The Day Before A New Year Begins

I personally am happy to see 2009 end and am looking forward to 2010. This time of year is so full of stress and intensity. The Christmas Season began last Friday and continues through next Tuesday, with Epiphany starting on January 6th. People are winding down some from the Holidays and getting ready to return to the usual crunch of life.

To what extent has the birth of our Savior renewed us this Christmas Season? All of the news stations this week have been rehashing all of the major events of this past year. 2009 was a year that began with the inauguration of President Obama. There were so many hopes and dreams of what a new President would bring. The back biting of the Republican Party and the new teabaggers has been just terrible. In August we saw the health insurance companies create havoc at town hall meetings over health care reform. We saw Republicans oppose health care reform, and some Democrats getting in the way of a public option that would benefit millions of more Americans. We saw health care reform take many giant steps forward, but still not far enough for those who will still not have medical care come in 2010.

We saw LGBT rights move very slowly. We were very happy with the passage of the Matthew Sheperd Hate Crimes Act. However, the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and DOMA continues to move very slowly. The inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act was tabled until 2010. We saw Pres. Obama's Justice Department make several defenses for DADT and DOMA. We again witnessed the Democratic Party work hard for the LGBT vote, but not too hard for passing LGBT legislation.

In 2009 we saw the State of Maine pass marriage equality, and then tragically loose it through the efforts of the National Organization for Marriage and the Catholic Diocese of Portland. We saw the State of New Hampshire pass marriage equality laws. We saw the New York State Senate vote down marriage equality. We saw the City Council of the District of Columbia pass marriage equality. We have already seen NOM stepping up to crush DC's newly passed marriage equality law.

In the Episcopal Church in 2009 we saw the General Convention in Anaheim California pass legislation saying that LGBT individuals could enter into the discernment process to be Bishops in the Church. In an interview with Georgia Public Radio Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori stated that the Episcopal Church merely confirmed what the Church had already been doing. During the General Convention they also agreed that in those States where same-sex marriages are legal, those Diocese can be collecting materials to celebrate same-sex Liturgies. We saw similar legislation passed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

We also witnessed the election of Mary Glasspool as one of two new Suffragan Bishop-Elects for the Diocese of Los Angeles. We also heard the Archbishop of Canterbury is not happy about that decision.

We also saw the rise of a new legislation for LGBT people in Uganda that would criminalize homosexuality to the point of life in prison and very possibly the death penalty by hanging. While the ABC has told a news reporter that he finds the Private-Members Bill to be of "shocking severity" we have yet to hear anything from him directly. We have heard our own Presiding Bishop condemn the Legislation along with Bonnie Anderson who is President of the House of Deputies. We have also heard several religious and national leaders condemn this outrageous legislation.

In 2009 we have seen the rising of the Manhattan Declaration. One month later The Affirmation Declaration which is a compassionate Christian response to the Manhattan Declaration. The Affirmation Declaration now has 1,226 signatures and is awaiting many more.

In 2009 we saw the courageous National Equality March on October 11th that called on our leaders to advance LGBT Equality Legislation. We saw many national, organizational and religious leaders step up and call upon our national leaders to remember that LGBT people are equal people and we want nothing more than our equal rights protected and granted under the law. We have yet to see our national leaders take that call very seriously.

As we turn to 2010 I do believe one thing we will all have to watch out for is that the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) will work very hard to replace Governor's, State and Federal Legislators who side with LGBT Equality with those who will over turn marriage equality in States and the Nation. It will be up to LGBT people to speak up and make their voices heard.

As 2009 winds down and 2010 begins tomorrow how can we as LGBT Christians make a difference in the New Year? What pledges and opportunities and challenges will we face? How will we be willing to meet those challenges?

As we prepare to depart from 2009 I would like for us to remember that Jesus Christ was born as one like us to bring all who are on the margins of society into a place of justice and equality. Jesus came for those who have often had no name or face and gave them not only a name and face, but the very value, integrity and dignity with which God created them. This includes LGBT individuals. Our quest for equal rights protection under the law and freedom from religious oppression is a mission blessed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a call to people to recognize that everyone is a valuable member of society and should be given a place and opportunity to pursue love and happiness, without fear of the government in our homes or bedrooms. It will be important for LGBT people and their allies to continue to work hard to remind people that we are people like anyone else and we have gifts, love and talent to share with the world. We will have opportunities to help people who are coming out to find themselves and someone to love. We will have to deal with the issue of HIV/AIDS and other STD's. We will have to speak up for health care reform and the reform of the economy and the job market.

As we all move into 2010 let us remember to give thanks to God for all God has done to help us through this year. As for myself, this is the year I met my Partner, who is my lover, best friend and husband. This was the year that we fell in love with each other and began a life together and began facing all of those things that gay couples face. I will be forever grateful to God for bringing Jason into my life and for allowing me to know that I am loved by God through the love Jason and I share together. It is a love that knows we make mistakes, but overlooks them and works through the hard times and is always ready to celebrate what is good and holy and beautiful. 2009 was the year we found St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral and a whole new Christian Family within the Episcopal Church. We have made many new friends and we thank God for you all.

May 2010 bring you and your families and friends many blessings.

Amen.

Nothing Will Be Impossible With God

Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. " 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God." 36 "And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 38 Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

All of us have the experience of saying "yes" to a project and then when we start it we realized we got into more than we bargained for. A friend may have asked us for a couple hours of work to help move them. Yet, when we begin the task we realize they may have really meant about five hours of work, but perhaps they were too afraid to ask for that much time. In our attempt to be kind we just go along with it, while on the inside we might also be complaining.

Deciding about how to handle these situations is never easy. I am like most in that I've found myself in between situations and I have not always made the best decision. But, our God does give us the grace to keep getting up and trying.

I think one thing that we can all identify with is when we are asked to take on a task and we respond: "Oh, I am not sure I am the person to take care of that for you." The other person or people we may say that to, will twist our arm and become very pursuasive . Perhaps we agree to the project, or maybe we don't. But if most of us had the confidence in ourselves that God has in us we could turn the world upside down and back up right and the world would hardly be recognizable.

As with just about any thing, we cannot accomplish it on our own accord. God created us as social human beings who need the help of others. As Mary realized her own weakness in the call God was placing upon her to bear the Child Jesus, the Angel assured her by saying: "Nothing will be impossible with God." And notice how the Angel greets Mary in the very beginning: "The Lord is with you." Do we believe that God is with us and that with God nothing will be impossible?

