I Am Spartacus and Brian!

It takes so long for these cases to go through the Presbyterian court system that I forget about them.  The LayMAN never forgets.  They linked today to this article in the Christian Post, PCUSA's Highest Commission to Hear Case of Lesbian Clergy Who Married Her Partner.   I have written about this case before and here.  

She was taken to church court for getting legally married.  The busybodies said that is bad, against the Bible, and so on.  The presbytery pjc said it was fine.  She was acquitted.   The busybodies appealed.   How does that happen, by the way?  I'm no lawyer but isn't that double jeopardy?   I guess with church court we should be lucky they don't determine justice by filling our pockets with rocks and throwing us in the water to see if we float.

Anyway, the synod pjc said not guilty.    The busybodies decided to keep trying and now she is before the General Assembly PJC.   We will find out next week.

In the meantime, Laurie and Lisa have already been married for three years. 

In the meantime, it is time for all good clergy to obey their ordination vows and sign this statement that you have and/or will marry same-gender couples and not only to sign the statement, but if given the opportunity, seize the day! 

In the meantime, Landon and David are getting hitched at FPC Elizabethton tomorrow afternoon!

It isn't technically a marriage as Tennessee is, believe it or not, a bit behind the times.   But as Alan, Esq. pointed out, even if say Landon and David got hitched by me in Washington D.C. it wouldn't be marriage like my marriage to my Lovely because their D.C. marriage wouldn't count in Tennessee.   Even marriage in states where marriage is legal still isn't really marriage the way heteros enjoy marriage.    It is time to make a federal case for marriage equality.

As far as church business goes, get your pens ready teaching elders and sign those licenses, eat that cake, pray over those rings, repeat those vows, and show the love and justice of Jesus for Christ's sake.

I stand with you!

We are Spartacus.  Thanks to Snad for this clip!



Old movies make me cry.

Especially this one, "I'm Brian! And so is my wife!"

Rev. Don Steele

Rev. Don Steele has moved to our area from Pittsburgh.  He and his partner, Jeffrey, and son, Davidson, attend our congregation.  We have given Don the title "Assistant to the Pastor" as Don has been helping me with ministry here especially since Zach's death.  Don is honorably retired and this is a volunteer position.

Don has requested that Holston Presbytery receive him as a member by transfer from Pittsburgh Presbytery. Our presbytery's Committee on Ministry has discussed this request and has voted.  Twice.  Both votes ended in a tie, which means no.  The COM decided to let the presbytery as a whole decide.   Yesterday at the September meeting, Don presented his Faith Journey and his Faith Statement (printed below) and verbally spoke to the presbytery about his sense of call.

I sent this email to my congregation today about the meeting:

I was proud and moved by Don's statements.  He also addressed the presbytery and talked about his ministry.   We broke into small groups and discussed what it might mean to welcome Don into the presbytery.  The presbytery will vote in December.    That vote will have no bearing on Don's relationship to our congregation.   He is part of our family and can serve here as he wishes.  It is, however, an opportunity for the presbytery to receive a gift.   Whether the presbytery votes to receive Don as a member or not, Don will be present in the presbytery and so will our congregation.

As I have been reflecting on the meeting, I thought how much I admire Don for his courage and for his vulnerability.   We are all gifts and we all have gifts.   While some may regard Don as a threat more than a gift, nevertheless, he truly is a gift in many ways, and one of those ways is his honesty with the church about his life.   His courage is a gift to other LGBT people who because of social prejudice must for their survival live in secret.   He offers hope that it will not always be that way.

It was good to see Holston Presbytery hear Don respectfully.  Even as people have different opinions regarding abstract notions such as "homosexuality" or "the authority of scripture" and while some people may never come to an acceptance of Don's sexuality, nonetheless, change happens.  As Myra Elder (our commissioner who really has the last name "Elder") reminded us in the car on the way home, "We didn't flip a light switch; we planted a tree."  

Of course, I am reminded how important this congregation is to this area, to Holston Presbytery, and to the denomination.   For that, I give thanks to you and to all who have journeyed with us along this path, planting trees of acceptance, wisdom, and strength. 

I asked Don for permission to post his statements on my blog and he graciously granted it.   I also post this picture of him when he marched with us in Kingsport's Martin Luther King, Jr. parade this January.   We love you, Don.

Faith Journey-Donald M. Steele

October 31, 2011

In the life of a 64 year- old, there are more stories than can be encompassed in one page, At the outset, I would simply note that for me as for most pilgrims, the journey is not so much the story of my growth in faith as in God’s faithfulness in the warp and woof of the weaving of my life. Along the way, I taught in a Catholic middle school related to the Schools of the Sacred Heart, whose founder, Saint Catherine Drexel, saw as the goal of education to see a student, “seriously begun.” I hope that at age 64, I am perhaps at last “Seriously begun” and trust that the “One who began a good work in me will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6) Since there is so much to tell, I will try to describe the journey in strands for God’s weaving rather than chronological events.

