One of the things the Lord led us to during the Fall Renewal at our church last weekend was that we needed to focus more on posting worship at Straight, Not Narrow. You will see the next step toward that tomorrow, when we will have nothing but posts with live church services following our traditional Sunday Worship aggregate post at 6:00 AM.
At this time, we have nine independent affirming churches that broadcast live video streams over the Internet. The first two start at 11:00 AM est, while the last one begins at 9:00 PM est with several others falling in-between. These nine churches encompass several different styles so we be believe we are offering a variety of worship experiences hoping you will find at least one to bless you.
We want to remind you that we do not post these an a substitute for attending church and participating worship, but we do believe that for those unable or just not ready at this time to visit a church that we are offering a valuable alternative.
We are also going to experiment with how we present our LGBT news stories. We'll be presenting a daily digest from the sites that feed into our news aggregator on the right hand side of our home page starting Monday morning. We hope you like it.
We appreciate your feedback on these and future changes, be it positive or negative. We seek to present information in the most interesting and useful manner for our regular readers and so that it might attract new ones.
Thanks and God bless,
Jim and Brenda
November 14, 2009
Encouraging Words 11/14/09-Cardboard Testimonies
If you were standing by the side of the road holding a sign, what would you want it to say about you? That's the topic of this video from the Glory Tabernacle Christian Center in Long Beach, CA. Watch and be blessed as people show what God has done in their lives.
Matthew 25 Resource 11/14/09-Danville House of Hope (VA)
Danville House of Hope proudly welcomes your friendship and support for the "House of Hope" homeless shelter. The facility serves homeless people from any gender, race, young or old in the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Martinsville.
Located in the heart of Southside Virginia, the House of Hope demonstrates kindness and goodwill to our area homeless people. We provide safe overnight stay, hot meals, and a variety of support services. Professional counseling is available.
Concerned citizens from around the region are lending their special skills and resources towards a better solution for Danville’s homeless population. We thank all members and volunteers for your continued support. If you would like to donate or volunteer, contact Steve Anderson, Director - House of Hope.
Click here to find out more.
Located in the heart of Southside Virginia, the House of Hope demonstrates kindness and goodwill to our area homeless people. We provide safe overnight stay, hot meals, and a variety of support services. Professional counseling is available.
Concerned citizens from around the region are lending their special skills and resources towards a better solution for Danville’s homeless population. We thank all members and volunteers for your continued support. If you would like to donate or volunteer, contact Steve Anderson, Director - House of Hope.
Click here to find out more.
Are Clergy's Rights Being Violated By Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage?
That's the question a "PFLAG dad" named Ron Goetz is asking. He is proposing a lawsuit based on that premise. Here is the story posted on Cross Left:
Turning the Tables on the Bigots
Here is an interesting approach. Ronald Goetz, a "Proud PFLAG Dad" is proposing a lawsuit on behalf of clergy and churches whose rights are being violated because they cannot perform marriages for same-gender couples. This is a turn the tables approach on those Christians who argue that marriage equality somehow violates their freedom of religion. What do you think? Mr. Goetz is looking for advice and input.
"Proposed Class-Action Lawsuit on Behalf of Churches and Ordained Clergy Because of the Violation of their First Amendment Right to Free Exercise of Religion"
There are many denominations that are on record as supporting Marriage Equality and want to marry same-sex couples as a matter of religious faith.
There are thousands of Open and Affirming congregations nationwide that support Marriage Equality and want to marry same-sex couples as a matter of religious faith.
There are additional thousands of ordained clergy who want to marry same-sex couples because of their religious faith.
The first amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Congress includes state and local jurisdictions, which cannot violate your civil rights either.
Thousands of churches and ordained clergy are being denied the free exercise of their religion in violation of their first amendment right.
I urge that this violation of the constitution be resisted through a class-action lawsuit, or some other appropriate vehicle. We are also guaranteed the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
I would like responsible parties (clergy, denominational officials, attorneys) and enthusiastic supporters to contact me. I need input, encouragement, and pro bono advice.
Please contact me at kings.lgbt [at] hotmail [dot] com and let me know what you think. Thanks!