Our world as we know it does not really welcome the idea of letting someone else help us to make things right. We have become over the years a self-reliant people. We now have cell phones, e-mail, the internet, remote controls for television, radio, air conditioner and x-boxes. While all of these things lead to self-reliance they also give consumerism all of it's power of pursuasion . Yet the bad side of it all is that we rely more on what we see to provide for us rather than on what we do not see. It's that St. Thomas in us that says: "If I do not see,,,,I will not believe" that we discussed yesterday.

God challenges Mary as God does today to take that leap of faith and to believe that with God nothing will be impossible, because God is with us in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Christians looking into 2010 with our United States Congress suggesting that they back off LGBT legislation so as to not upset the majority during the mid-term elections, LGBT individuals need to ask how we can help our national leaders understand why not leaving LGBT people as second class citizens of society is important. We need to be preparing ourselves to welcome the Christ-Child by also calling upon our religious and national leaders to recognize that all of us are individuals created in the image and likeness of God who is Creator, Servant and Life-Giver are also people who need our civil rights given and protected. This is why the Affirmation Declaration and the work of The Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force are so important.

As issues of heterosexism result in homophobia in families and churches the work of organizations such as PFLAG, Soul Force, Beyond Ex-Gay and Truth Wins Out (TWO) becomes all the more important. With the economy still barely recovering and money being so tight these and other organizations like it need help to keep their advocacy and help services active. This blog is not about asking for money and I won't do that, I will say that if we want to see LGBT people and organizations moving forward to help than LGBT related organizations and groups need to be remembered as much as possible. In helping other LGBT individuals we are helping Jesus in other LGBT individuals through the work of organizations such as these.

Apart for organizations, we ourselves have the power with our voices and our time to help bring about the reign of Christ on earth through our participation in the advance of LGBT people. The landscape for LGBT civil rights and being released from religious oppression will not happen by us doing it on our own. We need the help of God and we need the support of each other.

As we prepare for Christmas in another couple days, let us take time to pray about how we can prepare our hearts to welcome Christ by asking him to help us to know where we can make a difference in the world around us. And if we wonder how we will get it all done, let us remember that God is with us and with God, nothing will be impossible.

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, Page 815)

How Are We Investing Ourselves?

On this final Friday of Advent, one week before Christmas we are asked through the readings from the Divine Office to look at how we are investing what God has given us. In God's abundance all of us have been given something we can invest and multiply for the good of others. For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people giving of ourselves through our sexual orientations and/or gender expressions/identities can be dangerous but important work. Because LGBT people are often viewed as being "intrinsically disordered" just for being LGBT. Many people who are associated with the Catholic church and the religious right suggest that sexual orientation by itself is an addiction like alcoholism or drug abuse. They cannot see beyond the actual orientation, others stop at the door of our sexual relationships. Yet, for others like the 300,685 people who have signed onto the The Manhattan Declaration the idea of same-sex marriage is something that just cannot happen, lest the end of the world come. Lest those who have signed onto the Manhattan Declaration think they are the only one's who have invested their "talents" The Affirmation Declaration has grown to 1,128 signatures.

This mornings first Reading taken from the Prophet Zechariah reads: "The word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. Just as, when I called, they would not hear, so, when they called, I would not hear, says the LORD of hosts, and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and a pleasant land was made desolate." (7:8-14).

These past few days have been very, very disappointing with the United States Senate unable to come up with a public option or Medicare buy-in plan for health care reform. As I have said in the past, the health care reform debate has moved so far away from those who really do need health care reform. Instead the health care reform debate is about how the monopolizing health care companies can exploit this for their own benefit. Their lobby machines and tycoons have masterminded what can be seen as a criminal enterprise and the the US Government that includes conserva-dems and Republicans have been all too willing to go along with the plot. Lost in all of the discussion are the unemployed and under employed families, along with all of those families and individuals with health care needs that they can neither pay for, nor obtain without the loss of everything they own. This was an opportunity for our President and Congress to put their best feet forward and show that America is a better place, that really does take care of it's own people. The Obama Administration, and U.S. House of Representatives and Senate had the chance to show that the United States of America helps those on the very bottom work their way to being successful and healthy individuals. Yet, rather than focus on those who really do need what could have been health care through a public option, the entire debate has turned into a political mudslinging session where politics and lobbying machine like insurance companies with all the money to throw gets a bigger part of the pot. Clearly the politics of it all, is twisted as usual.

What I cannot get in all honesty was this Prayer Cast that was reported on by The Rachel Maddow Show last night. Right in the middle of the thing was people like Sam Brownback and Rep. Michele Bachmann (sadly from my own State of Minnesota) praying about squashing the health care reform bill over abortion. I have to say up until Rachel Maddow started showing clips of Lou Engl and many of the speeches he's made, I had never heard of him. However, the moment I saw his face and heard him speak and the kinds of things he said, I had a nightmarish vision in my mind of Adolf Hitler beginning a Nazi Socialist party all over again. And I know there has been a lot of "socialist" slinging at President Obama. After hearing Lou Engl, I really do think that the right wing has been the pot calling the kettle black way too long. I have a very big problem with people praying for a health care reform bill to fail that features many of our Republican Representatives, and Focus on the Families James Dobson calling in to denounce it based on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. Women's rights and the rights of LGBT individuals are to blame for holding much needed health care reform hostage because of a bunch of lies and self-centered presuppositions. I just cannot wrap my mind around the lack of "love thy neighbor as thyself" that was part of that "prayer cast". How terribly backwards and a complete contradiction to what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really about. And the sad part is, with our US. Senate increasingly unable to come to decent common ground over this health care reform bill, for many it appears that the prayers of the prayer cast are being answered. This issue is undoubtedly causing the faith of many to be shaken and challenged.

Over the last two weeks coming to the forefront of our news has been the anti-homosexuality bills in Uganda and now Rwanda. Apart from the Rachel Maddow Show, the rest of the news media has been all focused on Tiger Woods and his host of affairs and billions of dollars. I think two countries discussing imprisonment and the death penalty for homosexuals is a much bigger newsworthy priority. How is our nation and our world investing all the talents and opportunities that God has given them so as to help bring the reign of God's kingdom on earth?

How can LGBT people invest the "talents" God has given us in a world where being LGBT is still understood by many to be "intrinsically disordered?" How can LGBT Christians maintain their faith in God while it often appears as if our enemies are winning? Where do we see opportunities for investing the talents God has given us to help advance the cause for justice and equality not just for LGBT people but for all who are on the margins of society and the Church?