Strand One- Illness
My earliest serious illness began during my first pastorate in Hinton, WV, where I was sent to the Mayo Clinic and hospitalized with my first severe bout with asthma. Other health challenges have included epilepsy, osteoporosis resulting in a broken back due to the seizures, and lymphoma. Later, a dangerous asthma attack in Chicago again hospitalized me and led to a prescription of a warmer, drier, less polluted climate, which opened a door to accepting a call to Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gallup, NM adjacent to the Navajo and Zuni reservations. My service there was interrupted by a serious stroke, which left me unable to continue due to partial paralysis and partial blindness. In 2011, advanced arthritis led to a knee replacement with complications prolonging the recovery during rehab. Through it all, I have experienced God’s presence as healer, companion, and comforter.

Strand Two – Social Justice
In many ways my parents laid the groundwork for my growing involvement in issues of social justice. As staunch members of the rural Presbyterian Church in middle Tennessee where I grew up, with their influence and that of my Scottish immigrant grandfather, who lived with us until his death, our home was very Calvinist in its practices with no cooking, sewing or movies on Sundays. We did not eat out or do grocery shopping on Sundays, and so we didn’t participate in an economy that required others to work on the Sabbath. It was an early lesson in putting beliefs into action for justice. My parents also did not support the negative images, language, or actions that upheld segregation at the time.

It was not surprising then that when my college choice took me to Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College, I became very active in civil rights concerns and actions, especially in the garbage workers’ strike that brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis and his death. This affected me profoundly as I viewed Dr. King as one who was “persecuted for righteousness sake.” During these years I experienced and began to follow my sense of call to ministry. At Union Seminary in Virginia, I became active in the peacemaking movement in response to the Viet Nam war. Following seminary, I understood my call to be to ministry in Appalachia, and I accepted the first of four calls in the region.

After Hinton, I served concurrently as pastor in Spencer, WV, as coordinator of CAM, the Coalition for Appalachian Ministry and as Special Presbyter for Appalachian Ministry for the Presbytery of Greenbrier. In these capacities I worked to address the social justice issues of the region including land use and abuse, mine and factory safety, and land ownership and control. With the blessing of my third WV parish in Charleston, I also participated in the WV Delegation of Witness for Peace in Nicaragua. Growing out of my regional work, I became increasingly involved in issues of national and world hunger, and after additional study at the Maryknoll School of Theology’s Institute for Justice and Peace, I accepted a call as Associate Director for International Relief and Development with the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and made on-site visits in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, as well as the U.S., monitoring and encouraging programs to address root causes of hunger. Health concerns dictated that I decline the opportunity to move with the national staff to Louisville, and instead, went to Graduate Theological Union to pursue a Ph.D. In Berkeley, CA., in addition to teaching pastoral theology, ethics, and spirituality at two seminaries, a middle school and a graduate school, I participated in the support for migrant farm workers.

During these years, I also had to come to terms with the personal issue that tested most profoundly my trust in God’s faithfulness, as after listening in counseling to numerous students who were struggling with their sexual identity, I came belatedly to understand my own orientation and to self-identify as gay. I had long since known that gay, like other human conditions, is a gift, but 24 years into a committed marriage and ordination in a denomination that did not allow gay clergy, I pleaded with God. “Could it please not be my gift!” God, on the other hand, already knew me and was big enough to handle my shame and grief at hurting my wife, who had shared so much of the journey. With the help of excellent therapy and many courageous and faithful gay Christian friends, I “came out” first to myself, then to my wife, and eventually to others in the church and institutions where I worked.

That process has continued to this time, but I was committed that no employer would choose me without first knowing this aspect of my truth, so they would not hear after the fact and wish they might have made another decision. This included my service at the School of Applied Theology in Oakland, at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, at Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where I was chaplain, at three ”More Light” congregations, where I was Parish Associate, and at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gallup, NM., where I was solo pastor. A disabling stroke ended my service there due to partial paralysis and partial blindness. The Presbytery of Santa Fe granted me the status of Honorably Retired. Despite my disability, Sixth Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh allowed me to serve as Parish Associate. In Pittsburgh I was also able to volunteer as a teacher in a faith-based, non sectarian college prep school for low-income minority students, which has sent all of its graduates on to college – the first in their families to do so. If I am received, I hope to serve in some meaningful ways in the Presbytery of Holston.

I am thankful that First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethton is a More Light congregation as well, to allow me to worship with my deeply spiritual partner of 17 years, Jeffrey Watkins, who is also my nurse. In all these matters, it has been God who was faithful to me on the journey. Thus I can say with hymn writer, John Newton,” Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come, ‘twas Grace that brought me safe thus far, and Grace will lead me home.” Thanks be to God!

Strand Three – Ecumenical Relationships in Education and Service
Though Presbyterians played the largest role in my formal education in college, seminary, and graduate school, I have also been equipped and expanded by institutions, and programs planned and led by Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, National Baptists, Roman Catholics, and Jews. Not surprisingly, then, I have found great joy in being a brother in the ecumenical Franciscan religious order, the Mercy of God Community, whose core commitment is to work to “overcome the scandalous divisions within Christianity.” With the current national climate of distrust of other faiths, that commitment is expanding to include overcoming the harm done to others (both Christian and non-) in the name of Christ.

Strand Four - Family and Friends
All along the way, God has blessed me with wonderful family and remarkable friends. My afore-mentioned parents and grandfather helped me to get started. Cynthia, my former wife of twenty-four years, who remains a special friend, my adult son, Davidson, my brother, Lewis, nieces, Li and Claire and their families, extended family members and particularly my partner and skilled caregiver of 17 years, Jeffrey Watkins, have all been incredibly supportive and loyal through many joys and sorrows. They have been multiplied by many parishioners and friends beyond any deserving, who have sustained my hope, courage and faith along the way and witnessed to God’s steadfast love, forgiveness, and mercy. One Friend in particular, Baptist pastor and educator, the Rev. Dr. Brian Ammons of Durham, North Carolina, has accompanied me through many of the most difficult days.

