be found at Elizabeth+'s blog http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com
And this is legit.
I'll personally vouch for Elizabeth+ and her long involvement in the cause of full inclusion of LGBT folk.
And I'm not asking anything I haven't already done myself.
As strange as it might seem, as much as it's about amounts, it's the initiative which is essential here- you can make a difference by doing the do-able.
For me personally, it was also an act of faith in that same 'Love beyond our wildest imagining.'
As some of you will already know my employment at the University is being 'phased out' in a month, as part of the exercise to balance a fourteen million dollar deficit.
So as I said, it's doing what you're able which is essential here.
Paypal or personal cheque.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender folk have too long a martyrology already- and you CAN make a difference, by doing what you are able.
This isn't just about +Gene and Mark- it's about birthright- our birthright as sons and daughters of the Living God- about claiming the blessings of our baptismal covenant- about embodying that 'Love beyond our wildest imagining'- it's about being 'truly alive' which we're told is only to the greater glory of that same Living God.
Amen
To one degree or another we've all lived reminders of just what a scary place the world can be at times.
Some of us have paid a very real price for the violent fear of others
And some of us have also been mightily blessed to meet others who have paid, and who continue to pay that price in larger, more real ways than we will ever have to.
I'm referring to the Bishop +Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire who, with his beloved partner Mark was obliged to live with bodyguards in the weeks and months between his election and his Consecration as Bishop of New Hampshire. Who with Mark had to wear full body armour under their vestments at his Consecration.
The same man who continues to live and preach the unconditional love of God for all creation- a passionate love 'beyond your windest imagining.'
The same man who continues to speak love to those who curse and abuse him, the same man who offers to meet and share with those same 'brothers in Christ.'
The same man who has put up with the cowardly waffling of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and yet who has urged his brother bishops to turn up for a key church event he is being excluded from.
Well +Gene and Mark, with a great crowd of LGBT witness of faith are going to be at Lambeth.
Not protesting, witnessing.
Willing to meet, to share, to witness and to pray with those present.
Lambeth yes, but out there in the same world which continue to include regular death threats against these two brothers.
Lambeth yes, but out there in the same world where gay and lesbian men and women continue to pay with their lives, continue to suffer curses and condemnation in provinces of the church.
Lambeth yes, but even before the first prayer's been invoked, the threats have not only been made against Mark and +Gene on two continents, they've even invaded their home via their answering machine.
So this is where you come in...
A sad and scary world which requires body amour for a rite of Consecration...
Unfortunately one of the necessary costs for the LGBT presence at Lambeth is protection for +Gene and Mark, and that costs.
Canon Elizabeth+ Kaeton (part of the Lambeth Initiative) and the good folks at St. Paul's Chatham have made it possible for us to have our own presence at Lambeth- by contributing to the cost of security for +Gene, Mark and our LGBT brother and sisters of faith.
Details can be found at Elizabeth+'s blog http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com
And this is legit.
I'll personally vouch for Elizabeth+ and her long involvement in the cause of full inclusion of LGBT folk.
And I'm not asking anything I haven't already done myself.
As strange as it might seem, as much as it's about amounts, it's the initiative which is essential here- you can make a difference by doing the do-able.
For me personally, it was also an act of faith in that same 'Love beyond our wildest imagining.'
As some of you will already know my employment at the University is being 'phased out' in a month, as part of the exercise to balance a fourteen million dollar deficit.
So as I said, it's doing what you're able which is essential here.
Paypal or personal cheque.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender folk have too long a martyrology already- and you CAN make a difference, by doing what you are able.
This isn't just about +Gene and Mark- it's about birthright- our birthright as sons and daughters of the Living God- about claiming the blessings of our baptismal covenant- about embodying that 'Love beyond our wildest imagining'- it's about being 'truly alive' which we're told is only to the greater glory of that same Living God.
Amen
Friday, May 30, 2008
Who would have thought?
This morning's New York Times carries a story with a number of remarkable reminders buried in its simple resonant truth.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/nyregion/30paterson.html?hp 'How Govenor Set His Stance on Gay Rights.'
At its simplest, it's the story of one remarkable human being stepping up to the plate,speaking from his heart and lived experience; in the process bringing about a bureauceatic system to recognized the God-blessed, Divinely-crafted dignity of countless LGBT folk and their loving lives.
But keep reading... it's also a story, within a story... Two young boys in Harlem, entrusted by their busy parents to their 'Uncles', who not only babysat, but nourished and encouraged the boys, who told them stories and helped with their spelling homework.