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (Prayer Attributed to St. Francis, Book of Common Prayer, Page 833).

Seeking God Amidst Conflict

As of today The Affirmation Declaration has acquired 1021 signatures. Let's see if we can make that number continue to grow.

Sometimes when we are in the middle of a conflict it can seem like no matter how correct our position is, the other person just is not going to give in. And many times the other person doesn't. These can be very difficult times when those conflicts happen to be about one's job, home, finances, civil rights or when confronting someone about their addiction problem. During these times it is easy to give in to frustration and anger. How many of us have found ourselves getting into a shouting match with someone and finally someone comes along and tells us to knock it off and go to our separate corners. At that point, are we more angry at the person who told us to go to our separate corners or more angry at the person who still doesn't get what we are saying? It can be all too easy in the midst of battling our feelings and opinions to forget that the other person is still a child of God and though they may not see things our way, they are still valuable people. Yet, even for the most secure and mature of persons, it can still be a challenge when there are so many mixed messages being exchanged.

Today's Gospel is full of mixed messages. Another prophecy of the end times by Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew 24:15-31 Jesus talks of "the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place" "nursing infants" and "great suffering." Yet there is evidence here that the writer of Matthew may have been referring to a number of different things. In the Collegeville Bible Commentary New Testament Volume it tells us: "The time of great tribulation will begin with the so-called abomination of desolation (v.15). That phrase originally referred to the attempt to set up an altar to Baal Shamen in the Jerusalem temple in 167 b.c.e (see Dan 9:27; 11:21, 12:11). It was probably used again with reference to the emperor Caligula's plan to have a statue of himself erected in the temple in A.D. 40. Perhaps Matthew identified it with the Roman profanation and destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 or with some still future event." (Page 896). Yet, the images Jesus gives here are very chilling. Where in the world is all of this going?

Well, I don't consider myself the greatest of Bible scholars though I have done my share of research and writing. But one thing I can relate to, sometimes when there is conflict at work seeking God in the middle of it is no easy task. When the world seems to be against us in terms of the economy, health care and wanting release from civil and/or religious oppression it can seem as if God is not as near as we would like God to be.

For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people we can feel all too betrayed especially by organized religion. I was thinking about this as I was praying through Psalm 41 during Morning Prayer today. "My enemies are saying wicked things about me; "When will (they) die and (their) name perish?" "Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words; their heart collects false rumors; they go outside and spread them. All my enemies whisper together about me and devise evil against me." "A deadly thing," they say, "has fastened on (them); (they have) taken to (their) bed and will never get up again." (Psalm 41: 5-7 with some adaptations).

I thought a lot about this in terms of how "The Family" and other anti-gay groups have masterminded the creation of the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda. As many have tried very hard to eradicate this horrible bill one of the comments that has come back is that the American LGBT community is accused of "trying to transport" the "gay agenda" to Uganda. Yet as we listen to all of the news reports it has become very clear that the anti-gay agenda via "The Family" and other anti-gay groups have been exporting a message of hating gay people to Uganda. My Christian Faith demands that I see them as children of God, however, I cannot not speak up and say that exporting hate and prejudice from one country to another is certainly not a Christian attitude. This is hardly preparing the world for the coming of the kingdom or the Christ-child when we inspire a fanatical witch-hunt on homosexuals in Uganda. Because according to Cynthia Black on Episcopal Life Online the witch-hunt is exactly what is going on. Gay and lesbian people in Uganda are living in at atmosphere of total fear at what could happen to them. And churches, political structures all over have spoken up, but others have remained way too quiet. It was reported that life imprisonment and the death penalty is being taken off the table, yet another report suggests that the individual who put those into the bill does not yet want to remove them. At what point does America take responsibility for how long heterosexism has lived in our society and American evangelicals take responsibility for exporting an anti-gay agenda? At what point do we not see that allowing things like DOMA and DADT to continue tells other nations that making anti-gay laws is a good thing? How is this related to a "desolate sacrilege?"

Because all people are created in the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. All people are loved by God. Yet, for whatever reason the door of unconditional love shared by many Christians stops at the door of sexual orientation and/or one's sexuality. As a result, many other countries where colonialism has influenced their culture many nations have enacted laws and cultural norms where being LGBT is more than just a "sin". For many nations laws to destroy homosexuals is considered the "right thing" to do. When organizations such as Exodus, Courage, NARTH and Richard Cohen's group treat homosexuality as a "disorder" they reduce a gay or lesbian persons image from a child of God, to a sick person. As such, many other nations create laws and church's develop spiritualities that are not in keeping with the Scriptures.

Today's Gospel challenges us to continue to raise our voices in respectful dialogue and opposition to any philosophies or laws that see LGBT people as anything less than a part of God's loving creation. There is no reason for any preacher or politician for that matter to not speak up about this absurdity that is being considered in Uganda. Here in the US, the LGBT Citizens must continue to pressure our President, Congress, our local State and City governments that the rights of LGBT people must be granted and protected. We must continue to call out ministers, priests, bishops and the Pope who often make statements about LGBT people in such a way that denigrates our lives and makes us less than who or what we are. We must do it respectfully, but we must be assertive and truthful even if it causes us even more problems. We must never be afraid to remind people that God put LGBT people here on earth to be part of preparing the world for the return of Christ.

God, the creator and preserver of all, we humbly beseech you for all sorts and conditions of people; that you would be pleased to make your ways known unto them, your saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for your holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please you to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, #2. For All Sorts and Conditions of People, Page 814).

Third Sunday of Advent: "Act With God's Justice and Love"

"Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more." (Zephaniah 3:14,15).

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).

All of this rejoicing going on here, one would think there is one big party about to take place. Well, Advent is the time of preparation to celebrate one incredible event the Incarnation of Jesus Christ through Mary. It is also a time to be preparing ourselves for the second coming of Christ. And so, there is a cause for rejoicing in what our Faith tells us. However, at times what our Faith tells us and what is happening in our lives can be two very different things. There are a lot of people who have lost their jobs and homes through this terrible economy. I bet they don't feel like rejoicing this Christmas. There are so many relationships that are fractured and broken. The LGBT people of Uganda are still not safe from the anti-homosexuality bill. I am sure they do not feel like God has defeated their enemies. Many LGBT members have been dismissed from serving in the armed forces due to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I am sure the news that repealing DADT being put off until 2011 does not make them feel like rejoicing. So how in the world can God be telling us to rejoice amidst so much mess.

