Prayer Break

Opening Prayer
As we journey toward the feast of the Resurrection, be with us in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sustainer.
(“Lenten Service II,” The Blessing Cup, Saint Anthony Messenger Press, 2002, p. 62.)

Call: Out of the depths I have cried to You.
Response: O God, hear my voice.
Call: With my whole heart I want to praise You.
Response: O God, hear my voice.
Call: If you, O God, should mark iniquities:
Response: Who could stand? Who could stand?
(“Evening Prayer,” Celtic Daily Prayer, HarperCollins, 2002, p. 22.)

A Reading
When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai sent her this message: "Don't think that just because you live in the king's house you're the one Jew who will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else, but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this." Esther 4:12-14

Reflection
We, the Church of this Jesus Christ, must beware that we don’t set up barriers separating and dividing people into those who are inside and those who are outside. We are not God and don’t know who is going to heaven and who to hell. Only God knows that… Our business should be to respond to the love of God, to become more and more like God, who lets his sun shine on all and his rain fall for all. We must be Christ-like, compassionate and open, inviting all to come to Christ by the beauty and attractiveness of our lives. --Desmond Tutu
("Sermon at Saint Aidan's, Landsdowne," The Wisdom of Desmond Tutu, Westminster John Knox Press, 1998, p. 42.)

Prayers

Sustainer God, I am tired of this fight. I am tired of demanding a place at Your table, a voice in the pulpit, a seat in the pew. I wonder if there are any more words to say what has been said by so many, for so long. I wonder if there are any more ways of showing how destructive it is and what it means to be included out. I wonder if it is in me to continue. It matters and so, with your help, I will carry on. Guide my words and actions and may they honor you. I ask for strength in the struggle and your presence with me on this journey. Amen.
(Lesley Brogan, from Shaping Sanctuary, Reconciling Congregation Program, 2000, p. 131.)

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 101.)

Blessing
See that you are at peace among yourselves, my children, and love one another. Follow the example of good people of old and God will comfort you and help you, both in this world and in the world which is to come. In the name of God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.
(“Evening Prayer,” Celtic Daily Prayer, HarperCollins, 2002, p. 25.)

Spring Is A New Beginning

One Easter over 30 years ago (okay, 1965) Honey and Grandad, my maternal grandparents, gave me a small book called Spring Is A New Beginning with text and pictures by Joan Walsh Anglund. It sits on my bookshelves next to the Winnie the Pooh books (original illustrations, not the Disney version, thank you), a book of Mother Goose Rhymes, and a couple of other books from my childhood. It long ago lost its original paper cover. It's 36 pages pair Anglund's whimsical drawings with a handful of sentences about Spring. Pulling it off the shelf and paging through it brings back childhood memories and promises of new things to come.

"Then the earth is rich with seedlings."

The illustration on the page facing this sentence shows a little girl planting a garden. During my childhood, a sure sign that Spring would return was the arrival of the Burpee Catalog in Mid-Winter. Every year Mom and I spent hours paging through the catalog and planning our gardens. Some years we had a sizable garden, and other years we planted only a couple of plants. Some years we had no garden at all. No matter what we ended up planting, I always planned an herb garden.

I love the smells, textures and tastes of herbs. My interest in herbs, in part, stems from my interest in history. Whenever we visited a historical site that included gardens, I always wanted to spend at least a few minutes in the herb garden. The medicinal and culinary uses fascinated me then and still do today.

Every place I have lived I have had a small garden or a couple of pots of herbs. Spending a few minutes with the plants is a great way to unwind after a day at work, and I have fresh herbs to season my evening meal. Last year, however, I did not have a garden or pots of plants. My current apartment complex does not allow us to put things on our porches or along our walks. I have missed a garden. So this year, as Spring approached, I started thinking about the window in my back hall. It faces southwest, and receives a fair amount of sunlight during the day. A bookcase sits under the window to hold odds and ends. The top of the bookcase is large enough to hold a good-sized window box and a couple of pots. If I cannot have a garden outside, I can have one inside!

I think I am enjoying the planning almost as much as having the actual garden. Which plants can I put together in which containers? Which ones would I like to have for this garden? Do I want herbs for cooking or herbs for teas? Which scents would I most appreciate having around again? Which textures? I will compile a list of possibilities, but I will make my final choices during my annual pilgrimage to Gilberties.

