No Tears For Queers

No Tears for Queers: Remembering Matthew Shepard

By

The Rev. Canon Ed Sniecienski

History teaches us that eventually things get turned upside down. Saints, during their lives, are often misunderstood. When will we learn to be thoughtful about who we label saint or sinner? Pay attention, because saints come in ways that we’re all too often not prepared for.

Speaking of someone many label a saint, Matthew Shepherd died 14  years ago on October 12. There are many things that could be said on the anniversary of Matthew’s death and undoubtedly there will be no shortage of reflections about a life that could have been. I started to wonder what Matthew would have to say. I started to wonder about how Matthew feels now. In prayer it came to me............

“LGBT brothers and sisters, its ok – God made it so. Parents, brothers, sisters, neighbors, strangers, friends, foes, saints and sinners, like it or not, God made it so.


I’m no saint and don’t make me out to be one. At my funeral, I saw a sign that read 'no tears for queers' and I agree. Tears are for the children of God, not for the labels by which we’re defined. I knew my truth because I listened to God speak through my heart. My truth is His truth and it empowers me to be who I am.

The funny thing about truth is that we don’t really understand the freedom it brings. Being a truth teller is hard and telling ourselves the truth, even harder. Most people don’t get it. But when they do tell themselves the truth about who they are and when they live steadfastly into their truth they begin to live their lives out loud. Here's the  truth I want to share with you: Living my life out loud inspired others to start living their lives out loud. They began to wonder what their truth was and perhaps find the courage to tell themselves and others that truth and begin to live their lives out loud. What if we lived in a world where everyone lived their lives out loud…it might look a lot like “God’s Kingdom.”


Live out loud, find fresh vision; love so deeply that you’re free to face the future with a steady eye forgiven and strong in hope.

On a cold dark Wyoming night, naked, beaten and tied to a fence, I realized I was living my life out loud. I was naked before God, strong in hope, full of forgiveness, very much at peace, and free.


Love,


Matthew


Ed Sniecienski’s professional career encompasses forty years of diverse experience in the fields of Education, Business and Non-profits. In 2001, he joined the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles as special assistant and senior advisor to the Bishop. In January, 2005, Ed was ordained a Deacon in the Episcopal Church and named Canon in 2007. Recently, he launched Discern with Me an interactive web site where we can share with each other our journeys through the “in-between” places of our lives. Ed is a proud member of Integrity and the LGBT community.

Bishop of Minnesota Speaks Out for Marriage Equality

From its very origins, the Episcopal Church in Minnesota has always stood with the marginalized. Race, ethnicity, gender, gender orientation or immigrant we have embraced both the Gospel mandate of love of neighbor and the Baptismal Covenant imperative to respect the dignity of every human being. Any actions, whether sacred or secular — such as the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit our LGBT brothers and sisters from the rights and privileges that the rest of Minnesotans enjoy - are considered to be marginalizing and contrary to the Gospel, the Baptismal Covenant and our history.
The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior
IX Bishop, Episcopal Church of Minnesota



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Church of Ireland Commits To Listening Process

The Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of Ireland released this statement on a listening process to begin soon. Integrity USA applauds the Archbishops and Bishops for their committment to a process of sharing views and stories. It is only by listening to the witness of the LGBT community that hearts and minds will change.

We met over three days in an atmosphere of prayer and worship to reflect on current disquiet in the Church caused by disagreements on the matter of human sexuality. We acknowledge that this tension is a cause of distress to many.


Our discussions were frank and careful and, at times, painful. We committed ourselves to listen carefully to one another and speak openly about our differences within the context of a variety of reactions within the Church. Strengthened by our honest interchange of views, we corporately agreed a way forward.

A pastoral letter to the Church will be issued through the Clergy in the next few days. It will highlight key themes and outline a process by which the Church may move forward. This will involve a major conference in Spring 2012 to which members of the General Synod and others will be invited. The conference will provide an important opportunity to learn from and listen to one another as the Church strives to discern the mind of Christ.

As Bishops we commit ourselves to work together on these issues. In addition, we envisage that further study and research on biblical, theological and legal issues will be required.

The Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of Ireland
The Most Revd Alan Harper, Archbishop of Armagh
The Most Revd Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin & Glendalough
The Most Revd Richard Clarke, Bishop of Meath & Kildare
The Rt Revd Harold Miller, Bishop of Down & Dromore
The Rt Revd Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork, Cloyne & Ross
The Rt Revd Ken Clarke, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh
The Rt Revd Ken Good, Bishop of Derry & Raphoe
The Rt Revd Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel & Ossory
The Rt Revd Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor
The Rt Revd Trevor Williams, Bishop of Limerick & Killaloe
The Rt Revd Patrick Rooke, Bishop of Tuam, Killala & Achonry
The Rt Revd John McDowell, Bishop of Clogher

Changing Attitude Ireland is a Church of Ireland group with ecumenical friends, gay and heterosexual, lay and ordained, working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons within our churches. It is dedicated to celebrating and maintaining the traditional inclusivity and diversity of the Anglican Communion.

Here is their statement in response.


The Secretary of Changing Attitude Ireland, Canon Charles Kenny, welcomed the Church of Ireland Archbishops' and Bishops' Statement on human sexuality. According to Canon Kenny “Changing Attitude Ireland are happy to hear that the Bishops are committing themselves to listening and speaking openly about these complicated issues. It is our hope and prayer that churchmen and women will respond to this call for serious and thoughtful seeking out of the mind of Christ for our day” He added that “We hope that the atmosphere at the proposed Conference will make it possible for gay and lesbian church people, lay and clerical, to participate honestly in the discussion about human sexuality”.

Susan Russell takes on the American Family Association

From An Inch At A Time.............................

They’re at it again.

"They" are the so-called "American Family Association" -- and they've launched yet-another attack on LGBT Americans -- this time taking on the Pentagon's decision to allow military chaplains to perform same-sex marriages. Check it out (from an email received this morning:)


The Pentagon has decided that military chaplains will be allowed to perform same-sex unions on military installations. This is despite the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act which defines marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman.

This decision clearly violates the spirit of DOMA, since the result will be that federal employees and facilities funded by American taxpayers will be used to perform ceremonies that are prohibited from any kind legal recognition under federal law.

This is just more example of our military leaders caving in to the homosexual agenda. While conservative chaplains aren't being forced to perform same-sex marriages yet, it will only be a matter of time before they are tagged as "intolerant" for refusing to do so and forced to choose between their values and a career in the military.

According to the Constitution, Congress has authority to "make rules" for the military. TAKE ACTION. Urge your congressional delegation today to enact legislation prohibiting chaplains from performing same-sex weddings on military installations.

Seriously. That's what the "American Family Association" thinks Congress should be focused on. Enacting legislation to keep military chaplains from presiding at same-sex weddings. Because the biggest threat to the American Family are CLEARLY the hordes of same-sex military couples who will be beating down the doors of chaplains now that DADT is history.

Never mind our kids don't have healthcare, our schools are falling apart, unemployment is rampant, corporate greed continues to bleed our economy dry and we're about to mark the 10th anniversary of the War in Afghanistan -- yep ... small potatoes for the American Family Association. They're worried about making sure the soldiers who are putting their lives on the line to defend liberty and justice for all don't have the liberty to marry the love of their life or the justice of equal protection for their families.

Attempting to cast chaplains as victims for declining to celebrate same-sex weddings is the same red-herring B***S*** they drag out at every opportunity -- and completely ignores the fact that no Catholic chaplain has ever been compelled to marry a divorced couple against his conscience, no Orthodox rabbi has ever been compelled to preside at an interfaith wedding contrary to their faith and No. Clergy. Person. Ever. Has. To. Marry. Anybody.
So here's what we do with whatever the American Family Association tells us to do.

The. Opposite.

Call your Senator. Write your Representative. Tell them you support the Pentagon's decision allowing chaplains to preside at same-sex marriages. And while you have them tell them to help President Obama put DOMA where he said it belongs ... in the history books with DADT.

Go. Do it. Now.

The Rev. Canon Susan Russell is a Sr. Associate Rector at All Saints Church, Pasadena, CA., a past President and frequent spokesperson for Integrity USA.