In other words gave them cause to feel loved, safe, and cared for.
Two uncles who also happened to be a gay couple living in Harlem, all those decades ago- not exactly the gay-friendliest of quarters from all that I hear. And yet Governor Paterson tells us “I was raised in a culture that understood the different ways that people conduct their lives. And I feel very proud of it.”
A standard which might do Lambeth proud, perhaps?
But keep reading... the good Govenor reminds us, “In many respects, people in our society, we only recognize our own struggles. I’ve wanted to be someone in the African-American community who recognizes the new civil rights struggle that is being undertaken by gay and lesbian and transgendered people.”
Govenor Paterson's two 'uncles' were Uncle Stanley and Uncle Ronald, and all I can say is God bless you two wonderful human beings- wherever you are!
What an incredible chain of grace- starting with the most ordinary of things.... babysitting, spelling homework and of course, telling stories. And in the process, a lot more was set in motion than the simple helping-out of two busy parents.
One of those boys, as we now know grew to be the current Govenor of the State of New York. The same being responsible for the record-breaking inclusion of 'sexual orientation' for the first time in state human rights legislation. The same person, who recently issued his executive order to recognize our peoples' 'out-of-state' marriages an important first step in full marriage equality for the state.
For me the clincher- the proof of the Govenor's radiant humanity was this- speaking after the passage of the earlier legislation, he said “Now I can die in peace.If nothing else ever happens here, I feel that I can point to a contribution that I made.”
Just imagine -stick with me here brothers and sisters- just imagine the unadulterated joy and wonder our secessionist brothers and sisters will know when they finally 'get it' about the unconditional Love of God for all creation, the unique efficacy of the grace of Christ's redemptive sacrifice and the limitless patience of the Holy Spirit.
Not that Govenor Paterson's story lets any of us off the hook.
Before anything else, this article is a powerful reminder of the sacramental nature of the most elementary things in our everyday lives of faith.
Need, Trust, Babysitting, Spelling & Storytelling... the most ordinary elements. And yet we will never know how many lives have been blessed, enobled & made easier by the chain of grace in Govenor Paterson's own life and his acting on that same grace.
Talk about sacramental embodiment!
Who would have ever thought, the New York Times?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/nyregion/30paterson.html?hp 'How Govenor Set His Stance on Gay Rights.'
At its simplest, it's the story of one remarkable human being stepping up to the plate,speaking from his heart and lived experience; in the process bringing about a bureauceatic system to recognized the God-blessed, Divinely-crafted dignity of countless LGBT folk and their loving lives.
But keep reading... it's also a story, within a story... Two young boys in Harlem, entrusted by their busy parents to their 'Uncles', who not only babysat, but nourished and encouraged the boys, who told them stories and helped with their spelling homework.
In other words gave them cause to feel loved, safe, and cared for.
Two uncles who also happened to be a gay couple living in Harlem, all those decades ago- not exactly the gay-friendliest of quarters from all that I hear. And yet Governor Paterson tells us “I was raised in a culture that understood the different ways that people conduct their lives. And I feel very proud of it.”
A standard which might do Lambeth proud, perhaps?
But keep reading... the good Govenor reminds us, “In many respects, people in our society, we only recognize our own struggles. I’ve wanted to be someone in the African-American community who recognizes the new civil rights struggle that is being undertaken by gay and lesbian and transgendered people.”
Govenor Paterson's two 'uncles' were Uncle Stanley and Uncle Ronald, and all I can say is God bless you two wonderful human beings- wherever you are!
What an incredible chain of grace- starting with the most ordinary of things.... babysitting, spelling homework and of course, telling stories. And in the process, a lot more was set in motion than the simple helping-out of two busy parents.
One of those boys, as we now know grew to be the current Govenor of the State of New York. The same being responsible for the record-breaking inclusion of 'sexual orientation' for the first time in state human rights legislation. The same person, who recently issued his executive order to recognize our peoples' 'out-of-state' marriages an important first step in full marriage equality for the state.
For me the clincher- the proof of the Govenor's radiant humanity was this- speaking after the passage of the earlier legislation, he said “Now I can die in peace.If nothing else ever happens here, I feel that I can point to a contribution that I made.”