Strand Five - The Future is open because of the Faithfulness of God
Just as “the past is prologue, “ So the future is God’s Finishing School to which I gratefully commit.

Statement of Faith - Donald M. Steele

October 31, 2011

In the beginning, GOD
Who created and continues to create the heavens and earth, the universe, all creatures and all humanity, including me. This God is revealed most clearly in the Scriptures, our unique and authoritative rule of faith and practice and entrusts to us the care and stewardship of the earth.

In the midst of life, (in the Fullness of time) GOD
Was incarnate in Jesus – Emmanuel, God -with- us – a Palestinian Jew, whom I have come to love and confess as the Christ or Messiah, who came as teacher, healer, reconciler, justice-seeker, prophet and Savior for all humankind. Jesus calls ordinary women and men into discipleship and the church catholic, eats with outcasts, teaches that all are children of God, heals the sick, and demonstrates the realm of God, and in his life, death on the cross and resurrection reveals the lengths to which God will go to in order to show mercy and bring life to all, to show that no one , absolutely no one is expendable. When Jesus returned to God, God sent the Holy Spirit as comforter and energizer who empowers the church to live as Christ’s body in the world today.

In the end, GOD,
Who like the prodigal Father runs to meet the children and welcome us home, and Who like a mother hen gathers us together and offers comfort and safety, and Who in Jesus goes before us to show us the way.

Here is an article featuring Don from July 2011 in a Pittsburgh newspaper.

New LGBT Center in Johnson City!

This was in today's Johnson City Press:

A new community center has plans to set up in the downtown area to focus on building and creating a positive social change in the region.

The Pride Community Center of the Tri-Cities has been an idea in the works since February, and it hopes to serve as somewhat of a resource center for those of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Kenn Lyon, executive director for the community center, said he started brainstorming about the center during a seminar he attended for his master’s program on mental health counseling.

“We had a seminar on creating social change in your local environment, your local neighborhood, and I was thinking about how there was such a need for some kind of positive visible presence for the LGBT community in the Tri-Cities area and there’s nothing here for that,” Lyon said.

Pulling from his network of friends, Lyon brought on John Baker, the vice director and treasurer of the center, and others from the community to form a board of people committed to seeing a functioning center for everyone downtown to utilize.

“It’s about empowering, nurturing and being inclusive of the gay and lesbian community. Everyone is welcome to use the space and to come in,” Lyon said. “It’s also about education because there’s such a need in the area for educating what to do when people start to come out and recognize they have a different orientation than heterosexual and where do they go with that and what’s the next step in that process.”

Both Lyon and Baker said they are hopeful that the center, while open to anyone, will be a safe, positive environment where kids to adults, unsure of their sexuality, can find answers to their questions.

“This is a glorious area and people are very accepting to some extent, but we just need to make sure that the education is out there to broaden their horizons,” Baker said.

Baker said so far he’s heard nothing but positive feedback about the center potentially opening up in the community and has even sought out support from local churches with some of their community center goals.

“We also are working with local churches and groups that also want to volunteer in their outreach programs to help staff if for us,” he said.

Baker and Lyon said while the center is available for anyone looking for support and involvement, they want the community to be one with the center and to be willing to help out for those who are distressed or need assistance.

“It’s a community center because the community is what needs to support this,” Lyon said. “We’ll be the leaders in it, however, it functions by the community participating.”

With other fundraising events in the works, Lyon and Baker said they hope to continue to hear words of encouragement and would ideally like to be up and running by the fall.

Working to gain a nonprofit status with the IRS and the state, the board members have been collecting private donations for the center, as well as having fundraising events.

“We need $17,000 to get it up and running and then we can start getting grants and foundation support after that to continue the process,” Lyon said.

On Friday, Two Pence Productions, a local theater company in Johnson City, will host a community center fundraiser at The Casbah, located at 807 W. Walnut St. Baker and Lyon said the event will have a variety of live entertainment, including skits and comedic performances.

A $5 minimum and up donation will be collected at the door and all proceeds will go toward the center.

“Our diversity is actually our strength. It’s not about all being the same, it’s about embracing that diversity and using that to move the consciousness forward in the entire area,” Lyon said.

To learn more about the community center’s mission statement, vision and values, visit www.pridetricities.com or www.facebook.com/pridetricities to stay in touch on community center updates.  For other information, email pridetricities [at] gmail.com or call Lyon at 323-620-4335.

Great news! 

Time for the Church to Embrace Marriage Equality

Home from vacation visiting family.  I was greeted with mail.   One letter was from an elder of another church in our area (not Presbyterian) who wrote:

Dear Mr. Shuck

     I read with interest your letter to the editor in the JC Press.  Mr. Shuck, may I observe that religion comes from the Bible and the Bible strongly condems [sic] same sex marriage, homosexuals and Sodimites [sic].  Either we believe the Bible or we don't. 
     I am not trying to be a judge, God will do that, just trying to follow clear Bible teaching.
     I pray that you might consider the scriptures on the enclosed paper with all sincerity.

