Saturday Night Live's satirical writers can't match the wacky things that comes from theologians trying to be serious. Charles >From: "Michael L. Ward" <mward@...> >Reply-To: "Michael L. Ward" <mward@...> >To: <faithandlife@...> >Subject: Re: [FaithandLife] Claiming the Blessing >Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 07:31:08 -0500 > >To quote one well-known television theologian, "Well isn't that >special...." > >MLW+ > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Charles Scott" <crscott@...> >To: <faithandlife@...> >Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 7:36 AM >Subject: [FaithandLife] Claiming the Blessing > > > > > > From the Episcopalian.com NEWS > > > > Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 05:08:45 -0600 > > From: "Douglas L. LeBlanc" <dlleblanc@...> > > Subject: Coverage of Claiming the Blessing > > > > Gay Episcopalians revive blessings rite > > > > By Douglas LeBlanc > > > > ST. LOUIS -- Gay Episcopalians will ask the 2003 General Convention for >the > > same thing they sought in 2000: to develop a Book of Occasional Services > > rite for blessing monogamous gay couples. This year, however, they >describe > > the renewed request as a principled compromise and an act of humility. > > > > Nearly 200 gay Episcopalians gathered at a conference, "Claiming the > > Blessing," at Christ Cathedral on Nov. 8 and 9. "We are quite >deliberately > > advocating for a rite whose use would be optional, for the sake of the >unity > > of the Church we love," said the Rev. Michael Hopkins, president of > > Integrity, in his opening remarks at the conference. "We are >compromising, > > moderating our position, for the sake of the Church." > > > > Hopkins cited a phrase from Resolution 9 of the 1920 Lambeth Conference >(on > > "Christian Reunion"): "We believe that for all, the truly equitable >approach > > to union is by way of mutual deference to one another's consciences." > > > > "Liberals and conservatives, progressives and traditionalists, must >learn >to > > live together in this Church or there will be no church in which for us >to > > live," Hopkins said. "But learning to live together must mean 'mutual > > deference,' not moratoriums or some insistence that we all convert to >being > > 'moderates.'" > > > > Hopkins sought to assure conservatives that "we do not desire for you to >go > > away" and "we do not desire to force same-sex blessings on you or >anyone." > > And he challenged conservatives to "stop scapegoating lesbian and gay > > Christians for every contemporary ill in the Church." > > > > "You know as well as we do that the issues are far deeper than human > > sexuality," Hopkins said. "They are issues of scriptural interpretation >and > > authority, including the very different polities that exist in different > > provinces of the Communion and whether or not local autonomy is a >defining > > characteristic of Anglicanism. Issues of human sexuality are just one >tip >of > > that very large iceberg, and if sexuality went completely away tomorrow, >the > > iceberg would still be there." > > > > > > > > A united effort > > > > As a movement, Claiming the Blessing unites the efforts of Integrity (at >28, > > the oldest gay-rights organization in the Episcopal Church), Beyond > > Inclusion (which held its first conference in 1997), and Oasis (which >began > > in the Diocese of Newark and assists gay-friendly dioceses and >parishes). > > > > The Witness magazine also supported the conference with extensive >materials > > in its November issue. > > > > The Rev. Elizabeth Kaeton, former director of Oasis in the Diocese of > > Newark, described how this united effort had it roots in the Lambeth > > Conference of 1998, when gay activists from around the world found > > themselves divided and turning on each other. > > > > "They were well-funded, well-organized, and focused -- and we were not," > > Kaeton said of conservative bishops and activists at Lambeth. "We came >away > > from Lambeth wounded and limping, but still walking." > > > > Despite Hopkins' emphasis on compromise and unity, his bishop spoke more > > confrontational words. Gay Episcopalians deserve the blessings of their > > churches, and "we are not going to sell that birthright down the Jordan > > River because we fear disunity in the Episcopal Church or the larger > > Anglican Communion," said Bishop John Chane of the Diocese of >Washington. > > > > "Pastoral considerations should take precedence over canonical form as >we > > move toward General Convention in 2003." > > > > "We are getting there very soon," Chane said about winning blessings > > involving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Episcopalians >(conference > > participants spoke of all four categories usually, though often using >the > > abbreviation GLBT). "We will get there in Minneapolis." During