Integrity USA Launches Strategic Storytelling Workshops

Integrity New Orleans hosted a day of both conversation and celebration when members met on Saturday, September 24th at Trinity Church. The Right Reverend Morris Thompson, Bishop of Louisiana, celebrated and preached at the morning Eucharist which was followed by a luncheon and afternoon workshop entitled “Telling Our Stories.”

The day was designed to empower participants to become equality opinion leaders in their churches and communities and to teach the power of strategic story-telling. “Our goal today is to equip Integrity members to change hearts and minds through the power of their stories,” said Communication Director Louise Brooks, who was the featured speaker at the afternoon workshop. “We know that the Holy Spirit is working through individuals to move the Church closer to the full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments and it’s a privilege to be partners in that process.”

Bishop Thompson, who engaged in informal conversation about issues of LGBT equality with the group over lunch, affirmed the impact of personal witness. “It changed everything for me when I was able to put a face on the issue,” he said. “Learning to tell your stories today is a really good thing.”

“Integrity is calling on individuals and congregations to “believe out loud,” continued Brooks. “And gatherings like this one in New Orleans provide the “how to” by equipping participants to use strategic story-telling to be agents of change for equality and inclusion.”

For more information about the “Telling Your Story” workshop – or to arrange to host one in your congregation or community contact Louise at communication@integrityusa.org

Connecting the dots ...

Yesterday we posted a story celebrating the 35th anniversary of the General Convention vote to approve the ordination of women in the Episcopal Church ... prompting the Integrity Communication Elves to dig a little further into our historical archives.

One result was this early "History of Integrity" penned by founder Louie Crew in 1978.

The other was this video shot for the "Road to Anaheim" series leading up to General Convention 2009 and connecting the dots between women's ordination and LGBT equality. Enjoy!

35 Years Ago Today ...

Thirty-five years ago today General Convention paved the way to make this picture possible.

For many it's hard to imagine an Episcopal Church that doesn't include women in all orders of ministry -- and for others the struggle for women's ordination is part of their lived history in the Church! Let's give thanks to Louie Crew for reminding us on Facebook this morning that today ... this very day ... is the 35th anniversary of the day that the General Convention of the Episcopal Church voted to end discrimination against the ordination of women with a resolution that read:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That a new Section 1 of Title III, Canon 9 be adopted, with renumbering of the present Section 1 and following, the said Section 1 to read as follows: Section 1. Theprovisions of these canons for the admission of Candidates, and for the Ordination to the three Orders: Bishops, Priests and Deacons shall be equally applicable to men and women.

And thanks to George Werner for this -- also reminding us of some of those who were in the forefront of that important fight for equality:

"I just found D-1 from '76 Convention: Signees: George Regas, Lueta Bailey, Lois Barnum, Dupuy Bateman, James Birney, Leona Bryant, Gordon Charleton, Charles Crump, Mark Dyer, Joe Green, Sally Head, Hugh Jones, Charles Lawrence, Clay Myers, Dillard Robinson, Lucile Roca, Ed Romig, Bob Royster, Bart Sherman, Gordon Stenning, Ross Sidney, Charity Weymouth, Stew Wood & me. Special moment!"

So Happy Anniversary, Church!!

(And thanks to all who worked so long and hard to make it happen. May we be given grace to serve the Church in our generation as faithfully as you served it in yours!)

The Passing Baton: Will You Take It?

The Passing Baton

By

The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

I was deeply saddened to learn of Bishop Walter Righter's passing, so soon after Pamela Chinnis. Both of these leaders were straight allies at a time when to be an ally was as costly as to be openly LGBT. They both saw that the Body of Christ could not continue to turn its back on its LGBT members, and took risks to champion our cause.

Bishop Righter experienced a deep betrayal when he was accused by ten of his fellow Bishops of heresy for ordaining an openly gay man. Righter was not the only bishop who had taken this risk, but he was chosen by conservatives as the first in what was intended to be a series of ecclesiastical trials to show that the ordination of LGBT people was against church doctrine, even if General Convention would not outlaw it. Many of the best legal minds (straight and gay) combined to create a defense which showed that there is no central doctrinal reason to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

This was the final straw for conservatives who turned to overseas colleagues to try to enforce their ideas on the rest of The Episcopal Church. The Lambeth resolution which declared homosexual activity to be contrary to Scripture and all that has followed from that, grew from conservatives' frustration and theological concern when Righter was exonerated. They continued to believe that LGBT inclusion is against the gospel.