In spite of all that human beings experience day in and day out God is still present amidst the messes and evils of the world. Circumstances in and of themselves can make us feel as if God is so far away. But that is because our feelings which God honors and works through often get in the way. We have to face our emotions of anger, depression, sadness and despair with God. I have had many times in my life when I have cried bitterly about something very distressing and very honestly asked God, where are you? If you are so merciful and gracious how come life just stinks? Only after I have spent some sincere time pouring out my heart to God and letting go of the sadness and bitterness is when God and I can finally work together to bring about some healing and joy back into my life.

God came to us in the Person of Christ in the midst of our mess and disgust. When Christ was born in the stable in Bethlehem, God did so much more than just become like one of us. In Christ, God came in the midst of our hurt, angry and violent world to tell us that God is with us in all things. Even when we do not see or think that God is there with us. And so, even when life can really stab us in the back, that is the time when God is often closest to us even when we do not see God there. When our faith is often shaken and seems like it has just disappointed us, it is then that God can reveal the most wonderful things about God's Self to us. And then that "Peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7).

Today's Gospel of Luke 3:7-14 is again about John the Baptist. John the Baptist is calling people to repent and follow a new way of justice. In today's Out in Scripture we read: "Luke 3:7-18 narrates a conflict between John the Baptist and the crowds who came out to hear him. Hold on a minute! Maybe it is not a conflict after all. John, who lives on the margins of society, tells the crowd that they must bear "fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8). This scene is recorded in Matthew 3:1-12 as well. In that scene, John addresses Pharisees and Sadducees, but in today’s text it is the entire crowd. In Matthew the tension of conflict is unalleviated, but in today’s passage the tension dissipates quickly. John challenges his hearers to act in ways that demonstrate that they have had a change of thinking. It is a challenge that faces us as well.

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people experience hypocrisy when they interact with those who believe that they are open and welcoming. They claim to embrace diversity, including sexual diversity, but they continue to acts in ways that perpetuate the marginalization of LGBT people. Church, in particular, can be a difficult place for LGBT people because it is often one of the places in our society where mixed messages are sent. One large African-American congregation, for example, claims to embrace all of God’s children, but silently refuses to perform a same-sex commitment ceremony, even though such ceremonies are allowed by the larger denomination. The verse "Bear fruits worthy of repentance" means that our practices must coincide with our rhetoric (Luke 3:8).

The crowd’s response to John’s challenge highlights the importance of practices: "What then should we do?" (Luke 3:10). This is the good news in today’s passage: there are people who are willing to bear fruits worthy of repentance. There are individuals and communities who are willing to respond to the gospel’s call for a transformed society. Although it will involve a careful examination of their attitudes and behaviors, they are willing to closely look at their lives for the sake of the new world it will create. Shively T.J. Smith comments, "In this passage from the gospel of Luke, the writer calls on hearers to reflect on why they respond as they do to God’s activities within the world." In today’s lesson these people are described as being in a state of "expectation" (Luke 3:15). They are excited because they are open to the movement of God. Shively adds, "Regardless of one’s socio-political standing, ethnicity and gender, we are called not only to believe in the coming of Christ, but to live our lives in such a way that reflects the just and compassionate love we experience in Christ." In the season of Advent, we celebrate the movement of God that transforms communities into welcoming places for LGBT individuals."

Today's Gospel for Gays has a slightly different look for LGBT People. "Is there a gay reading to this gospel?

I don’t think so. I think we’re all on the same level, all equal, that no one (even tax collectors) is excluded here. That in itself is a powerful message for gay people. We’re right there, in the expectant crowd, like anybody else.

Each of us who dares to await the coming of the Lord is one in hope, although each of us also has her own path.

And what matters is renewing our conversion – yet again.

Because that’s another difference between our situation and that of the people who flocked to meet the Baptist.

This is Advent. Advent begins again, every year. Once again, we open our hearts, our pockets, our surplus to our brothers and sisters. Once again, we turn to God in humility, seeking a deeper renewal.

And there’s no need to be afraid."

Where are we being asked to repent and experience conversion in our life? How is God asking us to act and make this world a better place for God's justice and love? How can we be like John the Baptist calling our world, church, community to a renewed understanding of God's all inclusive and unconditional love?

Loving God of creation, transform us.
Turn our words
into acts of your justice and love.
Turn points of conflict
into possibilities for coalition.
In the name of Jesus, Amen
The above prayer is also taken from today's Out in Scripture by the Human Rights Campaign.

Be Careful Who We Follow

As of the writing of this blog post The Affirmation Declaration has 933 signatures. It would be just great if that number could reach 1,000 signatures by tonight. Keep encouraging people to sign it.

I was a church music student at Eastern Nazarene College in 1991 when the first Gulf War started. It was a cold day in January and I was to play the organ in chapel. It was a day when the late Dr. Cecil Paul who was the President of the college spoke to the student body asking that we pray together as the nation was led into a war. The reaction by many of the students was one of confusion, fear and anger. Many of my friends were crying at the thought of their relatives going off to fight in the Gulf War. It was a very difficult day. The anti-war protests had started. The outrage was so loud. But the one thing that really stands out in my mind about that particular year was all of the apocalyptic literature that showed up that year. There was one book that was written and published about how Iraq is the location of the "Babylon" spoken of in the book of Revelation. There were Christian pastors and lay people who were standing on their soap boxes warning people that this was the year that Jesus Christ was going to come back and if you don't commit your lives to him at this very moment and the world should be destroyed, you will go to hell. I used to give in to some of that fear, until I realized that since the early days of the Christian Church people have been prophesying the return of Christ every time there is a war, major natural disaster and political up roar. The Second coming of Christ was prophesied at length that it was going to happen on January 1, 2000. Now it is being predicted for the year 2012 by that horrible movie. And look at all the preachers who are probably capitalizing on that. Yet, the fact is, no one really knows exactly when Jesus Christ will return.

The second coming of Christ is a component of the Christian Faith. In the Eucharistic prayers we pray "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." (Eucharistic Prayer A, Book of Common Prayer, Page 363). In Eucharistic Prayer B we pray: "We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;". (Page 368) In the Nicene Creed we pray: "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end." (Page 359). In the famous Apostle's Creed we pray: "He will come again to judge the living and the dead." (Page 96). So Christ's return is an important belief of the Christian Faith. There are those who believe that when we die, that is when Christ has come back. Others believe that there will be an ending of all things as we know it. Yet, it is amazing that as soon as a war breaks out, a major pandemic for example AIDS, or any major natural disaster like Global Warming it is predicted by Christians that this means that Christ is coming back and the end is near.