And please forward this to anyone you think might be interested.
Ronald Goetz
Proud PFLAG Dad
(Above courtesy of Rev. John Shuck of shuckandjive.org)
We are very skeptical that this is a viable approach but nonetheless applaud Mr. Goetz for thinking outside the box. What do you think?
Turning the Tables on the Bigots
Here is an interesting approach. Ronald Goetz, a "Proud PFLAG Dad" is proposing a lawsuit on behalf of clergy and churches whose rights are being violated because they cannot perform marriages for same-gender couples. This is a turn the tables approach on those Christians who argue that marriage equality somehow violates their freedom of religion. What do you think? Mr. Goetz is looking for advice and input.
"Proposed Class-Action Lawsuit on Behalf of Churches and Ordained Clergy Because of the Violation of their First Amendment Right to Free Exercise of Religion"
There are many denominations that are on record as supporting Marriage Equality and want to marry same-sex couples as a matter of religious faith.
There are thousands of Open and Affirming congregations nationwide that support Marriage Equality and want to marry same-sex couples as a matter of religious faith.
There are additional thousands of ordained clergy who want to marry same-sex couples because of their religious faith.
The first amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Congress includes state and local jurisdictions, which cannot violate your civil rights either.
Thousands of churches and ordained clergy are being denied the free exercise of their religion in violation of their first amendment right.
I urge that this violation of the constitution be resisted through a class-action lawsuit, or some other appropriate vehicle. We are also guaranteed the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
I would like responsible parties (clergy, denominational officials, attorneys) and enthusiastic supporters to contact me. I need input, encouragement, and pro bono advice.
Please contact me at kings.lgbt [at] hotmail [dot] com and let me know what you think. Thanks!
And please forward this to anyone you think might be interested.
Ronald Goetz
Proud PFLAG Dad
(Above courtesy of Rev. John Shuck of shuckandjive.org)
We are very skeptical that this is a viable approach but nonetheless applaud Mr. Goetz for thinking outside the box. What do you think?
Daily Devotional 11/14/09 The Passion of Patience
From: My Utmost for His Highest
"Though it tarry, wait for it." Habakkuk 2:3
Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He "endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible." A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure, and the power to endure is there because you see God.
"Though it tarry, wait for it." The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. "What shall I render unto the Lord?" said the Psalmist. "I will take the cup of salvation." We are apt to look for satisfaction in ourselves - "Now I have got the thing; now I am entirely sanctified; now I can endure." Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing; if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of relaxation spiritually.
"Though it tarry, wait for it." Habakkuk 2:3
Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He "endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible." A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure, and the power to endure is there because you see God.
"Though it tarry, wait for it." The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. "What shall I render unto the Lord?" said the Psalmist. "I will take the cup of salvation." We are apt to look for satisfaction in ourselves - "Now I have got the thing; now I am entirely sanctified; now I can endure." Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing; if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of relaxation spiritually.
November 13, 2009
Encouraging Words 11/13/09-Clarity on the Term "Abomination"
Pastor Charles Curtiss, Pastor of The ONE Church in Dallas, TX, has put together what he calls a "video tract" where he clarifies exactly what the term "abomination" really means and why it doesn't apply to homosexuals.
"Straight Talk" About Homosexuality - ABOMINATION?
Pastor Charles | MySpace Video
"Straight Talk" About Homosexuality - ABOMINATION?
Pastor Charles | MySpace Video
Catholic Church Gives Washington D. C. An Ultimatum on Same-Sex Marriage
From the Washington Post:
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.
Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.
Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.
"If the city requires this, we can't do it," Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. "The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."
Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.
The clash escalates the dispute over the same-sex marriage proposal between the council and the archdiocese, which has generally stayed out of city politics.
Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington's homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers.
"All of those services will be adversely impacted if the exemption language remains so narrow," Jane G. Belford, chancellor of the Washington Archdiocese, wrote to the council this week.
The church's influence seems limited. In separate interviews Wednesday, council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." Another council member, David A. Catania (I-At Large), said he would rather end the city's relationship with the church than give in to its demands.
