And now, for something a little different....

April is National Poetry Month.

Knopf Publishers has a "poem a day" service for subscribers for April. If you'd like to participate - no cost and all sorts of extras involved - simply go here and sign up.

That's it. Life can be harsh some days, even in sweet green April, and poetry may not make the troubles of the world go away, but it can certainly help.

Sonnets to Orpheus, Part Two, XXIX

Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,

what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.

In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.

And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.


~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~

(In Praise of Mortality, translated and edited by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy)

Breaking My Rule(s) - How To Believe

We in the ELCA have been pretty busy this past week.

Yes, it IS Holy Week (and was just St. Patrick's Day) but what has had a lot of folks extra-busy has been reading the long awaited draft of the Social Statement on Sexuality, a policy paper that will be commented upon nationally, and then voted upon in some finalized form at the next national gathering of the ELCA in the summer of 2009.

At least I am hopeful folks are reading the statement itself before formulating their comments. I am guessing that at least some are forming their opinions of the statement based upon what they are reading about the statement in various press releases and news stories, rather than on the statement itself.

It reminded me of an admonition from a professor my Senior Pastor shared with us that he had recalled clearly from his early seminary studies. Addressing the frequent use by seminary students of shelves of commentaries, books written about the Bible, the professor reportedly said "at some point, you have to quit reading about the Bible and simply read the Bible for itself.".

Hopefully, after some of the initial excitement tampers down a bit, ELCA Lutherans will heed the advice and stop reading about the sexuality statement in order to read the statement itself. Not quick, not easy, but important to do if we are to hold it as anything other than more words on a topic many feel has been exhausted.

Now, to prove that I don't follow my own advice (at least not all the time), I will recommend another read to you that I have only read about....



I don't typically suggest reading a book to anybody until I have read it myself, but I am going to break that rule here to save time and send you immediately towards Jon Spayde's book.

From the publisher's review: "After seeing Christianity become increasingly defined in the media as a narrow and punitive political movement, Jon Spayde began to wonder: Are religions now just combatants in the culture wars? Should he leave the organized church? How are ordinary people using faith positively to search for the truth and improve their lives? To answer those questions, Spayde took a journey across America that introduced him to an array of believers, eminent and obscure, who related their personal stories of active and living faith. Spayde's odyssey brought him to a new understanding of why action is more important than the intellect in faith, how true solace is found in forging a personal relationship with God, and why worrying about one's own "worthiness" is always beside the point."

Now that would be interesting enough to put the book on my personal "to-read" list, but what prompts me to urge others to read the book came after reading an interview with Spayde by Austin American-Statesman's Eileen Flynn excerpted as follows....

"Without traditions, the church would lose touch with Jesus as a sacred presence and that would be a disaster; but without the widening of the church, and I am talking here about priesthood for women, acknowledgment of committed gay love as equally sacred as committed heterosexual love, and so on—the church will eventually lose touch with Christ as a living presence. When liberals scoff at tradition, they endanger the sacred, and I can’t live in a world like that. When conservatives scoff at the great movements of our day for the emancipation of women, gays, colonial peoples, and so on, they endanger the principle of life! If you are pro-life, be pro-change, because life changes. There! I’m glad I got all that off my chest. Next caller!"

Pretty intriguing observations from a man who has recently chosen to join the Roman Catholic church. Yes, "The" Roman Catholic church. If Jon Spayde is any indicator of the types of folks drawn to Roman Catholicism these days, then there are certainly more fascinating conversations to be held in the future.

I don't know if anything "new" can come out of Rome, but something, or rather somebody new has certainly gone in. What a hopeful and pertinent idea in this week we consider resurrection.

From "The Message" , Isaiah 16 and on...

This is what God says,
the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
they lie down and then can't get up;
they're snuffed out like so many candles:
"Forget about what's happened;
don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new.
It's bursting out! Don't you see it?

I hope you have a Blessed Easter observance - whatever you are reading these days....

With Apologies to the Dead

Preface: I begin the body of this post with a sincere apology to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am going to borrow some of his very powerful words, but I do so meaning no disrespect. His words are the ones needed to adequately express what must be said. So, Dr. King? I am sorry if you would have found this offensive in any way.

The ELCA has released the draft of their long anticipated Social Statement on Sexuality. This product already represents a compromise, and as compromises are measured, this must be a pretty good one, because it satisfies neither side of the much debated issues of blessings or ordination. The folks working hard for the inclusion of the glbt community in the fullest possible life of the church to include blessing of relationships and ordination of partnered glbt persons are not happy, nor are the folks convinced that offering blessings or ordination would spell out the failure of the ELCA to be "prophetic in a culture that urgently needs to hear God's word.", according to the statement of Word Alone's Mark Chavez.

LC/NA's Emily Eastwood has responded by encouraging graceful engagement from within. She voices a hope that the glbt community will speak up, speak out, and tell their stories of families and faith so that in combination with resting upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church and its members will be moved to "acceptance and celebration of the full inclusion of LGBT people and their families."

