Looking for Christ

As mentioned some time ago, I am no longer maintaining this site save for occassional odds and ends. Here is one of those, my senior seminary sermon. Note that the audio problems at the begin go away after a couple of minutes.

Gospel:  Luke 17:11-19

(If that doesn’t work, click here.)

My son is in third grade this year, and at Lee Elementary, that means that this is the year for the Hawaii program.  You see, each year at Lee Elementary, there is a designated play or show for each grade, a sort of liturgy for the kids (and their parents) to either look forward to or to dread, depending on their personality, gifts, and talents.  This particular year, Brian’s production was the history and culture of Hawaii.

Presbyterians vote to remove ban on LGBT persons

From New Church Revolution:

San Jose, CA, June 27, 2008: Shortly before noon on Friday, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) voted to change ordination policies of the denomination. Up to now, requirements included “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness.” The new passage simply states that candidates for ordination “pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions.” The motion will now be sent to the individual presbyteries (regional clusters of congregations) for ratification, and will need to pass by a simple majority in order to change the Book of Order (constitution).

j

Chasing Cars…

I love this song by Snow Patrol.  Especially this part:  “I need your grace, to remind me to find my own.”  That is so beautiful.  It reminds me of this post I wrote a few months ago, and especially of The Body’s Grace, by Rowan Williams.

j

We’ll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don’t need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Geraldine Ferraro, the Gospel, and the Gays: Post-Modern Advocacy in the Church

I know, I know: I just said I was done writing for a while. But I have had something on my mind lately and I’ve decided to write this post, so maybe I’m pulling a Barbra Streisand…

What has caught my eye lately is all of the political fuss over Geraldine Ferraro and the Clinton campaign—the allegations of sexism and racism and the furor it has generated. It seems to me that much of the same stuff gets roiled up in church politics: secular advocacy rolls over into the church because we don’t (and shouldn’t) compartmentalize our lives between what happens in the public square and what happens in our houses of worship.

Perhaps what should happen, though, that doesn’t happen as often, is that we should take our gospel values into the public square (keeping the separation of church and state distinct, for reasons I’ve discussed elsewhere). Those values, I think, shed some light on the problems that have been raised in the recent political campaigns. Namely, inequality in power and the resulting injustice cannot be solved by obtaining and using the same kind of power that originally created the inequality. To do so is a little bit like using the military to oust a military dictator in a coup, and then putting another dictator in his place. Perhaps the new dictator has a different face, but he is still a dictator. It does not fundamentally change the dynamic of the power structure.

Yeah for California!!

Woo-hoo!!

Of course you’ve heard the news from California by now– there are plenty of sources to find the church’s reactions, good and bad, on it.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m slowing down on posting– I haven’t written much original material this year and am not likely to for a while.  Sign up for email subscription on the right if you don’t want to have to visit to see if I’ve posted everything.

I’m doing CPE (chaplaincy) this summer and then will turn my attention to my last year of seminary formation.  I’m sure something will prompt me to write every now and then, but I’m not going to make intentional efforts to keep the blog updated any more– at least for now.

Thanks for all your support, readership, and comments!

j

And Tango Makes Three

From Advocate News, about a story that my kids absolutely love…

“Gay penguin” book most hated, again

published Tuesday, May 6, 2008

A children’s story about a family of penguins with two fathers once again tops the list of library books the public objects to the most.”And Tango Makes Three,” released in 2005 and co-written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, was the most “challenged” book in public schools and libraries for the second straight year, according to the American Library Association. The book is based on the true story of two penguins in New York’s Central Park Zoo who became a couple and fostered a third chick named Tango.

Read the rest here.

If you’d like to buy the book, click here.

j

Presbyterian High Court Clears Janie Spahr

From The Press Democrat

The Rev. Jane Spahr was cleared Tuesday of charges that she violated Presbyterian Church law by marrying two lesbian couples, but her right to continue the ceremonies remains in doubt, lawyers and church officials said.

For full article, click here.

j

Capital City Men’s Chorus Performance in May

For those of you in Austin, the next performance of the Capital City Men’s Chorus has been announced…

Join the Capital City Men’s Chorus on Saturday evening, May 17, at 8 p.m., as we CCMC take a look back at some of the great award-winning songs that have inspired and entertained us from stage and screen.
From Shakespeare’s “Henry V” to “Brokeback Mountain,” we’ll cover the spectrum of popular entertainment.

This concert will also feature the world premiere of “Resurrection,” a piece commissioned especially for the CCMC through grants from the Hollyfield Foundation and GALA Choruses. With words by award-winning poet George Klawitter and music by Karl Logue, “Resurrection” is a work which reminds us that while our struggle against fear and bigotry is not over, there is hope for our future.

And who knows. . . . a few wigs may fly as well!

Come take part in history!

Tickets $15 advance/$20 door

Sold at ccmcaustin.org, 512-477-SING and exclusively at Lobo.

A Hymn for Our Relationships

I had to write a hymn for a class – I thought I would share it.  It can be sung to many tunes in the hymnal — anything with the little abbreviation “CM” in the corner at the bottom for “Common Meter”. I haven’t found a tune I like yet, but when I do I’ll update it.  It is based, of course, on King David and his relationship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, and the Book of Ruth.

David and Jonathan, they met
And wept behind a stone
They kissed and said their sad farewells
Again to be alone

Away, Naomi pushed her love
And Ruth refused to leave
“Where you go, I will go,” said she
Even if death takes me

Thank you God for relationships
You bless our love with life
Through good and bad you lift us up
Deliv’ring us from strife

j