Enclosed was  a copy of the church's newsletter that contained a letter from its board declaring its belief in "God's standards of marriage and morality" accompanied by quotes from the Bible. 

Then I read today's Johnson City Press:

    It’s clear from the May 30 letter written by the Rev. John Shuck that he is too busy studying President Obama’s poll numbers to read his Bible. If he did, he would read that the Bible clearly states homosexuality is a sin. In 1 Cor. 6:9-10, it says: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin — or practice homosexuality — none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.”    After speaking about the “shameful act” of homosexuality in Romans 1:26-28, God says in verse 32: “They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them too.”    The Rev. Shuck can try to justify his sinful beliefs here on earth, but one day he will stand before a holy God to give an account as to why he led many astray by his false teachings. The reverend called himself religious rather than a Christian. Maybe that explains why he is so blinded to the truth. LAYLA CIPTAK Elizabethton 

Then I found another letter in the mail from an individual who wrote:

John,
You are not a preacher of Almighty God to support Queer Marriage!!!  Much less their lifestyle.  Queer Lifestyle is Lust of the Flesh!  My God, and Creator says so.  Learn the truth, or burn in Hell!!!

P.S.  You, sir are Satan's preacher!

And he enclosed a Chick Tract, "Uninvited."   On the tract he included this note:

"No dead pervert bastard queer will enter heaven!!!" 

Yes, I'm home. 

This is all in response to a letter I wrote to the Johnson City Press after the Press had solicited responses to the question, "What do you think of Obama's position on gay marriage?"

Here is the teaching moment.

I get this feedback because I am a minister.   Church and clergy are symbols of morality.   Many clergy including me are challenging openly and publicly what many people have learned in their churches.   This feedback is expected and clergy must be willing to take it for change to occur.

I am putting this on my blog so you can know how hatred and ignorance are products of church and its clergy.  This is learned behavior.  This violent language comes from our churches.   These individuals are applying what they have learned in church from their clergy.    This is why we need clergy to speak for equality from a moral and spiritual perspective. 

Rev. Jane Spahr said in my recent interview with her that in order for social change to occur and to end the violence against LGBT people we must change the churches.   In order for the violence to end, churches and clergy must be bold in declaring and enacting equality.

This year, the PC(USA) can do its part in ending violence by publicly affirming the morality of same-gender relationships and promoting marriage equality.    More Light Presbyterians has helpful resources.

It is time.
 

PCUSA to Stand on the Side of Love

This Sunday, June 3rd, is More Light Sunday.

More Light Sunday and Evolution Sunday are two of my favorites.  Here are sermons I preached on More Light Sundays Past, 2011, 2010.    In 2010, our Peacemaking Committee devoted their table to getting rid of our discriminatory policies.    That worked out nicely.    This year marriage equality.  Let's make it happen.

This year we are not celebrating More Light Sunday on the first Sunday of June.   Instead, it will be on Sunday July 1st with Rev. Don Steele preaching.  I'll be at General Assembly doing my part to move our denomination closer to a church that stands on the side of equality and justice.  

This year the theme is Standing on the Side of Love. 










That is a good place to stand. 

I am pleased that the PC(USA) is making positive changes for equality.   Even though some mock, ridicule, bully, and bear false witness, they are in the words of Bishop John Shelby Spong, "loud but not deep."  

Our denomination is making the better choice, a choice for equality and justice, and that is standing on the side of love.

Marriage Equality Mailbag

Last week the Johnson City Press asked readers to comment on President Obama's support of marriage equality. The paper printed my letter yesterday:

It is obvious that President Obama can see the numbers. Polls show that the majority of Americans now support marriage equality. I count myself in that number.

This is a matter of justice similar to other civil rights struggles regarding race and gender. Even though marriage licenses have nothing to do with religion, there are those who think their religious beliefs exempt them from treating others equally. They think marriage equality infringes upon their religious liberty.

I happen to be religious. I am a Christian minister. Social justice is a component of my religious practice. I believe marriage equality is a social justice issue. As a matter of justice and morality, I officiate at ceremonies for same-gender couples.  The state of Tennessee’s refusal to grant marriage licenses to these same-gender couples infringes upon my religious beliefs. Whose religious beliefs are more important?

So you can see, making this a religious issue gets us nowhere. Marriage licenses are granted by the states. Marriage equality is a matter of being an American with liberty and justice for all.  One day soon, as women gained the right to vote and as we ended segregation, so marriage equality will be a reality in Tennessee and all over the United States. The majority of Americans see this as a matter of fairness and the president can see the numbers.

THE REV. JOHN SHUCK
First Presbyterian Church
Elizabethton

The Johnson City Press also printed the letter from Linda Sorrell, our Director of Children's Ministry:

Thank you, President Obama. I, too, support gay marriage.

I have discovered that couples, gay or straight, who are in a long-term committed relationships strengthen my own marriage commitment.

LINDA SORRELL
Johnson City

Your Opinion on Marriage Equality is Requested

Our local paper, the Johnson City Press has put out a request to the populace to answer this question:

"What do you think of Obama's position on gay marriage?"  

I share this opinion:

I am working up a letter to send to the editor.  Maybe you would like to as well?  If so...