The problem with all of this is that while in Matthew's Gospel 24:1-14 Jesus does give many warnings about what might happen, he also tells us to be very careful about who we follow. In verse 36 of this same chapter Jesus said: "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." It is a huge problem for most every day folks when we hear of preachers claiming to know the return of the Lord when Jesus himself said that even the Son does not know. And it is really a difficulty when preachers from the religious right make statements about passing gay rights laws as somehow indicating that Christ will someday return and throw America or the Episcopal Church into the fires of hell. We can get all wound up in the events and the moment of Christ's return, and in the process we forget what we are here to do and what the mission of Christians is really about. Remember Jesus' "Inauguration Address?" The mission of Christ is the mission of every Baptized person. To "to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,," (Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1). These are the tasks that we are called to do in our time.

There is undoubtedly so much to really do especially when it comes to letting the oppressed go free. Though we recently heard that the death penalty and life imprisonment may have been taken out of the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda, the threat to LGBT Ugandan's is far from over. Last night in London at The Ugandan Embassy there was a protest about the anti-gay bill in Uganda. However in an opinion column in Episcopal Life Online Cynthia Black wrote a piece on behalf of gay and transgendered Ugandans that "We Are Not Safe." "The witch hunt has begun and will only get worse," said another friend, who asked to remain anonymous." "As the Ugandan Parliament considers anti-homosexuality legislation that could require the execution of some gay and lesbian people, I can't help but wonder what it will take for the cries of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender folks in Uganda to be heard. Who will act to stop it? What will the role of the church be?

Will stories of the executions of LGBT Ugandans be reported by the local media, since it could be considered, in the words of the bill, "promotion of homosexuality" to write about it in any way considered sympathetic to the accused? What journalist will dare to cover it and risk three years in prison? Friends in Uganda tell me that they are afraid no attorneys will be willing to represent gay people for fear that their defense might be similarly interpreted."

"But even without the passage of this terrible law, life is dangerous for our LGBT brothers and sisters in Uganda. The Ugandan penal code already provides for life imprisonment for crimes "against the order of nature." Gay and transgender people are being arrested and detained without charge and then made an example of by harassment and torture.

"Houses are raided. Jobs are lost. Lives are destroyed," Victor Mukasa, founder of Sexual Minorities Uganda, told me in a phone call recently. "The new law says that people who are disabled and those with HIV do not deserve to be loved."

Under the proposed legislation, as it read in mid-December, the "crime" of loving a disabled person of the same sex, or someone with HIV, is "aggravated homosexuality" and punishable by death.

The bill includes a requirement that all Ugandans report within 24 hours anyone they know to be homosexual. Failure to do so can result in a three-year prison sentence. Not unlike the Rwandan genocide, neighbors will be reporting on neighbors, and, in this case, parents will be required to report their own children. The Rev. Tracy Longacre, a deacon working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, worries that "every schoolgirl who doesn't want to marry her father's elderly neighbor is at risk of being reported as a lesbian, and every boy who is too sensitive risks his life if he is friends with another boy."

"The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have condemned the anti-homosexuality bill, as have other churches, church-related organizations and human rights groups. While the Archbishop of Canterbury reportedly has been working behind the scenes, I wonder at what point he will be willing to say something publicly. When the bill passes? When the first gay person is condemned? When the first gay person is executed?

And if he does speak out, will it be too late for my friend Denis, a good Anglican? Even if the death penalty provision in the bill is removed, there is enough left in the legislation to increase and intensify the climate of fear, effectively terrorizing members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, leaving them ripe for genocide."

How can we help deliver from oppression the LGBT citizens of Uganda? Could groups of us write to President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton? Could we write our Senators and Congress leaders asking for a joint Congressional Statement? Could we ask our Pastors, Rectors, Bishops, leaders to speak out about this issue from their pulpits? Could we write letters to the editors of local newspapers? If you are someone who also writes a blog, can you write some more so others will hear more about how awful this bill is?

Today, the Gospel warns us about who to follow. We know from watching the Rachel Maddow Show that following voices like Rick Warren can lead us down so many paths other than the one we should be on. We must also demand that voices like those coming from "The Family" be held accountable for their reckless use of God's Name. We must also hold accountable ex-gay groups that have influenced this kind of thing, and be sure they hold themselves accountable. But we must also not neglect our own calling from the Inauguration Address of Jesus Christ who calls us to help set captives free. The call of our Baptism and our decision to follow Jesus Christ is a call to see the injustice done to these people, as well as all LGBT people around the world. Our voice for those who find it difficult to speak up for themselves must never be silenced.

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, #36 For the Oppressed, Page 826.)

How Do We Console the Weeping Jesus Over Our World?

We celebrate today that The Affirmation Declaration has reached 868 signatures and counting. Please continue to encourage others to sign.

The Gospel reading from today's Divine Office is taken from Matthew chapter 23: 27-39. After another set of woes and Jesus calling the Pharisees hypocrites for the blood of countless Prophets for whom they associate their heritage, Jesus then weeps over the state of Jerusalem. The Collegeville Bible Commentary New Testament Volume tells us that Jesus is weeping over the impending destruction of Jerusalem that was to happen by the Romans in 70 AD. (See page 895). Jesus was weeping over Jerusalem due to the lack of acceptance that he and other prophets had found in trying to convey the reality of what was going on. The poor and the marginalized had been forgotten. The stranger (the one's who were different) were not welcomed. Many who were in need of help from the religious and civil authorities were much too time consuming to be bothered with. Sadly, this does not sound too much unlike what is going on in our own time. Do you think Jesus weeps as much over what is happening in our time as he did over Jerusalem?

We live in very difficult times. The news about health care reform in the United States Senate continues to be every so depressing. It still appears that the wealthy insurance companies with all the money and power to lobby are being listened to far more than the needs of those who really do need health care. Just yesterday it was reported that health-care stocks rose after Democrats announced that they would consider dropping the public option in health care reform. There are so many uncertainties in the health care reform debate. We are very happy to hear that they are considering expanding medicare for people age 55 and up. However, new reports suggest that there are plenty of groups that the compromised Senate Health Care Bill loopholes will not cover. Many people are beginning to ask the frightening question if you can't save everyone, who can you save? What ever happened to America being the land of "equal opportunity"? On the Statue of Liberty it reads: "Give us your tired, your poor..." Yet, are we inviting the tired and poor to come to our nation only to be left to be sick and die because they cannot afford medical coverage? Do you think this is something that Jesus weeps over? In Matthew 25:21 to 46 we read of the judgment of the Nations, where Jesus said: "I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then you will answer, 'Lord, when was it that that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me."

