isn't that the truth.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Scott" <crscott@...>
To: <faithandlife@...>
Cc: <mward@...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 7:53 AM
Subject: Re: [FaithandLife] Claiming the Blessing


> 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
> > > ------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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