Send your comments to Mailbag, P.O. Box 1717, Johnson City, TN 37605-1717, or mailbag@johnsoncitypress.com . Please include your name, telephone number and address for verification.

Anti-Gay Views Are Not a Faithful Part of the Reformed Tradition

Here is a fine article in Salon, Christianity's anti-gay stance backfires.

59 percent of teenagers who grow up as church-going Christians abandon their faith in adulthood. One of the major reasons is the gay rights issue. Overall, the perception–a largely correct one, I’d add–is that modern conservative Christianity is dominated by sex-phobic bigots who use God as a cudgel to beat all sorts of people, but especially gays and lesbians. No wonder many in the younger generation want out.

I think that my denomination, the PCUSA, actually has a chance of not looking too idiotic and bigoted once we finally stop pandering to the anti-gay faction of the church. Let them go. Here is a place for them.

Whether they go or not, it really doesn't matter. What we need to do is simply do the right thing, such as pass the marriage equality overtures at this upcoming General Assembly. I hope the commissioners will also approve a resolution affirming Evolution Weekend and the Clergy Letter Project that I plan to introduce, putting our denomination clearly on record as supportive of science.

Another of the reasons cited in the book You Lost Me, referred to in the Salon article, is the anti-science perception the youth have of Christianity.   In the eyes of your kids and grandkids, Christianity isn't just dated and boring, we have crossed the line.  Christians are a bunch of superstitious bigots. We have earned that label.  

I tend to agree, in part, with an opinion by Henry Greene in Presbyweb.   Rev. Greene was criticizing a statement by the GAPJC regarding one of the many cases the anti-gay crowd continues to file against gay clergy.   The statement reads:

Such thoughtful disagreement among reasonable and faithful Presbyterians is itself an important and faithful part of the Reformed tradition.

Rev. Greene disagrees.   He doesn't think both sides, anti-gay vs. equality can both be faithful positions.    Unless you translate the meaning of "faithful" as simply being stubborn, one side clearly is not "faithful."

I agree.  They are opposite positions. 

Rev. Greene doesn't spell out which position he thinks is the faithful one.   I will.  It is not a reasonable and faithful interpretation of scripture, our tradition, and basic human decency to deny equality to LGBT people and to enshrine prejudice under the cloak of holy writ. 

Those who attack, bully, berate, and bear false witness about LGBT people are not faithful by any definition of the word.   No matter how much they try to disguise their prejudice with piety it is still prejudice.  When those who know better, when those who know that second class status leads to violence, when those who know that the right wing is harming human beings, our churches, and society, and yet continue to pander to them by calling their hateful and bigoted views "faithful" we drive away not only our youth but any decent person who happens to observe the church from the outside.    We make a mockery of the message of Jesus.

Obviously, those with harmful views don't think they are harmful.  They think they are all about love and righteousness.   So we can have some pity on them.  They know not what they do.   Who knows, maybe one day like poor old Saul, they will be blinded on the Damascus Road.  It does happen.

In the meantime, we do them, nor the church, nor actual human beings who are harmed by religiously disguised homophobia any favors by pretending that anti-gay rhetoric is "a faithful part of the Reformed Tradition."    It isn't.  It is time to be clear about that.

Redwoods Presbytery Refuses to Rebuke Rev. Jane Spahr

Good on the Presbytery of Redwoods for refusing to impose a rebuke on Rev. Jane Adams Spahr.  Rev. Spahr was found guilty by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission in February of violating her ordination vows by marrying 16 same-sex couples, even though doing so was legal in California at the time.   The presbytery stood up for her and said:

THAT the Presbytery oppose imposition of the rebuke as set forth in the decision of the Presbytery Permanent  Judicial Commission, dated August 27, 2010 (which was stayed by its terms until the present day), by declaring and resolving as follows:

WHEREAS, our primary ordination vow as Ruling and Teaching Elders is to be obedient to Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as the Scriptures bear witness to him, (F-1.02; W-4.4003(a);

WHEREAS, the love of God in Jesus Christ is for all people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people;

WHEREAS, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the constitution require that full inclusion and pastoral care be extended to all members of the church;

WHEREAS, this Presbytery called the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr to a ministry in outreach to – and in community among and with – lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people;

WHEREAS, the 38-year ministry of the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr has been faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to her calling;

WHEREAS, the decision of August 27, 2010, by its terms, acknowledges and apologizes (1) that the rules of the church “are against the Gospel,” and (2) that the decision and rebuke continue the grievous harm “that has been, and continues to be, done” by the church to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people “in the name of Jesus Christ”;

Be it RESOLVED that the Presbytery of the Redwoods opposes imposition of the rebuke set forth in the decision dated August 27, 2010, as inconsistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the faithful life of ministry lived out in this Presbytery. 

Rev. Spahr points out that the issue is violence.  Whenever you treat people as second-class citizens you invite and encourage violence on them.  She said this a number of times in her interview with me on Religion For Life.  If you haven't heard the interview yet, check it out.  

Rev. Jane Adams Spahr and Marriage Equality

Here is an article about the decision in the L.A. Times.

Complaints Against Lisa Larges "Not Sustained"

This news just in:

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission dismissed all the complaints that had been cobbled together to prevent her ordination to ministry in the PC(USA).  Lisa has been trying to be ordained as a minister since before I started seminary.  That is a long call process.

Here is her statement about the decision.
