Bishop Righter was one of those, originally anti-gay, who was brave enough to hear the movement of the Spirit and see the need for justice until he became a supporter of full inclusion. Pamela Chinnis was another who encouraged lay and ordained LGBT Episcopalians to step into positions of church leadership. She encouraged us to take our places in the councils of the church and to bring our gifts to the service of the wider Church. In so doing, she too experienced the wrath of those who opposed our inclusion.

And now they are gone.

They opened doors for us, and we will be eternally grateful. But there is still much to be done. The early generations of LGBT people who walked through the doors they opened are also aging and some have already passed into their eternal rest. We cannot rest until every church opens wide its doors to those who are different. We need new leaders, people who will step into leadership in their dioceses and use that experience to inform the leadership of the national Church. We need people who will be leaders in Integrity, who will volunteer as chapter leaders, as diocesan organizers, people who will challenge their parishes to Believe out Loud(er). And, we need valiant straight allies who will step up to the plate to support their LGBT sisters and brothers.

Will you follow in the footsteps of +Walter Righter and Pamela Chinnis?

Will you take the baton?

The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall serves as  President of the Board of Directors of Inetgrity USA. Caro has a long and distinguished history with Integrity. She was a member of the Integrity Board from 2006-2009, serving as the Director of Anglican Issues. She began her association with Integrity as a Chapter Convenor in the Diocese of El Camino Real. She served as part of Integrity’s General Convention Communication team in both Columbus (2006) and Anaheim (2009) as well as being part of the press teams sent to the Primates Meeting in Dar-Es Salaam and the Lambeth Conference of Bishops in 2008. . She has been a champion for Marriage Equality in California and is the founder and Chair of the Central Coast Coalition of Welcoming Congregations. She is also Priest-in-Charge at St. Benedicts Episcopal Church in Los Osos, CA.

Remembering Bishop Walter Righter

Bishop Walter Righter / His 'pastoral heart' moved Episcopal Church beyond old prejudices

Oct. 23, 1923 - Sept. 11, 2011

By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bishop Walter Righter, whose 1990 ordination of a gay deacon opened the Episcopal Church to partnered gay clergy after a church court dismissed heresy charges against him, died Sunday at his home in Export. The retired bishop of Iowa, who was first ordained in Pittsburgh, was 87.

"Bishop Righter is one of the giants on whose shoulders gay and lesbian Christians stand," said Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who in 2003 became the first openly gay Episcopal bishop. "Long before it became popular, Walter became a straight ally of the gay Christian community, putting his life and ecclesiastical career on the line for us."

"The Episcopal Church can give thanks for the life of a faithful and prophetic servant," said Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. "His ministry will be remembered for his pastoral heart and his steadfast willingness to help the church move beyond old prejudices into new possibilities."

The heresy charge stemmed from his early retirement, when he became an assisting bishop to the firebrand liberal Bishop John Spong of Newark, N.J. Until then, Bishop Righter had been known as an unassuming centrist. But the conservative attempt to declare him a heretic ricocheted, and many conservatives ultimately left the Episcopal Church.

"Walter just happened to be the person in history who was there at an event when suddenly a lot of things came together and the lines were drawn," said the Rev. George Werner of Sewickley, dean emeritus of Trinity Cathedral, Downtown, and a friend for more than 40 years. "In some senses, he was a martyr. He was still scarred."

He moved from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh in his youth, graduating from Sewickley High School in 1941. His wartime experience in the Battle of the Bulge led him to pursue ministry. He returned to the University of Pittsburgh to prepare for seminary.

While he was at Pitt, Bishop Austin Pardue assigned him to run a Sunday School at St. Stephen's, Sewickley, and to plant a congregation in Ligonier that eventually became St. Michael of the Valley. On bishop's orders, he spent breaks from Yale's Berkeley Divinity School working in a Homestead steel mill so he could understand the lives of ordinary Pittsburghers.