"Then new life presses out
from every growing thing...
fulfilling our trust,
renewing our faith
that this has always been,
that this will be again..."

Happy Spring!

Peace,
Jeffri

Why The Rainbow Presence Is Still Necessary

C. Christopher Epting, retired Bishop of Iowa and the Episcopal Church's Ecumencial Officer, posted What the Bishops Didn't Do on his blog That We All May Be One. Of particular interest is the second paragraph, which says:

What we did NOT do was to foreclose discussion on the Episcopal Church’s response to the main requests of the Primates’ Communique. We have not “ruled” on whether or not to reassure the Primates that General Convention meant what it said when it asked us and our Standing Committees not to give consent to any bishop-elect whose manner of life might prove of concern to the wider Anglican Communion and to clarify for them the status of the blessing of same-sex relationships in this church.

Please take the time to read Bishop Epting's entire piece, because his analysis and insights are often helpful in looking at the bigger picture.

However, the discussion goes on, and we still need to make sure that we are visible and insist that we are part of the discussion, not just talked at or about.

For Reading And Reflection

This just came across my desk this morning. Morehouse Publishing, an imprint of Church Publishing, Inc., posted free Reflection Guides to Katharine Jefferts Schori's A Wing and A Prayer. Written by Episcopal priest, author, and columnist the Rev. Lisa B. Hamilton especially for Lent, they could be adapted for any time.

Peace,
Jeffri

A Statement from The Bishops of The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut

The Spring Meeting of the House of Bishops has been filled with a readiness, an eagerness, to further the mission which God has entrusted to us, to proclaim the gospel in our life and our witness. As we have prayed and met, we have been aware of our relationships within the Anglican Communion and we have debated especially the implications of the communiqué which the primates of the provinces of the Communion released from their February meeting in Dar es Salaam.

On March 20 in our Business Meeting, the bishops of The Episcopal Church passed three resolutions which address the relationship of this Church with the Anglican Communion. We your bishops participated in the preparation of the first and third resolutions listed below, and we both voted to approve all three.

The foundation for all three resolutions is the clear and deep desire of the bishops as chief pastors of the Church to conserve the nature and spirit of the Anglican Communion, and to ensure the integrity of this Church.

The February 2007 Communiqué from the meeting of the primates of the Anglican Communion in Dar es Salaam prescribes a method for international intervention to settle differences within The Episcopal Church. We your bishops in Connecticut believe their scheme would fundamentally change our historic Anglican fellowship. Their prescription for the Communion, and especially what they set forth for The Episcopal Church, would override our Constitutional responsibility for our life and governance. And it would change the Communion into an international church with a supreme council of archbishops who could intervene in and regulate the internal life of individual geographical provinces.

The first resolution of the House asks the Executive Council of our Church to join us in declining to accept the imposition of a “Pastoral Council” comprised mostly of persons outside the Episcopal Church who would oversee an appointed “primatial vicar” who in consultation with our Presiding Bishop would care for dissident dioceses and congregations.

A second resolution asks the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Standing Committee of the Council of Primates to meet with the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church as soon as possible. This resolution was passed unanimously by the bishops.

The third resolution, more lengthy than the other two, is addressed to the members of The Episcopal Church. It describes the situation before us and the theological and ecclesial reasons for our decisions.

A fourth statement, a much fuller report of the meeting, including the many other concerns which we engaged, was adopted in our last session and will be circulated to the Church. We commend this report to every one of our members.

The meeting of the House has been marked by widespread shared concern on all sides for the innovations from the primates. We spent a day listening to and questioning our Church’s two representatives to the international Anglican Covenant Design Committee, and we were newly enlightened by their very different perspectives. Our debate has been thoughtful, measured, respectful.

The attempts of the council of primates to intervene in the struggles and life of The Episcopal Church by demanding either that we agree to repudiate the presence and ministry of gay and lesbian persons in this Church, or, in the alternative by imposing an alternative authority and so settle our conflict essentially by dividing us, has an all too familiar ring for us in Connecticut.

We your bishops believe the time had come for us to stand as Episcopalians, Anglicans, people of Jesus Christ, and to draw a line. To accept the terms set down by the primates would compromise for all time the nature of the Anglican Communion by setting us on a slippery slope, granting permission for others to shape and govern this Church and other provinces as well. Episcopalians embrace a polity which is built on the participation of all the baptized, and we your bishops will resist every attempt to allow authority to be placed in the hands of foreign primates, many of whom have not been chosen by the people they govern.