earlier > > remarks about Convention, Chane promised that "we will get it on" -- >i.e., > > engage in a vigorous debate about sexuality -- in Minneapolis. > > > > Former Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning observed during a workshop about > > General Convention strategy that the 2003 Convention may be asked to >confirm > > an openly gay bishop, and "that issue could take over Convention." > > > > The Rev. Gene Robinson, canon to the ordinary for Bishop Douglas Theuner >of > > the Diocese of New Hampshire, is an openly gay priest and has placed >well > > during bishops' elections in Newark, N.J., and Rochester, N.Y. Robinson >has > > declined comment on whether he will be a candidate in his own diocese. > > > > New Hampshire will elect its new bishop on June 7. General Convention, >which > > meets on July 30 to August 8, will vote on any bishops elected within >120 > > days of the Convention. Bishops and standing committees confirm bishops >who > > are elected between General Conventions. > > > > During the workshop on General Convention strategy, Peggy Adams >recommended > > meeting with deputies three times and bringing along family pictures. "I > > talk about how important it is that my children be brought up in a >church > > that accepts all people," she said. "It's not an issue of sex. It's an >issue > > of accepting people." > > > > At an evening banquet, the Rev. Carter Heyward bemoaned that "gay, >lesbian, > > bisexual and transgender Christians can be ordained or blessed if, and >only > > if, they agree not to rock the boat of marriage." > > > > "We have to struggle for greater sexual diversity among ourselves," she > > said, adding that she has more bisexual students than ever before at > > Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass. (Heyward also mentioned >that > > some of her lesbian friends have fallen in love with men and become >married, > > which Heyward said proves that human sexuality is a shifting and widely > > varied phenomenon.) > > > > Heyward encouraged participants to acknowledge that some GLBT >Episcopalians > > are ambivalent about marriage -- which she called a patriarchal >institution > > -- and that some would not avail themselves of blessing rites even if >they > > were available. > > > > "More important than winning at General Convention is our integrity. . . > > .Let us not ask for too little -- and I don't know what too little or >too > > much is at this point." > > > > A financial altar call > > > > In a final session, the Rev. Ed Bacon of All Saints Episcopal Church, > > Pasadena, spoke of two people who visited him recently from New York and > > bore a message from an unspecified Episcopal leader that Bacon should > > forsake his involvement with Claiming the Blessing. Bacon added that the >few > > bishops who attended Claiming the Blessing were warned not to >participate. > > > > "I'm here to tell you that life is going to become very shaky for us -- >both > > before General Convention and during it," Bacon said. > > > > Bacon quoted pilot Chuck Yeager, best known for breaking the sound >barrier, > > as saying that his jet's cockpit became shakiest just before his > > breakthrough. "The good news is that Jesus is alive, and that Jesus is >about > > breakthroughs, and that Jesus' power is not finite," Bacon said. > > > > Bacon asked participants to join him in clicking their fingers in united > > rhythm, then clapping, then singing "He's Got the Whole World in His >Hands." > > (In deference to God not being male or female, Bacon encouraged people >to > > change personal pronouns throughout the song, which led to such lines as > > "He's got the whole world in her hands / She's got the whole wide world >in > > his hands.") > > > > Bacon encouraged everyone at the meeting to make a financial pledge to > > Claiming the Blessing -- whether the equivalent of a cup of Starbucks >coffee > > each week or $10,000. > > > > Bacon drew on his roots as a Southern Baptist when he asked participants >to > > join him in singing "Just As I Am." They sang as they walked the center > > aisle of Christ Cathedral, laying their pledge cards atop the altar. The > > last person to make his way down the aisle was William Richardson Jr. > > Integrity founder Louie Crew had introduced Richardson at the conference > > banquet as an openly gay priest from the Diocese of Louisiana and one of > > Crew's heroes. Richardson is 92. > > > > > > From the Episcopalian.org News > > ------------------------------ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* > > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus > > > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to ><faithandlife-unsubscribe@...> > > > > >-- >To unsubscribe, send ANY message to ><faithandlife-unsubscribe@...> _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail