I'm sitting here listening to Presiding Bishop the Most Rev'd. Frank Griswold being interviewed by Terry Gross on her program Fresh Air. I have probably never heard the Presiding Bishop speak for so long a time. I realize suddenly that he sounds a lot like The Rev'd. Fred (Mr.) Rogers, and that's both comforting and creepy.
While listening to Bishop Griswold's interview, I've also been reading the latest letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury. I must say, I first became aware of this latest missive while reading an article in the New York Times yesterday about the desire of some dioceses in the Episcopal Church to be placed into a separate province that will be armored with gay bishop, woman deacon/priest/bishop deflective plating.
(Oh my God, she's asking him about his freakin' vestments. Terry, is this the best your researchers and interns could come up with??)
Having read Cantuar's letter I'm completely unconvinced that there is anything to be gained by fighting the global church regarding the issue of ordaining gay and lesbian persons to the episcopate. The letter is perhaps the most equivocating, placating, ingratiating thing I've read in the aftermath of GC 2003 and GC 2006. Basically the Most Rev'd. Williams reminds everyone that gay and lesbian people are to be protected from bigotry and given the same legal rights as others -- something some of his brother bishops and primates have actively campaigned against. He then goes on to say that only a small minority of Christians believe that gay and lesbian persons' relationships should be honored or celebrated, implying therefore that the majority will and not justice should rule the day on matters of this sort. He then says that we aren't the Roman Catholic Church (and thank God someone told us!), only to follow this point with an expression of eagerness to explore the model of Catholic hierarchy and a hopefulness that we might learn something from this ecclesiastical/political model.
I guess I'm just weak, but I'm just not willing to fight this fight any more. It's only been a week since the passage of B033 and, frankly, I'm exhausted. It takes a lot of energy constantly to defend one's validity as a member of the body of Christ. No matter how many calls are made to recognize the value of gay and lesbian persons within the church and their role in the life of ministry, so long as those pleas are followed by a call for their exclusion from ordained ministry or full sacramental blessing, these exhortations will ring hollow. Loving the sinner but detesting the sin is a sanctimonious affront perpetrated by a majority class that would rather forget their own sins and concentrate on the supposed sins of another group, especially a sin they feel they themselves are incapable of committing.
So, to all the churches of the Anglican Communion for whom my "manner of life presents a challenge," I say God bless you, and let's move on. My world won't end if my bishop isn't invited to Lambeth two years from now, and Christ will be no less present in our church, or my heart, if the invitations from Cantuar don't arrive.
To all the dioceses and churches in the Episcopal Church who, because of a gay bishop who exercises no authority over you or a presiding bishop-elect whose Wolffian ducts degenerated during embryonic development or both, feel as though you must leave the bounds of the Episcopal Church and become constituent members of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, then I say go with God. If you are tired of fighting, then I can say with abiding empathy I wish you joy and peace. And love.
Because, after all, isn't it often said that if you love something, or someone, you have to let them go?
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
A New Perspective
My rector, who is technically on sabbatical, offered a prayer today for the gay men and lesbians who have been singled out by Resolution B033. As he is technically on sabbatical, he offered this prayer during the Prayers of the People. During the announcements, he walked to the ambo and, after introducing himself as the rector and explaining why he was not wearing clericals, he gave a short talk on Resolution B033. In addition to explaining what the resolution said, and noting that our bishop stood in support of a statement of conscience opposing the resolution, our rector gave us some very interesting details concerning the passage of this resolution. These are facts of which I was not previously aware. What he said is largely substantiated by this news release.
The House of Deputies had considered a resolution with the same wording as B033, and rejected it. In his desperation to get something passed to appease the global church, Presiding Bishop the Most Rev'd. Frank Griswold implored the HoD to pass a quickly assembled resolution, B033. Several bishops, including Presiding Bishop-elect the Rt. Rev'd. Katharine Jefferts Schori, spoke in favor of passing this resoultion in the House of Bishops, and Bishop Jefferts Schori went so far as to speak to the HoD regarding passage of this resolution.
There's just one little problem though -- the HoD had to suspend its own rules even to consider this resolution. Once a resolution has been voted on by the HoD, it cannot be considered again during convention. Since the wording of B033 was exactly the same as parts of A161, this was essentially an end-run around the legislative equivalent of double jeopardy.
