The church of Harry Potter
Yesterday I had the pleasure (surprisingly) of attending the Celebration of New Ministry for a new local priest. My wife had to get there an hour before the service as she was the MC for the event, so I got to sit around and people watch for a while. These particular events often bring out a lot of people because its an opportunity to see the beloved Bishop Robinson. Oh wait, he's not beloved by all. He just happens to be the center of a world-wide stir in the Anglican church...because he's openly gay. Whenever he comes to our church in Berlin I don't think his sexuality is an issue at all. Everyone is happy to see him. But yesterday, there was a bit of a stir in the pews. I overheard several people talking about so and so who won't come to church anymore because of the gay Bishop, and even a choir member who wouldn't sing in the choir yesterday because the Bishop was going to be present, and a 90-year old woman who left the Episcopal church over it. I almost couldn't believe my ears. Then again, its not so hard to believe. I live in America, where one's sexuality completely effects one's ability to do one's job properly, but only if your sexuality is of the homo kind....
Little did the people of the church yesterday know that there were TWO big gaymo's running the show. The new priest's former boss, the Rev. Tracey Lind, was giving the sermon. She is an out, partnered lesbian working in the Diocese of Ohio. She's been considered for a Bishop position in a few places, but due to the controversy around Gene and the commissioning of gay Bishops, she will probably never achieve this role in our lifetime. What a loss that will be. The woman is amazing. Any woman who can quote Dumbledore from Harry Potter in a sermon in a Christian church, well..has balls. She also made one small, but bold comment about sexuality near the end. I could hear the tension in the room. But the majority of her sermon, for me, just re-affirmed the fact that we need not take ourselves too too seriously. And I like that message. She also had one really great quote that completely hit home for me- "Change is the ONE thing you can count on until you die."
What could have been a real drag of a social event for me was saved by the amazing musicians, a flaming gay Bishop, and a big ol' "80's" midwest dyke. What a day!
Little did the people of the church yesterday know that there were TWO big gaymo's running the show. The new priest's former boss, the Rev. Tracey Lind, was giving the sermon. She is an out, partnered lesbian working in the Diocese of Ohio. She's been considered for a Bishop position in a few places, but due to the controversy around Gene and the commissioning of gay Bishops, she will probably never achieve this role in our lifetime. What a loss that will be. The woman is amazing. Any woman who can quote Dumbledore from Harry Potter in a sermon in a Christian church, well..has balls. She also made one small, but bold comment about sexuality near the end. I could hear the tension in the room. But the majority of her sermon, for me, just re-affirmed the fact that we need not take ourselves too too seriously. And I like that message. She also had one really great quote that completely hit home for me- "Change is the ONE thing you can count on until you die."
What could have been a real drag of a social event for me was saved by the amazing musicians, a flaming gay Bishop, and a big ol' "80's" midwest dyke. What a day!