We want Connecticut to continue and grow as a diocese that respects and welcomes all persons seeking Jesus, with no distinction, as Saint Paul wrote, based on heritage, race, or sex. Nor do we seek to discriminate theologically; we seek to honor and embrace the wide spectrum of Christian belief which exists among us. Further, we know that our ties with Anglicans throughout the world are a sign of Christ’s supremacy over us, and are indispensable for our common mission and spiritual health. Both of us rejoice in our diocesan and parish fellowship and mission work with Anglican partners in Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. We remind the diocese that we have committed ourselves to others in mutual support for mission, and to help fulfill the Millennium Development Goals.

What we see at stake is our Anglican heritage as brothers and sisters in Christ, and our particular mission and ministry which we discern through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Our prayer is that our Anglican Communion will continue to bring Christ to all persons, in all places. Please do pray for Christ’s Church Universal, the Anglican Communion, for The Episcopal Church, and our diocese, that in our day, as in every age, we may seek to be an effective witness of Christ’s love and invitation into new life for the whole world.

The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith
The Rt. Rev. James E. Curry
From the House of Bishops, Camp Allen, Texas

The Archbishop of Canterbury Responds...We Think

The following has appeared on several blogs throughout the day:

Lambeth Palace has released this quote from the Archbishop of Canterbury:

"This initial response of the House of Bishops is discouraging and indicates the need for further discussion and clarification. Some important questions have still to be addressed and no one is underestimating the challenges ahead."

So far I have been unable to find any official posting of this quote on the web sites of the Anglican Communion, the Anglican Communion News Service, or Lambeth Palace.

Surprise!

Late today word came from Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, that the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church passed three resolutions in response to the Primate's February Communique. All three express the desire of the Episcopal Church to remain a part of the Anglican Communion, and can be summarized this way:

1. The House of Bishops believes that the "pastoral oversight" proposal "would be injurious to the Episcopal Church.
2. The House of Bishops requests a meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the Primates' Steering Committee at their earliest convenience.
3. The House of Bishops presents their first in-depth response to the Primates' Communique.

In addition, the House's briefing officer for the day, the Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam, Suffragan Bishop of New York, said, "While this was not dealt with by resolution, great concern was expressed about human rights violations for gay and lesbians, particularly in Nigeria, and the need for us as Anglicans and Christians to advocate against it."

Many conservatives are stunned and shocked, like Randall Foster of Texaglican. Many are already penning nasty responses, which can be sampled over at the Stand Firm web site or Brad Drell's Drell's Descants.

The liberals and moderates are also stunned. Richard writes that he is "speechless" in his latest blog post at Caught by the Light. Many, like Mark Harris on his Preludium blog and Jim Naughton on his daily episcopalian, have posted preliminary comments and promised a more in depth analysis later. Comments posted at these blogs so far have tended to express surprise and hope without aiming barbs at the conservatives.

In my opinion, this represents a very hopeful development for the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. In response to the Primates' continued attempts to invest most or all of the power of the Anglican Communion in themselves, and to their February ultimatum, the majority of our bishops have said, "No!" They point out that these developments are distinctly un-Anglican, and they may finally be calling the so-called Global South Primates to account.

We shall see what transpires over the next days and weeks. So far the Archbishop of Canterbury has shown himself unwilling to meet with the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church--the Rt. Rev. Paul Marshall, Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem, even goes so far as to call it shunning in his If the Pope can go to Turkey, Can the ABC go to Texas? If Rowan Williams truly wants to hold the Anglican Communion together, then he must accept the House of Bishops' invitation, as must the members of the Primates' Steering Committee. Otherwise, they will show by their actions that conformity is more important than honest relationships in the Anglican Communion.

Peace,
Jeffri

St. Patrick's Day Musings

I should have known it was coming. They day that the Triangle Community Center announced the date of the annual Irish Wake--our annual St. Patrick's Day celebration--should have been the first and only clue I needed. For the past few years, the day of the Irish Wake has been Winter's last gasp, a final reminder that it is still Winter, at least for a few more days. And yesterday, beginning around midnight, we got dumped on--rain, sleet, snow. We are still digging out late this monring because, even if it was not a record snowfall, what did come down froze.

In this country St. Patrick's Day is more about celebrating Irish heritage than it is celebrating the saint who, according to legend, christianized Ireland. In my younger days I would occasionally wear Orange on St. Patrick's Day because my Irish forbears were Prebyterians from County Antrim in the north. Talk about vehement, and sometimes violent, reactions! The controversy over the Rainbow Presence often pales in comparison. The Troubles in Northern Ireland show just how tangled religion and politics often are. Which is why it should not have suprised us over 10 years ago when the Ancient Order of Hibernians used religious arguments to keep the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization from marching in New York City's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Using a religious argument to keep a group of people from participating in what is one of the biggest cultural events in New York City. Another fact of life.

Finally, take a look at Clerical Whispers, the blog of an Irish Roman Catholic priest (at least as far as I can tell from what he writes about and what little he has said about himself). In general, it is an interesting outside (i.e., non-U.S.) look at things religious and political. For today, however, take a look at "St. Patrick's Breastplate" in both Irish and English.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Peace,
Jeffri

The Yammering Intensifies

This afternoon the Presiding Bishop notified the Diocese of South Carolina that she was "declaring null and void the election of The Very Rev. Mark Lawrence to be bishop of The Diocese of South Carolina." To say that this is a disappointment for the people of South Carolina who elected Mark Lawrence is a vast understatement. To say that a large number of conservatives is disappointed vastly underestimates the depth of their anger and bitterness.

Shortly after The Rev. J. Haden McCormick, President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina, announced the news, it hit the blogosphere. A look at the comments on a couple of the conservative blogs--titusonenine and Stand Firm, for example--will give you a feel for the anger out there. Name calling, personal slurs of Katharine, jabs at "815" (i.e., 815 Second Avenue, New York, the administrative offices of the Episcopal Church), and venomous comments directed at the liberals run on for multiple computer screens. That is not to say that all of the conservative comments are angry and venomous, just a very large majority of them.

Today the conservatives have a new entry for their Book of Martyrs: Fr. Mark Lawrence. He has already become a rallying cry for a conservative minority of the Episcopal Church. I expect that in the coming days and weeks he will become the latest lightning rod in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. It is not a comfortable place to be, as any lbgt Episcopalian can tell you.

Peace,
Jeffri

And They Call Us Silly?

Greg Griffith puts in his two cents worth regarding the Rainbow Presence with a post last evening on the Stand Firm web site. I sometimes find Greg's comments and critiques well reasoned from his perspective. That is until they descend into the pettiness and silliness of last evening's post where he calls the Presence "the Whiny Party." The comments posted by others in response to Greg's broach the ridiculous--when they are not just plain mean spirited. And they call us silly.

In a comment in the "Rainbow Warriors" thread on the Stand Firm web site, oscewicee writes:

I have a question for bwd - will anyone on the reasserting side accept it if “listening” doesn’t result in full affirmation of the homosexual lifestyle? If not, isn’t “listening” a euphemism? [Note: "reasserters" = conservatives, and I think oscewicee, based on this comment meant "reappraising" and has confused the two, as I did before Greg Griffith kindly corrected me.]

It is clear to me that most of the conservatives do not intend to accept the "listening" if it does result in full affirmation. They have already demonstrated that they would rather leave the Episcopal Church--or force it out of the Anglican Communion and replace it--than live with that kind of "affirmation." Quite frankly, the liberals in the Episcopal Church have shown more willingness to be in conversation than the conservatives. We are not the ones threatening to leave the church, running to foreign primates for help, or trying to split the Anglican Communion. And they blame us for creating schism.

Enough already. Maybe both "sides" need to look to the beam in their own eye, but the liberals are not the ones throwing stones.

Peace,
Jeffri

The Week That Was And Is

The past week has been one of emotional ups and downs, frustration and anger, hope and joy. Many of the responses to the Rainbow Presence brought home once again how deep the anger, fear, and loathing are on the part of many religious conservatives when it comes to the issue of lesbians and gays--let alone bisexuals and transgendered and transsexual folks--in the church. Not since my days in the Connecticut Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights advocating for passage of civil rights legislation here in Connecticut have I been the direct target of such foul language, hate-filled speeches and threats of physical violence by people who call themselves Christians. Actually, let me just label it for what it is: verbal abuse.

Even many of my straight friends and acquaintances have questioned our choice of Easter Day for the Rainbow Presence. My reply is to simply state that among those of us who worked on the initial premise, Easter seemed to us a logical choice for a variety of reasons. Easter is, among other things, a celebration of the empty tomb, and let me tell you from personal experience, my sisters and brothers, the closet is a tomb. Jesus, through his resurrection, calls us from the places of death and into life. The life he calls us to is not plain and simple, neat and clean, nor black and white. There are no easy choices in this life, and all choices have consequences with which we must live. We chose Easter, and we are living with the consequences of that choice--both good and bad.

Sometimes I have to turn to a straight friend or acquaintance and say, "you just don't get it." There is no judgement in that statement, only an acknowledgement of the reality of both our lives. My friend Ann writes about this in her reflections on Lent 3 on her blog what the tide brings in. When you read her reflections, keep in mind that Ann has been an integral part of organizing the Rainbow Presence and has been a wonderful source of support for me personally.

And sometimes I have to take a deep breath and walk away for a while; to go off to a quiet place and pray--just me and God.

O God of peace, who taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, p. 832)

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Peace,
Jeffri

Of Rainbows And Warriors

Matt Kennedy over at Stand Firm has outlined a response to the Rainbow Presence, and he has taken his lead from the Roman Catholic hierarchy's response to the Rainbow Sash Movement of lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender Roman Catholics. He recommends that "orthodox pastors" deny communion to anyone wearing a rainbow sash or insignia on Easter. He has also upped the ante by calling us "'Rainbow' Warriors."

warrior n 1. One who is engaged in or experienced in battle. 2. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict. (The American Heritage College Dictionary, 4th Edition, 2002. p. 1546.)

I suppose you could say that as a person participating in the Rainbow Presence that I am "one who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict," but I never really thought of simply wearing a rainbow sash or insignia as being particularly aggressive, or even energetic for that matter. Of course, it all depends on your perspective. If the presence on Easter Sunday of someone in your congregation wearing a rainbow sash disturbs your comfortable little world, then I guess you could call it an aggressive action.

The intent of the Rainbow Presence is simply one of visibility. If you are going to talk about us, then you must have faces and names to talk about, because we are not some faceless, anonymous "they." You cannot have a discussion about our place as baptized members in the church without including us in that discussion. You cannot make judgements about our lives and our faith without talking WITH us and not AT us (something even we liberal Christians sometimes need to be reminded of as well). And if our mere presence in church makes you uncomfortable, then I would say that is your problem, not ours.

The conservatives have drawn a line in the sand and made the issue of sexuality a battle for the soul of the church. The liberals, on the other hand, continue to challenge the church to BE the church. I hope someone in Matt's congregation in Binghamton, NY is brave enough to wear a rainbow to church on Easter Sunday. It would not be the first time someone was denied communion for challenging the church, and it would not be the last.

Peace,
Jeffri

Prayers for Kendall and His Family

Kendall Harmon's mother died this morning after a battle with cancer. No matter what our disagreements may be, Kendall is a beloved child of God, and I will be keeping him, his family, and his mother in my prayers.

Peace,
Jeffri

Whine Whine Whine

Over at the Stand Firm site Greg Griffith has posted a response to the Rainbow Presence entitled "Tears of the Clowns."

What I found particularly interesting was this paragraph:

Seriously, folks: Stop it. You're not being asked to pay any price the rest of us aren't being asked to pay. All that's being asked of you is what's being asked of us: That you read your Bible, acknowledge your sins, and meet us at the foot of the cross where we repent and ask for forgiveness. Your constant whining about how much you're suffering, and your insistence on placing yourselves alongside history's most persecuted peoples, is a silly, fey joke that has ceased to be funny.

Greg then goes on to list several instances of Christians who have been imprisoned, beaten or died for being Christian and proclaiming the Gospel. I have yet to see anything on the their site condemning the Nigerian legislation that will outlaw even the right to meet and gather for homosexuals and imposing prison sentences on those who do. To say nothing of Matthew Shepherd, Richard Rile, those sent to the concentration camps by the Nazis, and a host of other men and women beaten, maimed, and murdered because of their sexual orientation. Are those people nothing but a "silly, fey joke?"

Earlier in his post, Greg writes:

Almost by definition, no one attending one of America's elite Episcopal churches is paying any price at all for anything...