Ordained in 1951, he was sent to All Saints in Aliquippa, where he led the racial integration of the parish. The congregation doubled. In 1954, he was called to be rector of Church of the Good Shepherd in Nashua, N.H., where he was active in interfaith and ecumenical work. He became a mentor to young Rev. Werner, then serving in Manchester, N.H.

"He was the quintessential parish priest," Rev. Werner said. "He wasn't high church or low church or evangelical or activist. He was the old-fashioned pastor who takes care of his parish but was also an active player in the community."

When he was elected bishop of the Diocese of Iowa in 1972, he refused the offer of a chauffeur and drove his vast territory, Rev. Werner said. He was active at the national level of the church, where he was best known for promoting evangelism.

"I felt that we were comrades in arms," said retired Episcopal Bishop William Frey, a former rector of Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge and a leading theological conservative. "The sexuality debate found us on opposite sides. But he is a gracious man, not one of the people who engaged in name-calling. He had respect for people on all sides of the issues."

He once held traditional views on sexual orientation. As a new bishop he wrote of homosexuality as an illness that could be cured. In 1979, he voted for the national church resolution against gay ordination. But he began to rethink the issue. After he retired in 1988, he went to Newark to assist Bishop Spong. In 1990, at Bishop Spong's behest, he ordained a partnered gay man. Five years later 10 of his fellow bishops filed heresy charges.

Bishop Frey was not among them. Although he believed Bishop Righter was wrong and would eventually vote to allow a trial, "they brought the wrong charges and it blew up in their faces," he said.

The ruling, Bishop Frey said, created more serious theological problems for conservatives than those related to sexuality. When it said that gay ordination didn't violate core doctrine, the definition of core doctrine was based on modern theology rather than ancient creeds, he said. All of that created an opening that grew into a denominational split.

But for the Rev. Susan Russell of Pasadena, Calif., a past president of the Episcopal gay advocacy group Integrity, Bishop Righter was like the biblical patriarch Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers but was consequently able to save them from starvation.


"There is a verse where Joseph says, 'You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,' " she said. "What Bishop Righter did absolutely opened the way not just for gay and lesbian people to exercise more fully their ministry in the Episcopal Church, but for the Episcopal Church to become an opinion leader among mainline denominations."

There was a literal price to be paid for his canonical defense. "Walter never fully recovered financially," Rev. Werner said.

About eight years ago he settled in Export with his wife. The Pittsburgh diocese had become one of the most conservative in the country and would split in 2008. He joined Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside. When the Rev. Harold Lewis, rector of Calvary, invited him to celebrate weekday Eucharist and listed him among the parish clergy, Bishop Robert Duncan objected.

"That was a grievous blow to Walter," Rev. Lewis said.

Shortly after the diocesan split, Bishop Righter wrote to the Rev. James Simons of St. Michael of the Valley, then the ecclesiastical authority in charge of reorganizing the Episcopal dioceses.

"He asked for canonical residency and we granted it immediately. I sent him an email saying, 'Welcome home.' He was very appreciative," Rev. Simons said.

Failing health kept him from priestly duties. But he kept up a lively email correspondence with friends near and far. In July he began hospice care.

"He said the doctors told him to expect to live until October at the latest. He was very up front and straightforward about it, not at all fearful," Rev. Lewis said. "In dying, he taught us how to live. He was accepting of it. He was rejoicing in what he managed to do. He fought the good fight, as St. Paul said, and he was ready to go on to the next stage."

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; a brother, Richard of Murrysville; a son Richard of Keene, N.H.; a daughter, Becky Richardson of Des Moines, Iowa; a stepson, David DeGroot of Milford, Mass.; a stepdaughter, Kathy Gallogly of Oceanside, N.Y.; and four grandchildren.

The funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m. in Calvary Episcopal Church, Shadyside, with interment in the parish columbarium.







Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11256/1174247-122-0.stm#ixzz1XrJRbTax

Integrity USA Opposes Gay Marriage Ban in North Carolina

A proposed anti-LGBT constitutional amendment passed in the North Carolina House of Representatives today. Integrity USA joins Equality North Carolina and many legislators in that state in calling SB514, the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in the state, discrimination in its highest form. The amendment says that “(m)arriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state,” meaning it would ban domestic partnerships and civil unions as well. The amendment passed the NC House of representatives and now goes to the NC Senate.