"They don't represent, in my mind, an indispensable component of our social services infrastructure," said Catania, the sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill and the chairman of the Health Committee.
The standoff appears to be among the harshest between a government and a faith-based group over the rights of same-sex couples. Advocates for same-sex couples said they could not immediately think of other places where a same-sex marriage law had set off a break with a major faith-based provider of social services.
So remind me again why public funding is given to religious organizations? Here's a painful example of why that is a bad idea.
Click here to read the rest of the article from the Post.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.
Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.
Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.
"If the city requires this, we can't do it," Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. "The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."
Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.
The clash escalates the dispute over the same-sex marriage proposal between the council and the archdiocese, which has generally stayed out of city politics.
Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington's homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers.
"All of those services will be adversely impacted if the exemption language remains so narrow," Jane G. Belford, chancellor of the Washington Archdiocese, wrote to the council this week.
The church's influence seems limited. In separate interviews Wednesday, council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." Another council member, David A. Catania (I-At Large), said he would rather end the city's relationship with the church than give in to its demands.
"They don't represent, in my mind, an indispensable component of our social services infrastructure," said Catania, the sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill and the chairman of the Health Committee.
The standoff appears to be among the harshest between a government and a faith-based group over the rights of same-sex couples. Advocates for same-sex couples said they could not immediately think of other places where a same-sex marriage law had set off a break with a major faith-based provider of social services.
So remind me again why public funding is given to religious organizations? Here's a painful example of why that is a bad idea.
Click here to read the rest of the article from the Post.
Daily Devotional 11/13/09 Friendship With God
From: My Utmost for His Highest
"Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" Genesis 18:17
Its Delights. This chapter brings out the delight of real friendship with God as compared with occasional feelings of His presence in prayer. To be so much in contact with God that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, is to be nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you are rightly related to God, it is a life of freedom and liberty and delight, you are God's will, and all your common-sense decisions are His will for you unless He checks. You decide things in perfect delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decisions are wrong He will always check; when He checks, stop at once.
Its Difficulties. Why did Abraham stop praying when he did? He was not intimate enough yet to go boldly on until God granted his desire, there was something yet to be desired in his relationship to God. Whenever we stop short in prayer and say - "Well, I don't know; perhaps it is not God's will," there is still another stage to go. We are not so intimately acquainted with God as Jesus was, and as He wants us to be - "That they may be one even as we are one." Think of the last thing you prayed about - were you devoted to your desire or to God? Determined to get some gift of the Spirit or to get at God? "Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him." The point of asking is that you may get to know God better. "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Keep praying in order to get a perfect understanding of God Himself.
"Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" Genesis 18:17
Its Delights. This chapter brings out the delight of real friendship with God as compared with occasional feelings of His presence in prayer. To be so much in contact with God that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, is to be nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you are rightly related to God, it is a life of freedom and liberty and delight, you are God's will, and all your common-sense decisions are His will for you unless He checks. You decide things in perfect delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decisions are wrong He will always check; when He checks, stop at once.
Its Difficulties. Why did Abraham stop praying when he did? He was not intimate enough yet to go boldly on until God granted his desire, there was something yet to be desired in his relationship to God. Whenever we stop short in prayer and say - "Well, I don't know; perhaps it is not God's will," there is still another stage to go. We are not so intimately acquainted with God as Jesus was, and as He wants us to be - "That they may be one even as we are one." Think of the last thing you prayed about - were you devoted to your desire or to God? Determined to get some gift of the Spirit or to get at God? "Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him." The point of asking is that you may get to know God better. "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Keep praying in order to get a perfect understanding of God Himself.
November 12, 2009
Encouraging Words 11/12/09-Strong at the Broken Places
Lori Heine writes for Whosoever.org:
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?"
(Ezekiel 37:1-3)
We are living in hard times. It seems the very atmosphere in which we live has been poisoned. We breathe air polluted by selfishness and fear, as politicians and pundits pit us against one another in competition for rights we are told are scarce. We feel we must fight for our survival.