How about the issue of the stranger? In the outstanding First Run Features documentary film For the Bible Tells Me So Rev. Irene Monroe while commenting on the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah remarks about how she often travels to New England cities and towns where a black, lesbian woman is not welcomed, and how that is the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah being played out in the 21st Century. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah (see Genesis 18:16 to 19:29) is not homosexuality as so many Christian fundamentalists would suggest. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was a lack of hospitality shown to strangers. If people who come to our land as immigrants have to fight so hard to gain their status before they can live in a home, work and get health care, if anyone who lives here who is sick cannot get health care and if African Americans and other national minorities and LGBT people cannot have their civil rights granted and protected by the laws of our nation, then how does our nation of "equal opportunity" expect to stand under the judgment of God? Where is the commitment of liberty and justice for all, from a nation where evangelicals travel to a place like Uganda and encourage an anti-homosexuality bill that could have included life-imprisonment and the death penalty?

And let us not leave the violation of human rights and oppression just to the nations of the world. We cannot forget how lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals continue to be oppressed by religious right groups like the National Organization for Marriage and the over 200,000 people who have signed onto the Manhattan Declaration. Look at all the controversy that the election of Bishop-elect Mary Glasspool is causing throughout the Anglican Communion. Newspapers from The Los Angeles Times to The Guardian UK are covering the reaction of Bishop-elect Glasspool's election. Reaction to Canon Glasspool's election to Suffragan Bishop of Los Angeles is hardly concerned with her outstanding work as a Priest and Canon to the Bishop in her current Diocese that qualifies her to win the election in the LA Diocese. The concern is over her sexual orientation and her twenty year faithful relationship to her wife and whether that is a "good example" to other Christians. Considering the state of many heterosexual marriages, I should think that a qualified Priest who has been in a marriage of 20 years with another woman would serve as an incredible Christian witness. How twisted and evil that her sexual orientation is taking up so much attention by people with non-inclusive opinions. I think Jesus does weep over issues like this, and the Holy Spirit truly pleads for a new order and understanding of how God works through all kinds of people.

How are Christians called to console the weeping Jesus? As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas through Advent, how are we trying to change our present culture? How do we make our nation and the Church a better place to welcome Jesus who is sick in the person without health care, the stranger who is of a different race or ethnicity or of a different sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression? How do we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child in a world where violence, oppression, discrimination and poverty appear to be all too much of a reality?

As long as we live in the time we are in, we have the opportunity to speak up for those whom society and the Church looks at as second class citizens. We can always call our legislators and demand that they remember the one's who are really in need of health care reform. We can sign petitions and group letters. We can take part in organizations such as Health Care for America NOW!, The Charter for Compassion, Integrity USA, The Chicago Consultation, The Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities, Lutherans Concerned, Soul Force, The Human Rights Campaign, and The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. There is always much more we can do when we show our strength in numbers. We must never, never excuse injustice and allow it to go unchallenged. It is never too late to begin using our voices, our talents, treasures and time to help those including ourselves build a better world for Jesus to live in. Where will we begin consoling the weeping Jesus today?

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, #36 For the Oppressed, Page 826.)

How Are We Building Bridges to God's Love In Difficult Times?

Two incredible pieces of news have been shared in the last 24 hours. I will start with the newest and that is the Affirmation Declaration has reached a total of 786 signatures. Please continue to encourage others to sign it. Secondly, as of last night the Ugandan Parliament had announced that it will be removing the punishment of life imprisonment and the death penalty from it's Anti-homosexuality bill. The bad news is that the Ugandan Parliament that is under the influence of several religious leaders one of whom is the Anglican Bishop of Uganda to punish people who are gay and who choose to exercise their sexuality. While we are happy with the news that Uganda will not punish by imprisonment and the death penalty, we remain rightly concerned that any government or church would encourage the idea of putting in prison for any length of time someone because of their sexual orientation and their choice to love someone in the way God created them to. I wish to acknowledge in particular the work of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC who has been covering this issue for the last two weeks with honest reporting and analysis. Let us continue to pray and advocate for those who continue to live under this threat. May we never settle for anything less than equal rights and protection in our own country and others for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.

The motto for The Affirmation Declaration is "Serving Christ, Building Bridges, Defending Love." I think that is what Jesus was doing in his many woes to the Pharisees in the Gospel of Matthew 23:13 to 26. Jesus is giving his stern warnings and down right angry at the religious leaders of his day for their hypocrisy of how they refuse to be instruments of God's love. Jesus speaks very directly to how the Pharisees lock everyone including themselves out of God's kingdom. Jesus is angry because love of neighbor has apparently taken a back seat and for the Pharisees their precious "reputation" and prestige has proven more important. Jesus is down right angry and he scolds them harshly.

Among the many things that I am awestruck at is how Jesus is very loving and healing of those who are marginalized such as the hungry four or five thousand, the adulterous woman, the Canaanite woman, the prostitutes and the lepers. To those who really come to Jesus in need of a Savior and looking to trust in God, Jesus is so very close and compassionate and merciful. But those such as the Pharisees who have it all together through the following of the law, Jesus strongly scolds them. He scolds them not so much for following the law, but for neglecting their duties to those who have been treated as outcasts by the religious establishment. All through out the Gospel stories, Jesus has been demonstrating to the religious leaders that God is closest to the outcast, the lost, the second class citizens of society and the Church. But the Pharisees are all concerned about the laws and how Jesus threatens their comfort zones.

How is Jesus challenging our comfort zones today? Is Jesus calling LGBT Christians to be a voice for themselves and others who are seen as second class citizens by society and the Church? Are Episcopalians being called by Jesus to speak up to the Archbishop of Canterbury and tell him that it is wrong to not speak up about Uganda's Anti-homosexuality bill yet, publicly call out the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for the election of Bishop-Elect Mary Glasspool? Is God challenging the Episcopal Church to continue to shake things up?