Thank you, Rev. Lisa Larges for taking this journey and for making the way less rocky for those who follow.

Here is the decision in pdf.

Rev. Jane Spahr and Marriage Equality on Religion For Life, April 19-23

In 2008, during that period of time when same-gender marriage was legal in California, Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, Rev. Jane Adams Spahr, officiated at 16 same-gender weddings. She was taken  to church court and accused of violating her ordination vows. The case finally ended up before the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, the "supreme court" of the PC(USA). By an 8-6 vote she was found guilty. Marriage is officially one man and one woman in the PC(USA) regardless of state law. She is my guest. She talks about the case, what it means for clergy and the church, and her ministry to LGBT people on Religion For Life.

“To turn my back on the love and lifelong commitments of these wonderful couples would have gone against my faith, the ministry where I was called, and most of all, against God’s amazing hospitality and welcome where love and justice meet together.” --Rev. Jane Adams Spahr

Here are some posts of mine about her work.



Listen via livestream…

Thursday, April 19th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, April 22nd, at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, April 22nd, at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, April 23rd at 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast beginning April 24th.

Let Your Light Shine: An Important New Film

Thanks to More Light Presbyterians for pointing out a new film project, Let Your Light Shine.   The film explores the intersection of religion and homophobia:

Why are religion and the Bible used against homosexuals?  Why are evangelical Christians especially condemning of LGBTQ people and feel free to call us "sinful"?  "Let Your Light Shine" will probe the intersecting circles of evangelical Christianity, the gay civil rights movement and activism by queer alumni from Billy Graham's alma mater, Wheaton College!  This kaleidoscopic lens will shine a light on the deeply historical and discriminatory roots of evangelical Christianity, and the growing visibility of queer liberation which challenges Bible-based homophobia.  The testimonies of LGBTQ survivors from Christian colleges and religious upbringings reveal both the damaging impact of evangelicalism and a spirited resistance to continued religious oppression.  Please view our trailer and help us any way you can!  Even a mustard seed . ..

Here is a preview:



While the focus is Wheaton College, similar stories are found on college campuses all over the country.

To get this project started they are looking for funding. They are almost to their goal of $50,000. Yours could be the dollar that puts them over the top!

GAPJC Rules Against Rev. Janie Spahr

This is from Jim Rigby regarding the trial of Rev. Jane Spahr. 

Janie just called. The verdict was guilty by a 6-8 verdict. As far as I am concerned, the church renounced Christ when they said that Janie did what Jesus would do, but they would follow our own human rules over the law of love. 

I agree, Jim.  The church wants to do this the hard way.  So we will change the constitution.  It begins at this summer's General Assembly.  And we won't stop until it is changed.   

Meanwhile, we will bless these holy relationships.

Here is the decision.

Response from More Light Presbyterians.

Jane Spahr's Day in Court is Today

A person for whom I have great respect has her trial before the highest court in Presbyland today.  Rev. Jane Spahr, who happens to be lesbian, uses her calling as a PC(USA) minister to celebrate at weddings including the weddings of same-sex couples.   

Here are some of my previous posts on Rev. Janie Spahr.

It is all part of the "homosexual agenda", of course.

By the way, here is the GAY AGENDA in two points:

1)  Equality.

2)  See point 1.

Here is the press release regarding her trial:

On Friday, February 17, the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr goes before the highest court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) for a final appeal of her conviction for marrying 16 same-gender couples during the time it was legal in California. The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) appeal hearing will be held at the Drury Plaza Hotel (Riverwalk, 105 S. St Mary’s Street) in San Antonio, Texas (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through the Presbytery of the Redwoods v. Rev. Spahr). The commission’s decision is expected on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

As increasing numbers of states permit same-gender weddings and civil unions, Rev. Spahr hopes her appeal hearing will clarify how the denomination’s ministers can pastorally participate in such celebrations. “To send these couples away from the church would be going against what I believe about God and God’s welcome. It would go against my faith and my call,” she says. “I believe we are given a sacred responsibility to help be a part of a couple’s journey toward a life of deep loving and commitment.”

Rev. Janie rocks.

I am grateful for her courage and commitment to what is right and what is joyful.   It is because of people like her that the rest of us can drum up the courage to do what is right and joyful in our own settings.  As she said:

“I believe the church should be the best place to help and support couples to have a healthy, mutual and life-giving relationship. But for many LGBT people because of the myths, prejudice and judgment, it is the last place they think of to celebrate their marriages.”

It will be a while yet before we have marriage equality in Tennessee.  Though we aren't there yet, legally, we do know how to celebrate the spirit and love that is already present.   Last week, Glenn and Tony celebrated 25 years together.   Thanks to Becca Davis Photography for capturing the event! 

We did it up right with a renewal of vows, communion, and a party.  

Because that is what love deserves.  In thanking Glenn and Tony, I said at their service:

For 25 years, Tony and Glenn, you have given yourselves to each other and stood by each other, laughed with and cried with each other, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health.      

That is what the Gospel is about.

There is a subtext that I am going to make very clear.

Every time we have a big gay wedding in church, or in this case a renewal of 25 years of vows, with all the music, communion, flowers, vows, and rings, we are making the path easier for those who follow.   The world can be mean because it is fearful.  But you have shown that perfect love casts out fear.

 

Justice and joy is a good combination.  