These days, we are having a tough time being compassionate. Concern for others is a luxury we are told we can no longer afford. Though if we study our history, we quickly learn that the same people warning us what fools we are to love the marginalized, to work for the liberation of those held captive, have always said the same thing.
During the Great Depression, they chided us for sharing what we had. There wasn't enough, they told us, and we were squandering what little we had on slackers and ingrates. Those who were down-and-out, those who were persecuted and oppressed, were judged to deserve it. It was easier to forget them that way.
The bones God showed the prophet Ezekiel were unclean - those of a people held in such contempt they'd been slaughtered and left to rot in the desert. Broken and trampled by wild beasts, the names of their owners long forgotten. But God breathed "His" Spirit upon those bones, and as Ezekiel prophesied hope to them, they knit back together. New flesh grew over them, and they came back to life. What other human beings may despoil, abandon and forget, God never gives up on.
Those who hope for progress in any society, those who actively work for it, sometimes risking their lives to bring it about, are almost never the comfortable, prosperous or privileged. They are those who have themselves felt the sting of the lash, wiped the spittle from their faces and endured exile in the desert. They have been abandoned. Their belongings have been looted, and they've been given up for dead. This was true not only in Ezekiel's time, but even today. Both of the pastors at my church are openly gay. Everyone who joins our fast-growing congregation is warmed by their welcome. Steve and Jeffrey have known rejection, and are determined that all who have suffered as they have will find a home inside their doors.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?"
(Ezekiel 37:1-3)
We are living in hard times. It seems the very atmosphere in which we live has been poisoned. We breathe air polluted by selfishness and fear, as politicians and pundits pit us against one another in competition for rights we are told are scarce. We feel we must fight for our survival.
These days, we are having a tough time being compassionate. Concern for others is a luxury we are told we can no longer afford. Though if we study our history, we quickly learn that the same people warning us what fools we are to love the marginalized, to work for the liberation of those held captive, have always said the same thing.
During the Great Depression, they chided us for sharing what we had. There wasn't enough, they told us, and we were squandering what little we had on slackers and ingrates. Those who were down-and-out, those who were persecuted and oppressed, were judged to deserve it. It was easier to forget them that way.
The bones God showed the prophet Ezekiel were unclean - those of a people held in such contempt they'd been slaughtered and left to rot in the desert. Broken and trampled by wild beasts, the names of their owners long forgotten. But God breathed "His" Spirit upon those bones, and as Ezekiel prophesied hope to them, they knit back together. New flesh grew over them, and they came back to life. What other human beings may despoil, abandon and forget, God never gives up on.
Those who hope for progress in any society, those who actively work for it, sometimes risking their lives to bring it about, are almost never the comfortable, prosperous or privileged. They are those who have themselves felt the sting of the lash, wiped the spittle from their faces and endured exile in the desert. They have been abandoned. Their belongings have been looted, and they've been given up for dead. This was true not only in Ezekiel's time, but even today. Both of the pastors at my church are openly gay. Everyone who joins our fast-growing congregation is warmed by their welcome. Steve and Jeffrey have known rejection, and are determined that all who have suffered as they have will find a home inside their doors.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
SNN Recommends 11/12/09-Baltimore OUTloud
Baltimore OUTloud is a thriving independently-owned Maryland newspaper serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. From the sunny beaches of the Eastern Shore to the exciting nightlife of Baltimore’s Fells Point, Baltimore OUTloud brings it all together in one package. Taking advantage of the strengths of a locally owned independent newspaper and incorporating it with the expanded reach of the World Wide Web, Baltimore OUTloud provides our advertisers and readers with an unbeatable integration of the very latest media technology.
Focused on the lives of Maryland’s lesbian and gay community OUTloud provides in-depth coverage of one of the state’s most highly desirable consumer markets. Our staff of talented writers includes some of the most respected journalists working in the lgbt press today. From local, national and international news, to the latest health care developments, OUTloud is there with the story— for Baltimore and the entire region!
From the latest in music and film to current stage productions, OUTloud’'s art and entertainment section keeps our readers in the know. From opera to theater to sports and fashion, OUTloud is there covering the gamut of lesbian and gay culture.