I completely understand the desire for the glbt community to speak out and share their stories. It is time the church started talking to the glbt brothers and sisters in Christ already in our midst, rather than about them. I have heard the same sentiment voiced in my congregation, where it was said that "if" the glbt in our midst would gently challenge us by placing flowers on the altar to celebrate the anniversaries of their partnerships, or insist upon baptising infants with two Moms or two Dads during a regular Sunday morning service, "then" people will stand by them and speak up for them.

And I will confess to you that I used to feel the same way. If only, I thought, every glbt person would stand up and speak their truth to us, then we would see that we have nothing to fear. If they could just be brave enough to do that, I figured, then we could be brave enough to receive them with love.

But I tell you today. I have changed my mind.

I now feel that in order for lasting change to happen in the ELCA, much less in society at large, it will take something other than courageous lgbt folk who will stand up and speak out to potentially face the all too familiar negative reception groups have typically handed them for their attempts to fully participate.

I believe that for the ELCA to reclaim self respect it will take the strong voices of the hundreds and thousands of hitherto silent straight members of this denomination and of every family of faith everywhere, speaking together to quash the fears and small mindedness of the minority who would seek to use the words of Scripture to enslave and reduce the humanity of a group they consider "outsiders", "other", the "strangers" within our midst.

I say this in response to recently re-reading the words of Martin Luther King Jr., taken from the transcript of remarks he made at a planning meeting for the Montgomery Bus Boycott in December of 1955. King stated "And we will not be content until oppression is wiped out of Montgomery and really out of America. We won't be content until that is done. We are merely insisting on the dignity and worth of every human personality. And I don't stand here, I'm not arguing for any selfish person. I've never been on a bus in Montgomery. But I would be less than a Christian if I stood back and said because I don't ride the bus, I don't have to ride a bus, that it doesn't concern me. I will not be content. I can hear a voice saying, "If you do it unto the least of these, my brother, you do it unto me.". (Italics mine)

In this same way I will say here to you - we straight folk with all our privilege and status and legal protections ought to NEVER be content until oppression of the glbt community is wiped out of the ELCA and out of America. Entirely. We ought to insist, with our every breath, upon the dignity and worth of every human personality.

I am not gay or transgender. Neither are any of my immediate family members. But I would be less than a Christian if I stood back and said that this does not concern me. This concerns me because the Word of God that Mark Chavez and Word Alone are trying to lay exclusive claim to, absolutely compels me to regard every other child of God as fully equal to my own self, and even more importantly, fully equal in the eyes of God.

As King wrote, "The highest court of justice is in the heart of man after the light of Christ has illumined his motive and all his inner life. Any day when we waken to the fact that we are making a great moral decision, any day of experienced nearness to Christ...we see ourselves [that] is a day of judgement."

It ought not require future lines of brave lgbt persons walking to the microphone in any more Assemblies, or the speaking up of any more lgbt congregation members in adult forums or class discussions to move this denomination to fully accept, once and for all, every single child of God into the fullest participation of the life of this church. We ought to do this because it is right and just for us to do so as Christians.

We make a promise to every person baptized to accept them as fellow members of our family, as full participants in the Body of Christ. We must begin to keep that promise, unconditionally. To see that the Body of Christ, our church, is fully represented and fully representative. We must heed the demand of Paul that Lydia makes "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord," (as he had done with her baptism) "come and stay at my home". We must "come and stay with our glbt brothers and sisters in their homes" because we are a Christian people. We make this appeal based upon the idea that (King again)"justice is love correcting that which revolts against love.".

As we are immersed in the waters of baptism and so become one with Christ, we must then accept full authority to greet, receive and protect every one of our brothers and sisters as we live out the good news of Jesus Christ.

To do otherwise is to put ourselves "outside", to make our own selves "other" to the Body of Christ, "strangers".

In one sense I fully agree with Mark Chavez of Word Alone. We in the ELCA ought to work together to be prophetic to "a world that urgently needs to hear God's word."

That prophetic word must be "our church should not discriminate".

We must refuse to accept any statement or process that would hold any one of us as "less blessed". We are all in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. Only the forgiveness of God can do that, and we are not - thankfully - the arbiters of that forgiveness.

Wake up, ELCA! Break the chains of any policy or statement that needlessly discriminates. Let us all walk out of our prison cell together, no longer separated, a whole and holy people once more.

Fossil Fool Vote

When you wake up to a beautifully clear, crisp, chilly morning sky as I did today, it would be easy to discount warnings about climate disruption. It is near the last typical freeze date for our area, and it was just above the freezing mark this morning, so all would seem to be well.

Right?

Not exactly. Despite mounting evidence that temperature fluctuations are building momentum towards more drastic climate disruption worldwide than previously predicted, many corporations are behaving as though "business as usual" is the order of the day. Worse, many corporations are involved in "greenwashing" their efforts, assertively pretending (read:lying) to be advancing environmentally friendly policies and practices that are in fact rapidly worsening our situation, often at taxpayer expense.

What can you do?

Most of us are taking the steps we can. Driving less, using fuel efficient vehicles, reducing energy waste/use in our homes, switching light bulbs, lowering thermostats, buying and eating locally produced foods and goods.