Integrity USA calls on clergy, faith leaders and all those who believe in equality and equal justice for all to work to defeat this amendment. We ask those who will vote on this ban to remember that this law affects gay and lesbian people who are your friends, relatives, coworkers, church and temple members, sons and daughters, nieces, nephews, granddaughters and grandsons. We must aways protest the use of the constitution to take away the basic human rights from any group of citizens.

If you are a resident of North Carolina, call your State Senator today and urge a NO vote on SB514.

Refelctions on 9/11: Forgiveness Seventy Times Seven

This is a sermon preached by Integrity Vice President of national Affairs, the reverend Jon M. Richardson on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

The Rev. Jon M. Richardson

St. Paul’s, Jersey City

11 September 2011

Pentecost 13A, Proper 19

Matthew 18:21-35

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

It feels strange to be talking about forgiveness today - on this the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001.

But really, that’s one of the gifts in the lectionary cycle of readings for worship. Other churches or church leaders might sometimes be tempted to look past some of the more difficult readings, or the way certain readings interact with world events, but in our tradition that’s not possible. We read and reflect on the text appointed for the day.

And today we’ve been given this - forgiveness.

“How many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Seven times?”

“No. Seventy-seven times!” Or some sources say, “Seventy TIMES seven times.” (If you’re curious enough to think it through, that one comes out to 490 times for forgiveness.)

But the point isn’t the number of “times” we offer forgiveness. Even if you take the larger number, it’s not like saying to your neighbor, “Okay, that’s one. 489 more times and we’re done!”

That’s not the point.

The point is that forgiveness is an ongoing process. Forgiveness can’t end. A truly forgiving heart draws from a well of love and grace that never runs dry. When you can’t forgive anymore, that’s when it’s time to dig deeper and find a way.

Just as is so much of the Christian message, this, too, is a difficult message to hear.

In the church we know - at least intellectually - that we are charged to replicate the kind of forgiveness that has been extended to- and modeled for us. But the problem with that is, too often we try to rush forgiveness without doing the work that true forgiveness requires.

Because we think it’s what we ought to do, we often proclaim forgiveness before it’s real.

In his book Don’t Forgive Too Soon, Dennis Linn compares the process of forgiving with the process of overcoming grief. Just as recovery from grief can’t be rushed, we, also, can’t be rushed into forgiveness if it’s to actually mean anything.

You’ve all probably heard about the five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance - but Linn writes about those as five stages of forgiveness. Recognizing the close relationship between forgiveness and grief, he uses that same framework to examine how we can move beyond pro forma expressions of expected forgiveness, into genuine forgiveness that springs from a place of deeper truth.

And the truth is, if forgiveness does not come from a place of truth, it will breed resentment.

A common (though unattributed) quote in twelve-step, recovery groups says that resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Without forgiveness, we are destined to breed resentment in our hearts. And it will kill us spiritually.

Even if our brother or sister might only cause offense once - even then(!) we have to forgive “seventy times seven” times. Only then can it begin to come from a place of truth.

The fact is we do hurt one another. We do offend the heart of God. We exploit each other. We are unfaithful to each other. We fail to recognize the humanity in each other.

We are all victims, and we are all guilty.

But we must learn to forgive.

So on this, the tenth anniversary of September 11th, 2001, we hear a call to forgiveness.

It doesn’t make sense.

It can seem all but impossible.

But we have to do it. We have to find a way to forgive because it’s the call of Christ; and, because it’s necessary for our own spiritual health and wellness. We have to keep finding ways to forgive, even in the face of our deepest pain; because even these ten years later the work is not yet done.

In these past ten years there has been a lot of talk about justice. As a country, we’ve been seeking justice against the perpetrators and supporters of the horrors of that day. We’ve taken a lot of steps - for good and for ill - at doling out justice around the world. Too often we’ve mistaken revenge for justice. But in the end, I believe that true justice will only come through deep forgiveness. It’s only in a world where forgiveness is a way of life that we can ever hope to find that justice is a reality.