Rather than get even more upset about the injustice that this resolution embodies in light of this new information, I'm trying to take comfort in the words of the Rt. Rev'd. Gene Robinson as conveyed to us today by my rector. To paraphrase, Bishop Robinson said that we must trust that the Holy Spirit is still working in the church, even when the votes don't go our way. Despite our failure to understand how God is advancing the cause of justice through this action of General Convention, He is still our salvation.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try, I can't fully take comfort in that idea.
In passing B033, the Episcopal Church has said that injustice is not too high a price to pay to maintain unity with the Anglican Communion. As I see it, there's only one thing more important than maintaining unity with the Anglican Communion. That one thing is my dignity as a Christian, and the dignity of every other baptized Christian -- gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or straight. Whenever we place the well-being of the institution above the value of the baptized members of the body of Christ, we practice idolatry. As I recall from Exodus, that's a pretty big sin.
The House of Deputies had considered a resolution with the same wording as B033, and rejected it. In his desperation to get something passed to appease the global church, Presiding Bishop the Most Rev'd. Frank Griswold implored the HoD to pass a quickly assembled resolution, B033. Several bishops, including Presiding Bishop-elect the Rt. Rev'd. Katharine Jefferts Schori, spoke in favor of passing this resoultion in the House of Bishops, and Bishop Jefferts Schori went so far as to speak to the HoD regarding passage of this resolution.
There's just one little problem though -- the HoD had to suspend its own rules even to consider this resolution. Once a resolution has been voted on by the HoD, it cannot be considered again during convention. Since the wording of B033 was exactly the same as parts of A161, this was essentially an end-run around the legislative equivalent of double jeopardy.
Rather than get even more upset about the injustice that this resolution embodies in light of this new information, I'm trying to take comfort in the words of the Rt. Rev'd. Gene Robinson as conveyed to us today by my rector. To paraphrase, Bishop Robinson said that we must trust that the Holy Spirit is still working in the church, even when the votes don't go our way. Despite our failure to understand how God is advancing the cause of justice through this action of General Convention, He is still our salvation.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try, I can't fully take comfort in that idea.
In passing B033, the Episcopal Church has said that injustice is not too high a price to pay to maintain unity with the Anglican Communion. As I see it, there's only one thing more important than maintaining unity with the Anglican Communion. That one thing is my dignity as a Christian, and the dignity of every other baptized Christian -- gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or straight. Whenever we place the well-being of the institution above the value of the baptized members of the body of Christ, we practice idolatry. As I recall from Exodus, that's a pretty big sin.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Complacency
Moving to the Diocese of Chicago has obviously made me complacent about the state of affairs in the Episcopal Church.
You see, for eight years I lived in the Diocese of Tennessee, a bastion of conservative parishioners led by a conservative bishop who recruited syncophant conservative priests to toe the party line. Gay clergy? Forget it. Gay parishioners were barely tolerated, and in at least one parish were actually asked to leave. I attended one diocesan convention as an alternate delegate and left in disgust as the convention voted down a resolution acknowledging and affirming the national church's position that gay men and lesbians were to be included in all aspects of lay ministry within the church.
Then I moved to Chicago. I found a church that not only embraced gay people in lay ministry, but also in ordained ministry. A few months after moving here, I met a man whose own bishop had abandoned him in the midst of his path towards ordination because it was no longer prudent for a bishop in this man's diocese to sponsor an openly gay man aspiring to the diaconate. The bishop of Chicago stepped in and sponsored this man. I have since learned that this diocese has been a haven for gay men and lesbians who are called to be ordained but face hostility in their home dioceses because of their orientation.
In my joy at having found a place within the church where my sexuality was so less important that my spirituality, I allowed myself to blindsided by yesterday's passage at General Convention of an incredibly homophobic resolution that actually makes me a second-class citizen in the Episcopal Church.
Resolution B033, adopted by both the House of Bishops and House of Deputies, reads as follows:
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the 75th General Convention receive and embrace The Windsor Report's invitation to engage in a process of healing and reconcilation; and be it further
Resolved, that this Convention therefore call upon Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.
The dignity and episcopal gifts of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals -- and presumably transgender persons -- have been cast aside in the name of maintaining unity with the global Anglican Communion. As if that weren't bad enough, this lousy resolution was even endorsed by the Rt. Rev'd. Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island, a woman whom I truly admire. The only moment of beauty and grace that I found in this whole debacle was an impassioned plea from the Rev'd. Ruth Meyers broadcast on NPR this morning. The Rev'd. Meyers stated, tearfully, that she could not sacrifice her gay and lesbian colleagues on the altar of Anglican unity. As I listened to her voice breaking, I began to cry. Reading more about the resolution today I just got more and more depressed.