Unfortunately, corporate practices promoting widespread development of outdated dirty energy technology can undo most of what concerned individuals can accomplish.

Are we powerless? No!

Take a moment and vote for the "Fossil Fool of the Year". Go here to learn more about Coop America's efforts in concert with the Energy Action Coalition and Rainforest Action Network to raise awareness nationally of these egregious corporate bigwigs. When you enter to vote you'll also be entered to be awarded a year's worth of renewable energy credits.

You HAVE the power...use it!

On The Road Again

A couple of things have me thinking about the story of the Good Samaritan lately. That wonderful tale told in the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 10 verses 25-37) about a man who stops to help a beaten victim he finds in the road.

The twist in this story comes of course when we learn that the man who stops and helps after two others have passed the victim by, is the one least expected to help. The man who helps is a Samaritan, part of people considered ritually unclean and religiously outcast, unfit to associate with the Jews who are relating the story to each other about one of their own, a beaten victim in the road. The two men who pass the victim by are also Jews. Members of his same tribe, they walk past this dying man in order to meet their own concerns and needs about what is fair, just, godly.

My first flash on the story was this report from friends in Guatemala - clergy there with the ILAG - Iglesia Luterana Augustina de Guatemala. ILAG is an autonomous indigenous Lutheran church growing and serving people in both the city slums and remote villages of Guatemala. The report comes as a prayer request and reads:

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Blessings to you in the name of our Lord.

We write today asking for your prayers. Saturday in the community of Santa Amelia in the Peten region of Guatemala two of the members of the ILA "San Jose" went to work in the work plot of Leonardo. At 8:00am there was an accident in which Gabriel severed his hand with his machete. They placed his hand in a bag and tied a cloth around his wrist. He was able to walk an hour before he collapsed. By then Leonardo and Gabriel were close enough to the village that someone ran the hour back to the village to find and send a car to bring Gabriel in. By 2:00pm, Gabriel was in the hospital. They could not find anyone to donate blood so he is being given fluids through an iv. His hand was lost because they did not have ice. Please pray that he is able to receive the appropriate care, the support from his community and recovers.

In Christ, Pastoral Team of the ILAG"

This lends an entirely different feel to the idea that we depend upon each other for survival, does it not? This recasts the Samaritan/Neighbor story in a much more vivid sense. Before, it was often an abstract exercise. "Where do you see yourself in this story?"...

Now, with images of two men walking back from a field with one man supporting the other with his arm tied off and his hand in a bag... The idea of "helping" takes on an immediacy, an urgency I had never sensed before. This is not about idly speculating who "my neighbor" might be. This is about life, life with the near constant threat of rapid loss of life, as a consequence of poverty and place.

The other echo of this story of what it means to be "neighborly" might seem much less dramatic, but only if you fail to think it all the way through.

Friends of mine from my college days sent me checks to forward as donations to "El Buen Samaritano" recently to help memorialize a mutual friend's father who died of cancer in February.

El Buen Samaritano (the good Samaritan in Spanish) has, since it's inception in 1987,"fulfilled a unique role in Austin as a provider of integrated health care, emergency food, advocacy, leadership, development, and basic education for working-poor Hispanic families."

Providing social services to the working poor Hispanic families of our community saves lives both literally through health care, and figuratively through the kinds of assistance that help people to not only help themselves, but offer help to others. Is there any better definition of "abundant life" you can come up with?

To throw one final spin on this saga of life and death dependent upon others, the friend whose father died recently shared with us his admission to being a gay man who married, raised a family, and lived the near entirety of his life carefully closeted, so as not to risk his professional reputation and thereby sacrifice his career opportunities.

I understand this man was kind, loving, warm with his children and friends. Active in both his community and in his congregation. He was in every sense a real father and husband. But is there any better definition of a living death you can come up with than being forced by societal norms and expectations to bury your real self, to deny your true being and keep secret who and how you freely love for the best part of your adult life?

Recently I was in a church group discussing how we welcome (or fail to welcome) the glbt in our midst. I pointed out how difficult we make it in our congregation by denying the placement of partners together as couples, as households with families, in our church directory. I offered for their consideration how awkward we have made it for loving couples who are of the same gender to place flowers on the altar in celebration of their anniversaries. I reminded them we have had baptisms take place outside of regular worship out of concerns people would be "offended" by these children having two Mommies or two Daddies. I asked them how comfortable we have made it for staff to openly display photos of their slightly less than traditional families, or to speak openly of their own family settings and situations?

You see, there are all sorts of ways to take a person's life away. Physical death is only one of the threats faced by folks who can't count upon good neighbors for their help. There are so many forms of social death we visit upon the glbt community by our complicity, our silence, our failures to stand up for what we KNOW in our hearts is fair, just, godly.At some time or another we all find ourselves on "that road" where we might chance to meet a stranger. How we respond can be a matter of life or death. Fast or slow, physical or social and emotional - we each must decide for ourselves. Do we want to bring life - abundant life! - into this world or be one more death dealer among many? We at least get to choose. Many others are not so fortunate....