Often sassy and irreverent, sometimes opinionated, but always current, OUTloud has something for everyone. From news junkies to pub crawlers, OUTloud is the medium that more and more Baltimore readers are turning to.
With a print edition distributed free at over 100 locations throughout Baltimore, Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania, Delaware's Eastern Shore and stretching into Washington, D.C., and available nationally online, Baltimore OUTloud reaches one of the tri-state's most valued, and typically under served, consumer market- the lgbt community. It’s the where-to-go, what-to-do and where-to-shop guide that lesbian and gay people rely on throughout the region. Combining special sections in print and on the Web devoted to dining out, the area's lively theater and arts community, and the vibrant local night life scene, OUTloud is an all-encompassing advertising resource to make sure your message reaches our lgbt target market at the most effective cost available in Baltimore.
Click here to check it out.
Focused on the lives of Maryland’s lesbian and gay community OUTloud provides in-depth coverage of one of the state’s most highly desirable consumer markets. Our staff of talented writers includes some of the most respected journalists working in the lgbt press today. From local, national and international news, to the latest health care developments, OUTloud is there with the story— for Baltimore and the entire region!
From the latest in music and film to current stage productions, OUTloud’'s art and entertainment section keeps our readers in the know. From opera to theater to sports and fashion, OUTloud is there covering the gamut of lesbian and gay culture.
Often sassy and irreverent, sometimes opinionated, but always current, OUTloud has something for everyone. From news junkies to pub crawlers, OUTloud is the medium that more and more Baltimore readers are turning to.
With a print edition distributed free at over 100 locations throughout Baltimore, Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania, Delaware's Eastern Shore and stretching into Washington, D.C., and available nationally online, Baltimore OUTloud reaches one of the tri-state's most valued, and typically under served, consumer market- the lgbt community. It’s the where-to-go, what-to-do and where-to-shop guide that lesbian and gay people rely on throughout the region. Combining special sections in print and on the Web devoted to dining out, the area's lively theater and arts community, and the vibrant local night life scene, OUTloud is an all-encompassing advertising resource to make sure your message reaches our lgbt target market at the most effective cost available in Baltimore.
Click here to check it out.
First LGBT Presbyterian Minister Ordained in San Francisco
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
The San Francisco Presbytery agreed late Tuesday to ordain the first openly homosexual minister in the denomination.
The vote of 156 for and 138 against the ordination came after hours of contentious debate at the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. It is possible that the decision to ordain Lisa Larges, a deacon at Noe Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church, could be appealed.
It's a significant decision in the Presbyterian church, which like many other religious denominations around the country has struggled for years over how to include gays and lesbians in church affairs.
"Change is happening in the churches," Larges said in a statement after the vote. "People are realizing that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have long functioned as contributing members of their faith traditions. It is time to tell the truth - we are all created in God's image."
Larges had been blocked from ordination for more than 15 years. If Tuesday's vote is not appealed, the decision is final and Larges can be formally ordained as a minister.
There are a handful of gay and lesbian ministers in the Presbyterian church, but they only came out after being ordained. Last year, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA voted to overturn a ban on gay and lesbian ministers, but that vote was rejected by a majority of the country's presbyteries, so the ban still stands.
Regional presbyteries, however, may consider individual cases if candidates for ordination submit a formal statement saying they disagree with the church policy. As part of her ordination process, Larges submitted such a statement to the San Francisco Presbytery, which includes 78 churches and 29,000 congregation members in the Bay Area.
Larges' ordination received preliminary approval in January 2008, but that approval was quickly appealed. A church court rejected that appeal on Nov. 4 and Larges was allowed to move forward with the rest of the ordination process, which concluded with Tuesday night's vote.
Observers said Tuesday's vote could have major repercussions throughout the Presbyterian church nationwide, even if Larges' ordination is appealed and ultimately blocked again.
"Church policies and approaches to issues - whether it's around women's ordination or LGBT issues - often how these things change is by pushing the envelope," said the Rev. Jay Johnson, director of academic research at the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.
"When the envelope gets pushed, these local actions have to be adjudicated in that larger venue," Johnson said. "It's anyone's guess what would happen there."