But something wonderful happened tonight. I had dinner with several friends from church. We talked a bit about General Convention, and the absurdity of some of the arguments made against electing a woman as presiding bishop. (Our personal favorite? That it would strain our ecumenical ties with the Vatican. Because we were on such solid ground before the election of the Rt. Rev'd. Jefferts Schorri.) Then on the way to my car, I ran into a couple from church who were returning home from a shopping trip. We chatted about choir, and moving, and renovating a new home.
As Ken and Sara walked towards their apartment from the sidewalk, and I continued down the street to my car, I realized that this is the church. These people with whom I worship every week, with whom I sing every Sunday, with whom I have dinner every few weeks -- they are the church I care about. The fact that I'm gay makes no more difference to them than being Southern or having brown eyes. It is because of them, and not because of Bishop Gerry Wolf or Bishop Bertram Herlong or the Rev'd Canon Kendall Harmon, that I am a member of the Episcopal Church. Even more important than this, through baptism I am a very member incorporate in the mystical body and blood of Jesus Christ. That cannot and will not ever change, no matter how many overwrought conservative pundits declare that the Episcopal Church is being dragged into the fiery gates of Hell by a stampede of homosexuals.
Unfortunately, I feel as though a response to this action by the General Convention is in order. I don't know what that response should be, but I will be prayerfully considering it over the next several days.
You see, for eight years I lived in the Diocese of Tennessee, a bastion of conservative parishioners led by a conservative bishop who recruited syncophant conservative priests to toe the party line. Gay clergy? Forget it. Gay parishioners were barely tolerated, and in at least one parish were actually asked to leave. I attended one diocesan convention as an alternate delegate and left in disgust as the convention voted down a resolution acknowledging and affirming the national church's position that gay men and lesbians were to be included in all aspects of lay ministry within the church.
Then I moved to Chicago. I found a church that not only embraced gay people in lay ministry, but also in ordained ministry. A few months after moving here, I met a man whose own bishop had abandoned him in the midst of his path towards ordination because it was no longer prudent for a bishop in this man's diocese to sponsor an openly gay man aspiring to the diaconate. The bishop of Chicago stepped in and sponsored this man. I have since learned that this diocese has been a haven for gay men and lesbians who are called to be ordained but face hostility in their home dioceses because of their orientation.
In my joy at having found a place within the church where my sexuality was so less important that my spirituality, I allowed myself to blindsided by yesterday's passage at General Convention of an incredibly homophobic resolution that actually makes me a second-class citizen in the Episcopal Church.
Resolution B033, adopted by both the House of Bishops and House of Deputies, reads as follows:
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the 75th General Convention receive and embrace The Windsor Report's invitation to engage in a process of healing and reconcilation; and be it further
Resolved, that this Convention therefore call upon Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.
The dignity and episcopal gifts of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals -- and presumably transgender persons -- have been cast aside in the name of maintaining unity with the global Anglican Communion. As if that weren't bad enough, this lousy resolution was even endorsed by the Rt. Rev'd. Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island, a woman whom I truly admire. The only moment of beauty and grace that I found in this whole debacle was an impassioned plea from the Rev'd. Ruth Meyers broadcast on NPR this morning. The Rev'd. Meyers stated, tearfully, that she could not sacrifice her gay and lesbian colleagues on the altar of Anglican unity. As I listened to her voice breaking, I began to cry. Reading more about the resolution today I just got more and more depressed.
But something wonderful happened tonight. I had dinner with several friends from church. We talked a bit about General Convention, and the absurdity of some of the arguments made against electing a woman as presiding bishop. (Our personal favorite? That it would strain our ecumenical ties with the Vatican. Because we were on such solid ground before the election of the Rt. Rev'd. Jefferts Schorri.) Then on the way to my car, I ran into a couple from church who were returning home from a shopping trip. We chatted about choir, and moving, and renovating a new home.
As Ken and Sara walked towards their apartment from the sidewalk, and I continued down the street to my car, I realized that this is the church. These people with whom I worship every week, with whom I sing every Sunday, with whom I have dinner every few weeks -- they are the church I care about. The fact that I'm gay makes no more difference to them than being Southern or having brown eyes. It is because of them, and not because of Bishop Gerry Wolf or Bishop Bertram Herlong or the Rev'd Canon Kendall Harmon, that I am a member of the Episcopal Church. Even more important than this, through baptism I am a very member incorporate in the mystical body and blood of Jesus Christ. That cannot and will not ever change, no matter how many overwrought conservative pundits declare that the Episcopal Church is being dragged into the fiery gates of Hell by a stampede of homosexuals.