And forgiveness will only become a way of life when we keep practicing it. Seventy-seven times. Seventy times seven times. Whenever the hurt and the anger and the fear are renewed, try to forgive again. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because doing it will make things right.

How many times are we to forgive our brothers and sisters when they sin against us?

As many times as it takes.

This is part of the hard work of following Christ. May we all gain the strength to do this that we are called to do.

Amen.

Integrity Announces Staff Transition

Integrity Announces Staff Transition

In 1976 Integrity began its advocacy in the Episcopal Church by advancing a resolution calling for “full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church” for its LGBT baptized. For the last thirty-five years Integrity has worked to turn that resolution into a reality. We are closer than ever to achieving that goal thanks to the tireless efforts of countless Integrity leaders through the years – and today we give thanks for one of those leaders as we welcome another into the Integrity fold.

In August, the Board of Directors of Integrity USA accepted with regret the resignation of Max Niedzwiecki as Executive Director. Niedzwiecki, who has served Integrity USA since August, 2010, recently expressed his intentions to return to his private consulting practice where he will focus on organizational development and justice issues for nonprofit and faith-based organizations.

"As Executive Director , Max oversaw Integrity USA's launch of the “Believe Out Loud” (BOL) initiative in the Episcopal Church, a project mobilizing clergy and lay leaders, LGBT activists, and straight allies to work together to become more welcoming and inclusive,’ said Integrity USA President Caroline Hall. “In addition, Max pursued and secured grants for local Integrity chapters to support their advocacy work, continued to direct our longtime support of Integrity Uganda and the work Bishop Christopher Senyonjo while positioning Integrity USA as an opinion leader on immigration reform. We shall miss his leadership and easy going style and wish him all the best as he moves on. Our chapters and membership have grown during Max's tenure and we are grateful for all he has done."

"Working with Integrity USA has been both an honor and a privilege," said Niedzwiecki "I could not be more proud of our leadership and of the work we've done together calling for full inclusion throughout the Episcopal Church and the world. I plan to stay involved with Integrity in the future as the organization continues to mobilize toward General Convention 2012."

"As we bid Max farewell we are delighted to welcome a giant of justice on board," continued Hall, announcing that effective September 15, 2011, the Board has appointed Harry Knox to serve as Integrity’s Interim Executive Director.

Harry Knox brings years of experience in shepherding organizations at the local, state and national levels through times of significant change. Knox has pastored congregations in Georgia and Texas and his experience with the Episcopal Church dates back to when he was a member of the New Jersey Cathedral Church for Bishop Jack Spong. He also brings a long history of LGBT advocacy, working with Equality Florida, Georgia Equality and Freedom to Marry. As founder of the Religion and Faith program for the Human Rights Campaign, he amplified the voices of faith leaders on behalf of LGBT equality and empowered LGBT people of faith and their allies to use faith language in advocacy.

"It is a true privilege to join the ranks of trendsetting colleagues I have admired for decades," said Knox. "General Convention 2012 offers another opportunity for Integrity to lead The Episcopal Church closer to full inclusion. I look forward to the joys and challenges before us."

President Caro Hall concluded, “We invite all members of Integrity and members of our wider justice community to join us in celebrating the leadership of Max Niedzwiecki and in welcoming the leadership of Harry Knox. And then we invite them to roll up their sleeves and continue to work with us to make that thirty-five year old resolution a reality!”


Media Contact:
Louise Brooks
Director of Communications
Integrity USA
626-993-4605
tvprod@earthlink.net

Reflections on 9/11: Failing to recognize our commonality

By

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Our post-9/11 failures

For a moment, 10 years ago, the Sept.11 terrorist attacks threatened to unite the human family. So ghastly was the carnage that the whole world, even the most distant of relatives, rightfully clamored to condemn the perpetrators.

For a moment, the world stood still, stunned by the realization of what we all have in common, our humanity, and therefore our vulnerability and dependence on each other.

Of course, as we began to dry our eyes, the Trillion Dollar question was: What should we do? There were two fundamentally different contexts for the question. The one asked: What should we do, as a family, to heal our fractures, to reconcile with one another across borders and faiths, to ensure that such an outrage never happens again? The other asked: What should we, the most powerful nation on earth, do--militarily -- to ensure such an outrage does not happen again?