The San Francisco Presbytery agreed late Tuesday to ordain the first openly homosexual minister in the denomination.
The vote of 156 for and 138 against the ordination came after hours of contentious debate at the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. It is possible that the decision to ordain Lisa Larges, a deacon at Noe Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church, could be appealed.
It's a significant decision in the Presbyterian church, which like many other religious denominations around the country has struggled for years over how to include gays and lesbians in church affairs.
"Change is happening in the churches," Larges said in a statement after the vote. "People are realizing that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have long functioned as contributing members of their faith traditions. It is time to tell the truth - we are all created in God's image."
Larges had been blocked from ordination for more than 15 years. If Tuesday's vote is not appealed, the decision is final and Larges can be formally ordained as a minister.
There are a handful of gay and lesbian ministers in the Presbyterian church, but they only came out after being ordained. Last year, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA voted to overturn a ban on gay and lesbian ministers, but that vote was rejected by a majority of the country's presbyteries, so the ban still stands.
Regional presbyteries, however, may consider individual cases if candidates for ordination submit a formal statement saying they disagree with the church policy. As part of her ordination process, Larges submitted such a statement to the San Francisco Presbytery, which includes 78 churches and 29,000 congregation members in the Bay Area.
Larges' ordination received preliminary approval in January 2008, but that approval was quickly appealed. A church court rejected that appeal on Nov. 4 and Larges was allowed to move forward with the rest of the ordination process, which concluded with Tuesday night's vote.
Observers said Tuesday's vote could have major repercussions throughout the Presbyterian church nationwide, even if Larges' ordination is appealed and ultimately blocked again.
"Church policies and approaches to issues - whether it's around women's ordination or LGBT issues - often how these things change is by pushing the envelope," said the Rev. Jay Johnson, director of academic research at the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.
"When the envelope gets pushed, these local actions have to be adjudicated in that larger venue," Johnson said. "It's anyone's guess what would happen there."
Daily Devotional 11/12/09 What My Obedience to God Costs Other People
From: My Utmost for His Highest
"They laid hold upon one Simon . . . and on him they laid the cross." Luke 23:26
If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the sting comes in. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything, it is a delight, but it costs those who do not love Him a good deal. If we obey God it will mean that other people's plans are upset, and they will gibe us with it - "You call this Christianity?" We can prevent the suffering; but if we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it, we must let the cost be paid.
Our human pride entrenches itself on this point, and we say - I will never accept anything from anyone. We shall have to, or disobey God. We have no right to expect to be in any other relation than our Lord Himself was in (see Luke 8:2-3).
Stagnation in spiritual life comes when we say we will bear the whole thing ourselves. We cannot. We are so involved in the universal purposes of God that immediately we obey God, others are affected. Are we going to remain loyal in our obedience to God and go through the humiliation of refusing to be independent, or are we going to take the other line and say - I will not cost other people suffering? We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord. Whereas if we obey God, He will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and to leave all consequences with Him.
Beware of the inclination to dictate to God as to what you will allow to happen if you obey Him.
"They laid hold upon one Simon . . . and on him they laid the cross." Luke 23:26
If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the sting comes in. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything, it is a delight, but it costs those who do not love Him a good deal. If we obey God it will mean that other people's plans are upset, and they will gibe us with it - "You call this Christianity?" We can prevent the suffering; but if we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it, we must let the cost be paid.
Our human pride entrenches itself on this point, and we say - I will never accept anything from anyone. We shall have to, or disobey God. We have no right to expect to be in any other relation than our Lord Himself was in (see Luke 8:2-3).
Stagnation in spiritual life comes when we say we will bear the whole thing ourselves. We cannot. We are so involved in the universal purposes of God that immediately we obey God, others are affected. Are we going to remain loyal in our obedience to God and go through the humiliation of refusing to be independent, or are we going to take the other line and say - I will not cost other people suffering? We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord. Whereas if we obey God, He will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and to leave all consequences with Him.
Beware of the inclination to dictate to God as to what you will allow to happen if you obey Him.