Unfortunately, I feel as though a response to this action by the General Convention is in order. I don't know what that response should be, but I will be prayerfully considering it over the next several days.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Of Zebrafish and Episcopacy
I got home from the zebrafish meeting late last night, exhausted from three days of nearly continuous science. All in all it was a fantastic meeting. Several people came up to my really pathetic poster and offered advice about how to improve my techniques and agreed to provide me with reagents that would be helpful for my studies. I also had several "Aha!" moments in the last couple of days' sessions. This week I'm going to work through the experiments I thought of to see what still seems like a good idea in the harsh light of day.
When I awoke this morning, I turned on the news and was overjoyed to discover that during our closing sessions at the fish meeting yesterday, the House of Bishops was electing the first woman primate in the Anglican Communion. Yes, our new Presiding Bishop will be the Most Reverend ma'am, thank you very much! Despite the groans of despair and continuing bitching about schism, I think this is a wonderful day for the Church. I hope that Presiding Bishop-elect Jefferts Schori enjoys a fruitful and felicitous term as Presiding Bishop. Seeing as she's only 52-years-old, she'll be a relatively young 61 when her term is complete, meaning she'll have the opportunity to remain active in ministry after she has stepped down as primate. Of course, her age and relative lack of experience -- she was ordained only 12 years ago, and consecrated bishop in 2001 -- are being used against her by the conservatives who probably just wet themselves when her election by the House of Bishops was announced. Her rapid ascent to the top of the church hierarchy speaks to her strengths and smarts, I would say. The conservatives don't want to come out and say that she shouldn't be PB because she doesn't have a penis, but that's basically what they believe.
I think that she may show in the next nine years that she has bigger balls than any of the lunkhead "traditionalists." And praise be to Jesus for that!
When I awoke this morning, I turned on the news and was overjoyed to discover that during our closing sessions at the fish meeting yesterday, the House of Bishops was electing the first woman primate in the Anglican Communion. Yes, our new Presiding Bishop will be the Most Reverend ma'am, thank you very much! Despite the groans of despair and continuing bitching about schism, I think this is a wonderful day for the Church. I hope that Presiding Bishop-elect Jefferts Schori enjoys a fruitful and felicitous term as Presiding Bishop. Seeing as she's only 52-years-old, she'll be a relatively young 61 when her term is complete, meaning she'll have the opportunity to remain active in ministry after she has stepped down as primate. Of course, her age and relative lack of experience -- she was ordained only 12 years ago, and consecrated bishop in 2001 -- are being used against her by the conservatives who probably just wet themselves when her election by the House of Bishops was announced. Her rapid ascent to the top of the church hierarchy speaks to her strengths and smarts, I would say. The conservatives don't want to come out and say that she shouldn't be PB because she doesn't have a penis, but that's basically what they believe.
I think that she may show in the next nine years that she has bigger balls than any of the lunkhead "traditionalists." And praise be to Jesus for that!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Zebrafish, Day 1
I'm safely ensconced in my hotel room having survived the first full day of the 7th Annual Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics. The meeting started yesterday with two hours of talks in the evening, including the key note address.
Today was a marathon -- we started at 8:30 and went until 10:00 (that's a.m. to p.m. in case you're wondering.) I had to bail around 9:15 because my back is still recovering from the 3 hour drive to Madison from Chicago. I'm lying on my tummy while typing this, trying to stretch my intervertebral discs anteriorly and thereby reduce the pressure on my dorsal nerve roots. Most of the talks I went to today were good, some really good, others not so hot. I'm learning a lot about techniques in zebrafish, but I have yet to see something that gives me an "Aha!" moment where I get a new idea of how to tackle my own project. It will probably happen -- it does at most meetings I attend.
This is a big meeting to break in to, and I feel a little isolated because I'm the only person from my own lab here and I know so few people in the community. I haven't been able to attend either of the poster preview sessions where folks can mingle with beer in their hands, so that's hindered my ability to mingle. I'm hoping tomorrow night my back will be healed enough to allow me to stay until after 10:00 pm. But I'm not going to push it -- 13.5 hours of meeting is plenty enough, thanks.