Just imagine -stick with me here brothers and sisters- just imagine the unadulterated joy and wonder our secessionist brothers and sisters will know when they finally 'get it' about the unconditional Love of God for all creation, the unique efficacy of the grace of Christ's redemptive sacrifice and the limitless patience of the Holy Spirit.
Not that Govenor Paterson's story lets any of us off the hook.
Before anything else, this article is a powerful reminder of the sacramental nature of the most elementary things in our everyday lives of faith.
Need, Trust, Babysitting, Spelling & Storytelling... the most ordinary elements. And yet we will never know how many lives have been blessed, enobled & made easier by the chain of grace in Govenor Paterson's own life and his acting on that same grace.
Talk about sacramental embodiment!
Who would have ever thought, the New York Times?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Radiant Bodyguard
It could be YOU.
No fees. No sign-up. Not even a uniform!
Just ‘you in your small corner, and I in mine,’ to quote the old Sunday School hymn.
The Radiant Body Guard needs YOU!
Most of us have read of the recent ‘Claiming the Blessing’ work session held in the Glorious Diocese of New Hampshire, preparatory to Lambeth 2008. It’s only one of many reasons which give me great hope verging on anticipation for the great blessings I believe the Holy Spirit has in store for Lambeth 2008.
This, of course, inspite of the cowardly waffling on the part of certain leaders.
This inspite of all the noise, acrimony and ugly misrepresentations from our patriarchally-challenged brothers
Bottom line, this Church is still the living body of Jesus Christ, Radiant Son of God, and as never before Lambeth and the Episcopate of our Communion are going to have a chance to be blessed by a LGBT presence like no other!
LGBT brothers and sisters from all over the world, making countless untold sacrifices to witness by their living presence- there in Lambeth.
None of them invited- but each of them acting on their hard-won faith to claim the blessings of their baptism, to turn up on the outside chance that the Episcopate might finally start acting on their oft-repeated promise to actively listen to the witness of our LGBT community of faith within the Church.
And if you’re anything like me you’re almost aching to be there- to take your place on the line with those brothers and sisters in faith- to be a visible presence, a living embodiment of the grace of Christ Jesus in our LGBT lives.
But this is exactly where you and I come in.
No matter how many of our radiant brothers and sisters make it to Lambeth we all know who the point man is going to be.
Who is paying the biggest price.
Who’s suffering calumny and rejection with our Lord.
Who, with Christ Jesus is being objectified, denied and shut-out.
And you don’t need to me to remind you what a confused, suffering and sorry world it is we’re all working to heal. We live, work and witness in it daily.
The issue of +Gene and Mark’s safety has been on my heart for a long time. Never forget, this is the brother who, with his spouse had to wear full body armour under his vestments at the sacred rite of his Consecration- not because of Muslim terrorists, but because of ‘fellow Christians.’
On my heart, and integral to my daily practice and prayers.
But we are neither helpless or alone in this- individually and together we have the unfailing grace of our Lord Jesus and His love - a Love beyond our wildest imagining, to quote a certain radiant brother in Christ Jesus.
So what I’m proposing is a covenant of daily prayer- world wide- three times daily... starting with +Gene and Mark’s continued protection, but growing to eventually include all of our LGBT representatives by name ( I’m working on that). And eventually..... well, how about claiming in the name of Christ Jesus the joyous wonder and awe I believe the Holy Spirit is preparing for Lambeth 2008.
Literally no limits to the grace we can claim in the name of our Lord Christ Jesus.
And it’s already started...
When the idea persisted earlier today I cast my bread upon the waters by e-mailing an individual in California who has become right-precious to me- and in less than an hour she’d already forwarded the appeal to more than forty of her parishoners and partners in prayer.
Next test, a semi-closeted colleague who never hesitated a moment.
Lambeth 2008 officially starts July 16,2008 and runs until August 3, with Pre-Conference events July 10-15th.
Whatever your practice- intercession- asperation- meta- affirmation- asked in the name of Christ Jesus I truly believe we’re in for some awesome wonder out of this Lambeth Conference. Steps in the on-going renewal and transformation of humanity’s relationship with God and the lives S/He has blessed us with- but wonder nonetheless.
Three times a day- lovingly confident in the faith we have been blessed with- claiming the blessing by blessing those who witness for us.
Lambeth watch out!
You've heard of the proverbial ole 'ring of steel?' Well I'm talking one wondrous ring of LGBT faith in prayer, surrounding +Gene and Mark, spreading out to cover all the brothers and sisters witnessing for us at Lambeth, weaving through the hearts and minds of the Primates and Bishops- all to the Greater Glory of God!