I wonder if he would aim that kind of criticism at the good folks--and I have to believe that they are good folks doing what they believe is right, however much I disagree with them--in the Virginia parishes who voted to leave the Episcopal Church because believe they are a persecuted minority?

And as for constant whining, all he needs to do is look at many of the posts and comments on Stand Firm to see some of the best examples of whining.

Peace,
Jeffri

Called to Wait, Watch And Listen

I have a friend in another diocese who was a delegate to General Convention 2006. We do not have many opportunities to spend time together, but we keep in touch through email. One of the joys of being at General Convention last summer was that she and I were able to have some brief moments of time together while we were there. One of the longer moments took place in the airport as we waited for delayed flights home. We listened to each other as we poured out our grief over the passage of B033.

Recently, I wrote to her to find out her thoughts and feelings about the Primates' Communique:

Hi, _____,

You have been much on my mind these past few days, in the wake of the ultimatum out of Dar es Salaam (well, to me it feels like an ultimatum). I remember especially our pain-filled conversation in the Columbus airport waiting for our flights home.

So, we bought her a place at the table with B033. Are we now being asked to be the price of staying in the Communion?

I know that much remains to be seen and played out over the next few months (and years), but I now find myself for the first time seriously wondering if I can remain a part of this church.

Anyway, I wanted to know what your take on all of this is, because I trust your observations and opinions. No rush. And I promise not to cast in concrete anything you observe at this point . After all, tomorrow I could get hit by a bus...oh, wait, I can't say that. I have been hit by a bus (literally a number of years ago) and survived!

Hope all is well with you and your family. Your last email sounded as if everything was going great for _____ and _____. I keep you all in my prayers.

Love,
Jeffri

I heard from her a few days later:

Dear Jeffri,

I have waited so long to respond because I wanted to see the PB's webcast on Wednesday, and now I've watched it three times. I am quite heartened by her words. The joy is that I truly believe we will not go backwards. The pain is that it is clear she is asking us to pause. I heard very clearly a call to listen most closely to those with whom I most vehemently disagree. That is very hard for me. I think she is willing, as am I, to suffer the sanctions of the communion. I think she is unwilling to compromise the integrity of the diversity of our church. But she calls us to non-violence and listening. Over and over she tells us not to react with fear, but with faith.

Jeffri, if you leave, we will be forever bereft. The same goes for me. What I want to say is that by your leaving, or my leaving "they" win. But I won't say it because that is using a violent metaphor that Katharine is calling us away from. God is in the midst of this, the spirit is moving in ways that call us to amazing patience. I for one have no patience, I am called to watch, wait, and listen.

Please, please, please keep in touch.

Patience and listening seem to be in short supply around the Anglican Communion these days. Without them, watching and waiting often feel pointless. Yet waiting, watching, and listening are as necessary as taking action in order to move forward.

And so my friend has been called to watch, wait, and listen while I have been called to action. May we all keep sight of the goal, remembering Whose we are.

Peace,
Jeffri

Seeing Rainbows

A little over a week ago conversation on one of my email lists ticked me off, and I wrote:

Yes, ________ is where we come to vent. But our differences of opinion can sometimes sound like those of the primates flinging vitriol at each other. It is sometimes painful to read the debates amongst ourselves--AND WE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE.

We also have an amazing tendency to savage our leaders when they make what we perceive to be a misstep--and not just in Integrity. That plays no small role in why the conservatives have been able to do what they have done to the church (and not just the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion).

Venting and debating amongst ourselves is one thing. But only if it leads to constructive action on our part. What are WE going to do next? I've seen some talk here of planning something for Easter. Of course, there were immediate criticisms that there are so many lgb folks in "comfortable places," and they would not participate. So? THEY are not here. What are WE going to do? Large movements have started with the workings of smaller groups than ___________. What are WE willing to do besides sit and bitch at each other?

I am planning on being more visible. This week I dug out one of my pink triangle pins and have been wearing it to work. Which means I've had it on where Katharine Jefferts Schori has seen me and seen it. (If you're going to ask me to shoulder the burden of staying together--and I'm not sure that's what Katharine is necessarily asking based on her comments at the meeting yesterday--then you're going to know who I am.) I am working on something "rainbow" to wear on Easter Sunday, along with some sort of"handout" to give to folks who ask about it. I am talking to other lgbt Episcopalians in my area to see if they are willing to participate as well. If there was some sort of more "national" visibility planned for that day, along with pre-publicity, it might make more impact. However, I plan on following through on this alone if I have to.