 

Rev. Jane Spahr, thanks to you for showing the rest of the church what it means to be a Minister of Word and Sacrament.  She gets the last word:

 “To turn my back on the love and lifelong commitments of these wonderful couples would have gone against the lifetime of dedication I’ve shown to my faith, the guiding principles of my church, and especially those I have served in my ministry.”

Keith Frederick is the president of PFLAG Tri-Cities (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Joseph Rhymer is the chair of the Tennessee Equality Project Tri-Cities. Both gentlemen are my guests on Religion For Life. 

They will speak about the work of these two organizations in the Tri-Cities on behalf of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender persons and their families. Be assured that religion has a role in all of this as well!

Listen via livestream...

Monday, February 20th at 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.

Thursday, February 23rd at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.

Sunday, February 26th, at noon on WEHC, 90.7.

Sunday, February 26th, at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.

Via podcast beginning February 28th.

Discussing sexuality with parents - ViewPoint

Great article in the East Tennessean.

Discussing sexuality with parents - ViewPoint

Dear Sex Matters,

I have a question that I am afraid to ask anyone else. I am a 20-year-old who has been in a two-year lesbian relationship with my roommate.

We love each other and recently, my roommate told her parents about us and thankfully, they were very supportive. My parents, on the other hand, are a different story.

I was brought up in a very strict Roman Catholic family, where homosexuality is not OK. How can I tell my parents that I am a lesbian without them disowning me?

-Lesbian in Love

And the answer including great advice offered a plug for LGBTieS and PFLAG Tri-Cities! Here it is:

Dear Lesbian in Love,

What a wonderful thing to have a relationship in which you and your partner love each other.

Wouldn't it be great if that were all that mattered?

Regardless of how strong the relationship is with your partner, it can be confusing and scary to consider sharing your feelings for her with your parents.

While it's a relief that your partner's parents were supportive, your concerns about your parents not being supportive or not reacting similarly are valid and not uncommon.

You want to tell your parents without having them disown you. Could this realistically happen or are you worrying about a worst-case scenario?

Either way, it sounds as though the prospect of revealing your true self to your parents does not feel safe.

Before you disclose yourself and your relationship to them, it's important that you set up supports for yourself and carefully think through your options. For example:

• Who can you talk with (in addition to your partner) for emotional support?

If you haven't already, you may want to talk over the situation with friends. It may also help to reach out to support networks on campus, ie. the LGBTies student organization, the Counseling Center (439-4841), a clergy member you trust, or other advisors you feel close with.

All these resources can help you sort through your ideas and concerns, and can support you no matter what you decide.

• Are there any emotional or practical reasons why the risk of telling your parents may be too great?

Would you have a place to live during school breaks? Could you continue to pay tuition and living costs no matter how they respond? Would you lose contact with family members?

It might also help to start focusing on what exactly you want to say to your parents, and how. Here are some questions you may want to consider:

• What do you want to say to them? What do you want them to know about me?

Do you want to tell them you are a lesbian or that you have an intimate relationship with a woman right now? What terms and expressions do you want to use?

What do you think will be most understandable to your parents? There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, only differences in how you might feel and how your parents might receive the news.

• How do you feel about telling your parents? Disclosing something hidden about yourself can be overwhelming and scary, but also exhilarating and liberating.

Think about how it has felt to have this secret and how you might feel once it is out in the open. Who else will be told? Siblings? Grandparents? Close family friends?

• What is your belief system? I know that Catholicism is important to your family, but what are your values and beliefs around your own spirituality?

Speaking frankly about your beliefs and acknowledging theirs might help them to feel less like you are rejecting their values.

• What do you need from your parents? Maybe you would like your parents to know who you really are.

Maybe you hope they'll be supportive and OK with your sexuality. Maybe you want them to be open and honest about possible disappointment and fear.

Maybe you hope the conversation will bring you closer together or maybe you hope to establish a new independence.

Knowing these answers can help guide the tone of the conversation.

When you're ready, talk with your parents in a calm, private setting.

You may pre-arrange a time or keep it spontaneous to when it "feels right" for everyone. You may want to tell one parent first, if that feels safer.

For more tips related to coming out, check out the Human Rights Campaign website (www.hrc.org).

For a supportive Catholic network, try Dignity USA (www.dignityusa.org).

And if your parents are interested, you can all seek support and information from Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Persons (PFLAG).

There is a PFLAG group here in Johnson City that meets weekly here on campus. For information and meeting times, check out their website (www.pflagtricities.org).

Ultimately, you can't make your parents understand or approve of who you are.

What you can do is think through what you feel, need, hope for, and are afraid of, as well as what your next steps will be, after the decision to have that first conversation.



Sex Matters is a column that addresses students' questions about sexuality and relationships.

It provides readers with reliable, accessible information and a range of thoughtful perspectives so that students can make personal and responsible decisions concerning their health and well-being.

Students are encouraged to email their questions to oasis@etsu.edu. All Sex Matters questions will be read, however, not all questions will be selected for publication.

Good job, East Tennessean.

Cyber Bullying

In today's news:

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — The shocking suicide of a college student whose sex life was broadcast over the Web illustrates yet again the Internet's alarming potential as a means of tormenting others and raises questions whether young people in the age of Twitter and Facebook can even distinguish public from private.