Another radiant chance to act on Saint Mychal Judge's injunction to 'Don't let the Church get in the way of your relationship with God'
We’re here! We’re queer! Now let us pray!
For God’s Greatest Blessing- to God’s Greater Glory- Alway & Unconditionally!
Amen.
No fees. No sign-up. Not even a uniform!
Just ‘you in your small corner, and I in mine,’ to quote the old Sunday School hymn.
The Radiant Body Guard needs YOU!
Most of us have read of the recent ‘Claiming the Blessing’ work session held in the Glorious Diocese of New Hampshire, preparatory to Lambeth 2008. It’s only one of many reasons which give me great hope verging on anticipation for the great blessings I believe the Holy Spirit has in store for Lambeth 2008.
This, of course, inspite of the cowardly waffling on the part of certain leaders.
This inspite of all the noise, acrimony and ugly misrepresentations from our patriarchally-challenged brothers
Bottom line, this Church is still the living body of Jesus Christ, Radiant Son of God, and as never before Lambeth and the Episcopate of our Communion are going to have a chance to be blessed by a LGBT presence like no other!
LGBT brothers and sisters from all over the world, making countless untold sacrifices to witness by their living presence- there in Lambeth.
None of them invited- but each of them acting on their hard-won faith to claim the blessings of their baptism, to turn up on the outside chance that the Episcopate might finally start acting on their oft-repeated promise to actively listen to the witness of our LGBT community of faith within the Church.
And if you’re anything like me you’re almost aching to be there- to take your place on the line with those brothers and sisters in faith- to be a visible presence, a living embodiment of the grace of Christ Jesus in our LGBT lives.
But this is exactly where you and I come in.
No matter how many of our radiant brothers and sisters make it to Lambeth we all know who the point man is going to be.
Who is paying the biggest price.
Who’s suffering calumny and rejection with our Lord.
Who, with Christ Jesus is being objectified, denied and shut-out.
And you don’t need to me to remind you what a confused, suffering and sorry world it is we’re all working to heal. We live, work and witness in it daily.
The issue of +Gene and Mark’s safety has been on my heart for a long time. Never forget, this is the brother who, with his spouse had to wear full body armour under his vestments at the sacred rite of his Consecration- not because of Muslim terrorists, but because of ‘fellow Christians.’
On my heart, and integral to my daily practice and prayers.
But we are neither helpless or alone in this- individually and together we have the unfailing grace of our Lord Jesus and His love - a Love beyond our wildest imagining, to quote a certain radiant brother in Christ Jesus.
So what I’m proposing is a covenant of daily prayer- world wide- three times daily... starting with +Gene and Mark’s continued protection, but growing to eventually include all of our LGBT representatives by name ( I’m working on that). And eventually..... well, how about claiming in the name of Christ Jesus the joyous wonder and awe I believe the Holy Spirit is preparing for Lambeth 2008.
Literally no limits to the grace we can claim in the name of our Lord Christ Jesus.
And it’s already started...
When the idea persisted earlier today I cast my bread upon the waters by e-mailing an individual in California who has become right-precious to me- and in less than an hour she’d already forwarded the appeal to more than forty of her parishoners and partners in prayer.
Next test, a semi-closeted colleague who never hesitated a moment.
Lambeth 2008 officially starts July 16,2008 and runs until August 3, with Pre-Conference events July 10-15th.
Whatever your practice- intercession- asperation- meta- affirmation- asked in the name of Christ Jesus I truly believe we’re in for some awesome wonder out of this Lambeth Conference. Steps in the on-going renewal and transformation of humanity’s relationship with God and the lives S/He has blessed us with- but wonder nonetheless.
Three times a day- lovingly confident in the faith we have been blessed with- claiming the blessing by blessing those who witness for us.
Lambeth watch out!
You've heard of the proverbial ole 'ring of steel?' Well I'm talking one wondrous ring of LGBT faith in prayer, surrounding +Gene and Mark, spreading out to cover all the brothers and sisters witnessing for us at Lambeth, weaving through the hearts and minds of the Primates and Bishops- all to the Greater Glory of God!
Another radiant chance to act on Saint Mychal Judge's injunction to 'Don't let the Church get in the way of your relationship with God'
We’re here! We’re queer! Now let us pray!
For God’s Greatest Blessing- to God’s Greater Glory- Alway & Unconditionally!
Amen.
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