After sending that email, I turned off the computer, took writing material, and headed off to the Barnes & Noble in Westport. I settled with a cup of coffee at a table in the cafe and started writing a draft "handout." When I felt I had a workable draft, I put the papers away and went to go find something entertaining to read for a couple of hours.

That evening I returned home and emailed the list that I had written a draft statement and was willing to share it with anyone who was interested. A small handful of people responded, and together we reworked my draft. Here is what we wrote:

================================================

Rainbow Presence Declaration

March 5, 2007

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you. Psalm 5:7

To our sisters and brothers in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion:

In their Communiqué of February 19, 2007, the Primates of the Anglican Communion laid out steps to be taken by the Episcopal Church, specifically by the House of Bishops, by September 30, 2007. As lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members of the Episcopal Church and heterosexual supporters of full and equal participation for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender people in the church, we do not agree as to the course of action the Episcopal Church should take in response to the Primates’ Communiqué.

We agree that:

• The Episcopal Church must understand what is being asked of it—especially in terms of its lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members.
• The Episcopal Church needs to know who its lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members are in order to know who is being asked to pay the price of unity in the Anglican Communion.
• Until lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members of the Episcopal Church have full and equal access to all the sacraments and rites of the church, lesbians/gays/bisexuals/transgendered people are essentially second-class members of the Episcopal Church.

We acknowledge that:

• No matter what course of action the Episcopal Church decides to take, faithful Episcopalians will feel it necessary to leave the Episcopal Church.
• Some of us may be among those who leave the Episcopal Church.
• There are lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender people who live in places where making themselves visible is unsafe and even life threatening.

We affirm the presence in the church of our lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender sisters and brothers who preceded us, giving of themselves and their gifts while remaining invisible as lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender people.

Therefore, on Easter Sunday we (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender and all allies) will be present in our churches and make ourselves visibly known to our fellow parishioners, clergy, bishops, and leadership through the wearing of rainbow sashes, stoles, hats, buttons, and other articles of clothing and accessories.

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We started circulating the Declaration early this evening, and in less five hours it is already popping up here and there in the blogosphere. People want a press release, links to information, etc., etc., etc. And so we set up a blog for the Rainbow Presence and created an email account (rainbopres@yahoo.com). We are in the process of having a logo designed.

It is not even Easter, and I am already seeing rainbows in the Episcopal Church as well as the Anglican Church in Canada.

Peace,
Jeffri

A Lunchtime Laugh

During lunch I was poking around the New York Times web site to check in on the latest news and ran across this story from the AP:

Swiss Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein

A giggle-causing reminder that there is a world outside of the Anglican Communion.

Peace,
Jeffri

Prayer Break

O God, be not far from us.
Come quickly to help us, O God.

Glory to the Creator, and to the Redeemer, and to the Sanctifier: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
Psalm 5:7

God has told you, O mortal, what is good: and what does God require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

We are hungry for love, God:
feed us.
We are thirsty for justice, God:
give us to drink.
We are naked in our vulnerability, God:
clothe us protectively.
We are imprisoned by prejudice, God:
liberate us.
We are sick and dying, God:
comfort us.
We are strangers and alone, God:
offer us a home.
Who will perform this ministry?
Those to whom Jesus the Christ will say:
“Come, O blessed of God,
inherit the commonwealth
prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.”
Amen and amen.
(Chris Glaser, Coming Out to God, p. 158)

Our Lord, who is in heaven,
we praise your special name.
Bring your paradise to us
and we will try to carry out your wishes
so earth is like heaven.
Every day give us the tings we need to grow.
Please forgive our sins and give us the strength
to forgive others who have hurt us.
Keep us away from bad thoughts and actions.
For your House holds the power
and the glory of the world forever.
Amen.
(Middle School Class of Grace Episcopal Church, Norwalk, CT, April 2000)

May the peace of the One go with us,
wherever we are sent.
May the One guide us through the wilderness,
and protect us through the storm.
May the One bring us home rejoicing
at the wonders us are shown.
May the One bring us home rejoicing
again to our communities.

Let us journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown:
Trusting in the power of the One to always provide for us.

Thanks be to God!