Cruel gossip and vengeful acts once confined to the schoolyard or the dorm can now make their way around the world instantly via the Internet, along with photos and live video.

"It's just a matter of when the next suicide's going to hit, when the next attack's going to hit," said Parry Aftab, a New Jersey lawyer who runs the website WiredSafety.

Last week, Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and another classmate allegedly used a webcam to secretly broadcast his dorm room sexual encounters with another man. The two classmates have been charged with invasion of privacy, with the most serious charges carrying up to five years in prison.

The suicide of Clementi, a shy, gifted 18-year-old violinist, shocked and disturbed gay rights activists and others on campus.

"Had he been in bed with a woman, this would not have happened," said Rutgers student Lauren Felton, 21, of Warren, N.J. "He wouldn't have been outed via an online broadcast, and his privacy would have been respected and he might still have his life."

The Associated Press found at least 12 cases in the U.S. since 2003 in which children and young adults between 11 and 18 killed themselves after falling victim to some form of "cyberbullying" — teasing, harassing or intimidating with pictures or words distributed online or via text message....

....Aftab said young people who would never bully someone face to face do it online in part because of the often-false sense of anonymity that the Internet provides.

"They'll also jump on because they don't want to be the next target," Aftab said. [Read more]

This is simply tragic and senseless. We are not helpless. There are many programs and educational websites to help us learn about bullying and work together to stop it. Search anti-bullying for a number of links.

Anyone had any luck leading a youth or college class on this topic?

Time to Get Game On

The lulus at the LayMAN have begun their nutterism regarding the ordination equality amendment.



They have decided this time around to blame their own homophobia on Phyllis Tickle.

I do think it is a rather interesting strategy.


Carmen "The Millstone" Fowler made the connection in her latest post. According to her, Phyllis Tickle has mesmerized denominational leadership and now all hell is breaking loose.

Some other LayMAN dude named Stephen Brown is spouting similar silliness. According to him, if we let the gays in the Nazis will attack Clint Eastwood or something like that.

Then of course, the Holy One of Lenoir, Parker Williamson, recently compared (again) ordination equality with molestation of children. You can always count on Parker to take the high road especially after taking shots at the new Vice-Moderator in the on-going saga of Tickle-Gate.

Sigh.

My presbytery (Holston) votes on 10-A on Tuesday, December 7th.

My presbytery who refuses to discipline me even though I beg for it is made up of very nice people. I like them a lot even though they consistently vote against equality by a three to one margin. Who knows, maybe this time I will win them over with my charm.

Failing that, perhaps the solidly Reformed theological content of the proposed text itself will win the day:

“Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.”

It has a nice, Presbyterian ring to it. It is time to talk it up and make the change.

A Slow News Week for the LayMAN

The LayMAN has decided to take a few shots at the new vice-moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Rev. Landon Whitsitt.





In a meandering post that moves from wikipedia to crowdsourcing to Phyllis Tickle, former editor of the LayMAN, Parker Williamson, has gone on a Whitsitt hunt.

The Holy One of Lenoir explains Whitsitt's "world":

What’s lacking, of course, is our refusal to acknowledge any authority above ourselves. We’re talking here of a world without God, a world that does not – will not – hear “Thus says the Lord,” a world where “crowdsourcing” is all there is.

This is the world that the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s vice moderator embraced when shortly after the General Assembly adjourned, he opined that “Scripture is no longer an authority.”

To get what Parker is talking about, you have to follow his link to another LayMAN article entitled: PCUSA Vice-Moderator: "Scripture is Not the Word of God".

I have to say the title alone is enough to make me admire Whitsitt. At most "Word of God" is a metaphorical combination. I personally think it does more harm than good and that we should stop using it as I wrote here.

I am not sure that is where Landon is. I'd hate to see the poor guy sent to hell because I have praised him. Finally, after working through the links I find the the source of the damning quote, an interview with Whitsitt shortly after he took office, A Leader Rethinks Church. Yet this is all I found:

'Sola Scriptura' is dead most places, and dying rapidly in others. So where do we lodge the authority of our faith? That's the real battle we see fought in the church. We're not really arguing about LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) inclusion, we're arguing about how we read the Bible.

I still haven't found where he said, "Scripture is not the Word of God."

Maybe he said, "Scripture is not the Word of God" somewhere else or maybe the LayMAN is just telling an Appalachian tall tale. They are common in these parts.

Landon's quote about sola scriptura is interesting. I personally think he is doing a good thing for the church. I wonder if the difference between the "worlds" of Parker and Landon is the difference between understanding faith as clinging to a slogan and repeating it vs. reflecting on what it means and making some decisions about its usefulness.

Good job, Landon. These are questions the church needs to talk about even if it is brought into the conversation kicking and screaming.

UPDATE: OK, I think I found it. At the end of the first LayMAN article, it reads:

Whitsitt added that he believes Jesus Christ is the final authority, and the disagreement over Scripture is on how it’s read and at what point it should be authoritative.

“What I’m trying to do is place Scripture at a specific point in the process of trying to discern what the Word of God would have us do,” he said. “Scripture is only a reference point to the Word of God, it’s not the Word of God, you know, capital W. It’s only a reference point.”

That is not the same as declaring as the title did: "Scripture is not the Word of God."

What Whitsitt is saying is pretty standard stuff. I mean what else can a metaphor do but point?