Jesus Christ was someone who shook things up. Christianity that does not shake some people up is not doing it's job. In his book "In the Eye of the Storm" Bishop Gene Robinson in talking about the parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37), writes: "The real challenge of this story is whether or not we want to be admirers of Jesus or disciples of Jesus. It's easy to admire Jesus, to think he was a nifty guy with wonderful, worthy ideas. Following Jesus, being his disciple, is a whole lot harder. Doing the work of ministry and doing justice--getting into Gospel trouble--is what we are meant to do. That's what makes disciples out of us." (Page 126). Jesus is challenging the Pharisees as he is challenging the Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury and all of us, do we want to really be disciples of Jesus or do we simply want to admire him? Being disciples of Jesus will require us to be friends of the friendless, to love people who are second class citizens and to speak up when injustice is being promoted. Being disciples of Jesus requires us to love the unlovable. In our case, LGBT people are unloved by right winged Christians. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means that we "serve Christ" and "build bridges" by "defending love" as The Affirmation Declaration states so beautifully. Jesus is calling all of us to be bridge builders and to defend the love of God for LGBT people and the love that LGBT people share within our relationships.

How are LGBT Christians building those bridges and defending our love? This is especially the case for many LGBT people who have understandably given up on Christianity and all forms of organized religion. The anti-gay statements of everyone from Pope Benedict to Rowan Williams and the Anglican Bishop of Uganda are enough to make any good minded person turn away from Jesus and the Church. However, what poorly informed people do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in regards to LGBT individuals, we do not have to accept nor agree with them. The Episcopal Church is an autonomous body that is in no way bound to the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury. We also do not have to let their own poor example of the Gospel affect our own resolve to follow Jesus Christ by accepting who we are and being the followers of Jesus Christ that we are called to be. If we happen to live the Gospel better than those who accuse us of violating the Scriptures than so be it. If we happen to win some people over to a renewed understanding of homosexuality and the Bible than our suffering is worth it. If some people make the choice to continue to be anti-gay that is not our fault. Nor should we let them dictate what our faith in God and Jesus should be.

I read the most wonderful article yesterday. Columnist Richard Morison wrote a column entitled: "Nothing but sex please, we’re vicars . . ." In his column he writes "What Christ did apparently say (and, as a soundbite, it’s as potent as anything from the silver tongue of Barack Obama) is: “Let him without sin cast the first stone”. Let’s recall the context. A bunch of zealots were about to stone to death a woman for adultery (they would pick on the woman, naturally). Christ was asked if he would approve this punishment, since it was laid down in the law of Moses. It was a trick question, of course. He neatly sidestepped it. Instead he turned the moral searchlight on the zealots. Such was the force of his argument, we are told, that the persecutors decided to slink off and leave the woman alone.

To me, that’s a clear indication of what Christianity should not be: spiteful and punitive, especially in the field of sex. That’s not a licence for licentiousness (after all, Christ told the woman to “go and sin no more” — quite a challenge!). But it does send a signal that the Church, and society at large, has no business prying into private lives, unless there are compelling signs (child abuse, domestic violence) that someone is being harmed.

Yet the impression gathered by the outside world is that prying into people’s sexuality, and discussing it endlessly, is what the Church’s leading lights do all day. Never mind their core business of saving souls. To judge from some of their public statements, it’s as if the evils of the modern world — genocidal wars, Third World exploitation, grinding poverty, abandoned children and old people — are minor issues compared to the vital matter of whether the new deputy bishop of Los Angeles cuddles her girlfriend at home."

I think Jesus is challenging all of us to put the Gospel back into it's proper place. It is about serving those who need to hear how much God loves them and how we are to play a role in helping people know that. How are we playing our role in "serving Christ, building bridges and defending love"?

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, page 101).

Do LGBT Christians Exercise Humility?

I am happy to report that thus far The Affirmation Declaration has 610 signatures and growing. If you read my blog and you have not yet added your signature to this wonderful declaration of Faith and inclusion, please do and invite others to as well.

At the end of our Gospel reading today Jesus says: "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." (See Mt.23:1-12). This verse has significance for me, because I am an Oblate of St. Benedict. In his Rule for Monks, St. Benedict dedicates chapter 7 to humility. St. Benedict invites us to set up a ladder which St. Benedict equates with the ladder that Jacob saw angels ascending and descending (see Genesis 28:12). "Without doubt, this descent and ascent can signify only that we descend by exaltation and ascend by humility. Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, if we humble our hearts the Lord will raise it to heaven." (Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 7, Page 32). Not all people are called to be monks living such a strict life and understanding of humility. However, humility is something that all of us are called to at one point or another. In light of what this blog is about, I want to talk a little about what humility is and is not for LGBT Christians.

Humility for LGBT Christians is not denying our sexual orientation. Humility is also not participating in an ex-gay ministry. Last night Rachel Maddow did an interview with Richard Cohen whose work has unfortunately been responsible for encouraging the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda. Participating in a group that seeks to change the essence of our sexuality is not humility. It is also not humility to allow someone like Richard Cohen or Fr. Paul Check of The Courage "Apostolate" to suggest things like NARTH which recommends reparative or "change" therapies for the "treatment" of homosexuality. Contrary to their own opinions asking God to "change" what he has beautifully and "fearfully made" (Psalm 139:14) is not a humble thing. Not when it is followed by attitudes of suicide and self loathing or even self righteousness which is the total opposite of humility. Humility for LGBT Christians is also not refraining from healthy, loving, and committed relationships. Humility is not listening to the Pope say LGBT individuals and our sexual acts are "intrinsically disordered." (Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 2357, Page 567).

Humility does involve a sense of self acceptance and a healthy understanding of our responsibilities to ourselves and other people. Humility includes a willingness to confront the fact that many Christians including Courage, Richard Cohen, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Peter LaBarbera and Maggie Gallagher do lie and distort who and what LGBT individuals are. Humility is our "humble" acceptance that we are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgendered and God is madly in love with who and what we are. We have every right to celebrate that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). Our humility as LGBT Christians understands that God has given us an incredible gift in our sexuality and that gift is to be used to celebrate how much God loves us and how much God wants us to love others. One of the best Catholic Priests I ever knew taught me that I have to love other people the way God created me to love them, to do anything other than is to deny God's call in my life.

Humility admits when we've made mistakes. Humility tells someone that we've hurt that we are sorry. Humility tells someone who is being untruthful about homosexuality and Christianity that they are not correct. Humility stands up and calls on religious leaders and our politicians to defend the civil rights of LGBT individuals. Humility tells us to call out Evangelical and Catholic leaders who use their religious "authority' to commit Spiritual violence towards LGBT people. Humility is interested in how HIV/AIDS continues to impact the world and there is not enough done about it. Humility accepts when we are rightfully angry with those who continue religious and political oppression of LGBT people and calls them to enact laws of justice and equality. Contrary to popular belief Pride parade gatherings are actually very humble and peaceful ways for the LGBT community to come together and call on people to recognize us as more than second class citizens.