November 11, 2009
LGBT Helping Hands 11/11/09-Wingspan (Tuscon, AZ)
Wingspan is Southern Arizona's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community center. Wingspan is a non-profit, charitable organization that serves Tucson and Southern Arizona. Gifts to Wingspan are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by the IRS.
Wingspan's mission is to promote the freedom, equality, safety and well-being of LGBT people.
Wingspan envisions a community in which lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people:
* are treated with dignity and respect.
* live in a community free from violence and abuse.
* live full, healthy, and interconnected lives.
* are free to live openly with pride.
* are celebrated in their full diversity.
* feel part of an organized, supportive, and active LGBT community.
* are empowered to participate fully as active citizens.
Click here to check them out.
Wingspan's mission is to promote the freedom, equality, safety and well-being of LGBT people.
Wingspan envisions a community in which lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people:
* are treated with dignity and respect.
* live in a community free from violence and abuse.
* live full, healthy, and interconnected lives.
* are free to live openly with pride.
* are celebrated in their full diversity.
* feel part of an organized, supportive, and active LGBT community.
* are empowered to participate fully as active citizens.
Click here to check them out.
LGBT Leaders Launch "Our Families Count" Website
From the official press release:
Many leaders and advocates among America's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community unite today in the launch of Our Families Count (www.ourfamiliescount.org) -- a new voluntary public education initiative promoting LGBT visibility and participation in next year's U.S. Census.
The new 2010 Census education project is a truly collaborative and unique strategy to unite disparate populations across the entire LGBT spectrum. The outreach effort is designed to educate all about the importance of responding to the once-a-decade Census.
Expert demographer and Williams Institute Research Fellow Dr. Gary Gates described why the 2010 Census matters to the LGBT community especially, "Reliable information on LGBT people is hard to come by and the need for accurate knowledge is real. Census statistics guide many key government decisions. For LGBT citizens especially, statewide organizations and local community centers need information for planning services, while advocacy groups need to know more about the LGBT population as they lobby for resources."
Gates also noted that, "Americans have many misconceptions about the LGBT community that Census data have allowed us to correct. For example, among those in same-sex couples: one in six lives in a rural area, one in four is a person of color, one in five is raising children (two in five among people of color). Although the 2010 Census does not include questions on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Census count of same-sex partners and their families provides vital information for and about the LGBT community."
It also is important to emphasize that Census information is never shared with other U.S. government agencies for the purpose of law enforcement or compliance with immigration laws. The Census is used only and confidentially to find out more about all American households and the U.S. population, and is never used to violate any person's privacy. The Our Families Count campaign also takes no position on specific policy issues or questions.
Click here to check out the new website.
Many leaders and advocates among America's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community unite today in the launch of Our Families Count (www.ourfamiliescount.org) -- a new voluntary public education initiative promoting LGBT visibility and participation in next year's U.S. Census.
The new 2010 Census education project is a truly collaborative and unique strategy to unite disparate populations across the entire LGBT spectrum. The outreach effort is designed to educate all about the importance of responding to the once-a-decade Census.
Expert demographer and Williams Institute Research Fellow Dr. Gary Gates described why the 2010 Census matters to the LGBT community especially, "Reliable information on LGBT people is hard to come by and the need for accurate knowledge is real. Census statistics guide many key government decisions. For LGBT citizens especially, statewide organizations and local community centers need information for planning services, while advocacy groups need to know more about the LGBT population as they lobby for resources."
Gates also noted that, "Americans have many misconceptions about the LGBT community that Census data have allowed us to correct. For example, among those in same-sex couples: one in six lives in a rural area, one in four is a person of color, one in five is raising children (two in five among people of color). Although the 2010 Census does not include questions on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Census count of same-sex partners and their families provides vital information for and about the LGBT community."
It also is important to emphasize that Census information is never shared with other U.S. government agencies for the purpose of law enforcement or compliance with immigration laws. The Census is used only and confidentially to find out more about all American households and the U.S. population, and is never used to violate any person's privacy. The Our Families Count campaign also takes no position on specific policy issues or questions.
Click here to check out the new website.
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