I'm going to run and check the news about today's General Convention news. I'm a little worried about some of the resolutions, but I have faith that the Holy Spirit will prevail!
Now back to the back, and hopefully soon to blissful repose.
Today was a marathon -- we started at 8:30 and went until 10:00 (that's a.m. to p.m. in case you're wondering.) I had to bail around 9:15 because my back is still recovering from the 3 hour drive to Madison from Chicago. I'm lying on my tummy while typing this, trying to stretch my intervertebral discs anteriorly and thereby reduce the pressure on my dorsal nerve roots. Most of the talks I went to today were good, some really good, others not so hot. I'm learning a lot about techniques in zebrafish, but I have yet to see something that gives me an "Aha!" moment where I get a new idea of how to tackle my own project. It will probably happen -- it does at most meetings I attend.
This is a big meeting to break in to, and I feel a little isolated because I'm the only person from my own lab here and I know so few people in the community. I haven't been able to attend either of the poster preview sessions where folks can mingle with beer in their hands, so that's hindered my ability to mingle. I'm hoping tomorrow night my back will be healed enough to allow me to stay until after 10:00 pm. But I'm not going to push it -- 13.5 hours of meeting is plenty enough, thanks.
I'm going to run and check the news about today's General Convention news. I'm a little worried about some of the resolutions, but I have faith that the Holy Spirit will prevail!
Now back to the back, and hopefully soon to blissful repose.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
All the News That's Fit to Stank
Every once in a while, when riding the El, I will see discarded newspapers lying in empty seats. If I happen not to have a copy of the paper with me, nor anything else to read, I will sometimes pick up these discarded papers and read them. Once I've reached my destination, I will usually toss these newspapers into the recycling bin conveniently found at most El stations.
I don't do this anymore. And I never will again. Here's why.
The other night I was riding the Red Line northbound from the Garfield stop after leaving work. The train was mostly empty. I sat in a seat across the aisle from a rather unkempt man, whom I assumed was probably a homeless person. In the seat in front of him there was a copy of that day's New York Times. The man picked up the front section of the paper and began to read. So far, so good, right?
Unfortunately this rather pedantical story takes a turn towards the disgusting right about now. You see, having decided that he had fully satiated his appetite for news articles, op-ed pieces and advertisements, this man began to rub the newspaper all over his face and head, and along the lengths of his exposed arms.
Yes, dear readers, this man seemed to have been bathing himself with the newspaper.
Even more alarming is that, once finished with his newsprint ablutions, this man folded the paper back up and returned it to the seat from which he had taken it only moments before.
Now I know some folks think that the Times is not the best paper in the world. Mostly these are people who are lining up to buy copies of Ann Coulter's latest book. I'm sure these people think this too generous a fate for a copy of the Times, and that those of us who read the Times should worry less about the human crud wiped on the pages as the liberal crap printed thereupon.
That idiocy aside, I think that my pat response of "Ewww!" is appropriate and reasonable.
Therefore I shall not in the future be perusing any copies of any materials left on the train. No newspapers, no pamphlets, not even a business card.
I don't do this anymore. And I never will again. Here's why.
The other night I was riding the Red Line northbound from the Garfield stop after leaving work. The train was mostly empty. I sat in a seat across the aisle from a rather unkempt man, whom I assumed was probably a homeless person. In the seat in front of him there was a copy of that day's New York Times. The man picked up the front section of the paper and began to read. So far, so good, right?
Unfortunately this rather pedantical story takes a turn towards the disgusting right about now. You see, having decided that he had fully satiated his appetite for news articles, op-ed pieces and advertisements, this man began to rub the newspaper all over his face and head, and along the lengths of his exposed arms.
Yes, dear readers, this man seemed to have been bathing himself with the newspaper.
Even more alarming is that, once finished with his newsprint ablutions, this man folded the paper back up and returned it to the seat from which he had taken it only moments before.
Now I know some folks think that the Times is not the best paper in the world. Mostly these are people who are lining up to buy copies of Ann Coulter's latest book. I'm sure these people think this too generous a fate for a copy of the Times, and that those of us who read the Times should worry less about the human crud wiped on the pages as the liberal crap printed thereupon.
That idiocy aside, I think that my pat response of "Ewww!" is appropriate and reasonable.
Therefore I shall not in the future be perusing any copies of any materials left on the train. No newspapers, no pamphlets, not even a business card.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