Humility also understands that like all people who stand up for those who are marginalized in society and even the Church that we will often be persecuted by those who claim to be Christian. Jesus Christ was hated by the religious establishment of his day for being closest to those who were perceived as being the outcasts of society and the Church. It is an ironic fact of life that even in the Church those who work hard to do the right thing are more marginalized than those who are marginalized. Jesus Christ was accused of being friends of the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners, because he was their best friends. He put a valuable face on them, when the religious establishment of his time put them outside of the worshiping community. While the religious establishment exalted themselves by demanding respect for the fact that they knew how to recite the laws, sat at the front tables at banquets and got the respect of people in the streets, Jesus who was God's perfect revelation spent his time bringing into God's Church those who had been regarded as worthless. As much as LGBT Christians need to continue the work of justice and equality, to be delivered from religious and political oppression, we should also consider ourselves blessed to share in the life of Jesus Christ as we do. By standing up for the truth, we are rebuked as was Jesus. By calling people see us as more than second class citizens, we are responded to as if we are less than second class citizens as was Jesus. When we act to bring attention to the issue of HIV/AIDS we are seen as associating with the "worms" of society, as was Jesus. So, see, we are in the right place.

We are invited today to be people of faith, hope and love. God calls on each and every person in the Church to be instruments of God's peace and humility. The Church is a place of God's inclusive love of everyone, with no one to be excluded from membership or service of God's people. All people including LGBT Christians are called to live holy lives through daily prayer and service to establish a society of justice and equality for all of God's children. How are we exercising humility in our work for justice and equality in the Church and society?

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, #62 A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis, Page 833).

The Work of Love is the Work of Justice and Equality

Today's Gospel is a familiar story. However, today's Gospel is one that is often read and lived as lip service when it comes to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. The Pharisees came and asked him: "What is the greatest commandment" in Matthew chapter 22:34-40. Jesus answered that the greatest commandment is: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Mt. 22:37-39). If we were to quote this Gospel to some fire breathing evangelistic preacher they would say "Amen." But all charity and love of neighbor tends to stop with someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered.

Yesterday was an exciting day for LGBT Christians. Because a group of progressive Christians answered the infamous Manhattan Declaration with the now absolutely awesome Affirmaton Declaration. A group of Christians have answered the call to love God and neighbor by declaring that God's unconditional love extends to LGBT individuals and families. The front page of the Affirmation Declaration states: "The Affirmation Declaration is a statement that expresses the convictions of Christians all over the world. It was written in response to the now famous Manhattan Declaration, to correct egregious errors contained in the document, errors that have been preached in the pulpits of many local churches for far too long.

With the growing notoriety and support for the Manhattan Declaration, our Affirmation Declaration reflects an urgent need to respond to the portion of the Manhattan Declaration dealing with issues related to sexual orientation—specifically, homosexuality and same-sex marriage. We strongly disagree with the contention that same-sex attractions and the oft-resulting romantic activities are immoral.

Because of the large number of people affected by this serious issue one way or the other, we felt it expedient to respond formally, both by submitting our Declaration to the drafters of the Manhattan Declaration, as well as by releasing our Declaration to the public, allowing Christians to show their support for love and affirmation, just as so many have shown their support for the propagation of false doctrines of oppression and inequality against the GLBTI (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgered, and Intersex) community.

We also desire to let the world know that not all Christians are locked in what we believe to be an ancient worldview regarding homosexuality. We want to give people hope—hope to know that God loves them just as they are; hope to know that their gay loved ones are not destined for Hell; hope to know that although some Christian churches will never accept them or their same-sex unions, a great many will.

May the signatures we garner serve as a fire that will never burn out, lighting the way through the darkness of bad theology, and setting Christ's Church back on the right track as it relates to matters of sexual and gender orientation, and gender identity."

A careful reading of the document will show that people who believe in God's saving grace in Jesus Christ understand that the doors of compassion and inclusiveness do not stop at the door of one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. However, we have a lot of work to do. The Manhattan Declaration has over 200,000 signatures. However, just in less than 24 hours the Affirmation Declaration has a total of 344 signatures and we need even more to please sign.

I am ever so lifted up by this wonderful action. I say that, because we know that same-sex marriage and homosexuals all over the world continue to be under attack from people who call themselves Christians. The incredible work of organizations such as Soul Force, Beyond Ex-Gay, and Truth Wins OUT (TWO) have been working hard to expose much of the spiritual violence and pastoral abuse that LGBT people experience at the hands of followers of Jesus Christ. It is imperative that those Christians who believe in Jesus Christ and God's unconditional love for LGBT people bring their voices forward and demonstrate that the anti-gay Christian voices are not the only one's with a loud voice. The commandments to love God and our neighbor call us to this great work.

It is never enough to pay God lip service. It is never enough to read nice Bible verses, sing beautiful music and/or enjoy magnificent Liturgy. As I have been saying those things remain mere abstractions when we do not use what we do in those things to live out our birth right in our Baptism. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to witness to the outpouring love of Jesus Christ through care and service to those on the margins of society. And where we LGBT people live on those margins through discrimination and prejudice often at the hands of Christians, we owe it to ourselves and to God to speak up for ourselves and other LGBT individuals who are constantly victimized by religion.

The Affirmation Declaration is an opportunity to help prepare the world for the arrival of Jesus. Because we help to advance the kingdom of God by helping others to extend God's love beyond their comfort zones and help them understand that there are people that the religious and political establishments keep pushed to the side while others are always kept front and center. This is an opportunity to call Christians and others who follow Jesus with the understanding that all are created in the image and likeness of God and that the redemption Jesus Christ won for all God's people through his death and resurrection includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people without asking them to "give up" who we are.

Help advance the kingdom of God's justice and inclusiveness today by signing the The Affirmation Declaration and ask others to sign it too.

God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, For the Human Family, Page 815).

Sign the Affirmation Declaration

My Blog readers will remember the deadly Manhattan Declaration that was signed by religious right leaders opposing same-sex marriage.

Thanks be to God a group of progressive affirming Christians have come together to create The Affirmation Declaration a group that supports LGBT people as created in the image and likeness of God. The declaration also calls for people to support same-sex marriage and to do so on the premise that Jesus Christ is the Lord of both the living and the dead,and calls all people to justice and equality on behalf of those who are marginalized due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Please add your signature to this document and encourage the signature of others.