Depending on your approach to the question the answer either begged self-examination (What have we done wrong in terms of our relationships, and what should we do to bridge the divides that exist between us?), or an outward expression of force (I am the strongest child in the playground; whose butt should I kick?).

You could either say that the criminals must be brought to justice (the necessary jurisprudence exists) while the human family undergoes collective psychotherapy, or you could teach the bad guys a lesson.

For a moment it seemed that the Unites States was taking the introspective option. We prayed it would be so. Then it invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. I don’t want to dwell on these wars. The people of the U.S., Iraq and Afghanistan have paid a very heavy price. It suffices to say that the U.S. owes the world an apology -- at the very least -- for lying about the existence of so-called weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

But that is not the worst of it. If it were possible for anything to be more devastating than the unnecessary deaths that have accrued over the past 10 years, I would argue that the damage that has been done to global relations between the so-called Judeo-Christian and Muslim worlds must be a candidate.

The 9/11 attackers were labelled “Muslim terrorists” and evil personified was given a Muslim face. We were told that these Muslim terrorists were aided and abetted by Muslim countries. Clearly, this logic went, Muslims were not to be trusted. The West developed special security procedures and sophisticated software to identify and track Muslims. Adherents of the Muslim faith were harassed and humiliated across the world. It was the computer-age equivalent of the Nazis daubing yellow Stars of David on the doors of Jewish homes.

If these were “Muslim terrorists,” why did we not label the Oklahoma bomber a Christian Terrorist? Why did we not label members of the Irish Republican Army Christian Terrorists? The people responsible for the genocide of Bosnian Muslims were not labelled Christian fundamentalists, and nor are members of the Ku Klux Klan.

The simple truth that we all know is that there are many good Jews out there and some bad ones, many good Christians and some bad ones, good Hindus and bad Hindus, good Buddhists and bad Buddhists, good Muslims and bad Muslims. That’s the human condition. All of us have our fair share of frailties and imperfections.

There is no religion I am aware of that propagates violence, yet many are they who commit violent acts in the name of religion - and who falsely justify cruelty as something that is sanctioned by God. As Kofi Annan so eloquently put it, the problem is not with the faith but with the faithful.

We may be differently pigmented, have different facial features, speak different languages and worship in different temples. But we know that we can successfully transplant the heart of a member of the Christian faith into the body of a Hindu patient, or a Jewish accident victim’s kidney into a Muslim.

We failed the biggest test posed by the 9/11 outrage: In our anger and dismay we failed to recognize our common humanity, that we are made for love and that acts such as those committed on that day are an aberration.

When we looked at the terrorists we did not see ourselves, we did not consider how our actions and posturing in the world may have contributed to the crime. No. We saw “others,” and we demonized them.

Reflections on 9/11: How will you share in the world’s healing?

The following is the text of the Presiding Bishop’s sermon at the 11 am service held at the Cathedral Church of St John The Divine in NYC today.

What’s it like to be attacked? And what governs our response? How do we heal and find our way forward?

I wasn’t here ten years ago, but I do have a sense of how confusing and crazy-making a sudden physical attack can be. I was out for my morning run once when a guy who had been sitting on a bench a couple of seconds earlier ran across my path and grabbed me. I was startled and upset, but I couldn’t figure out what he was after. Was he trying to throw me over the rail into the river, or throw me down on the ground? He never said a word. I did – I yelled and I kept on yelling, all of a sudden I discovered that I had him in a headlock, and then I remembered that applying my foot in a sensitive place might encourage him to let go. I applied my foot once, pretty gently, without any result. We kept struggling and I tried again. Then he did let go, and we both ran off.

It was pretty clear to me that he was mentally ill. Maybe I had intruded on his space, or perhaps he thought I was somebody else. Clearly I was a significant threat. But after I got a few feet farther, my biggest worry was about him and his evident illness. What must it be like to live with such terror?

How do we get beyond the small and large threats in life? In recent days much of our conversation in this city and much of the media reporting have been filled with stories of how people have responded to the violence here ten years ago. Many of those stories have been filled with hope, as people have made some sense out of their experience of September 11th, and found the strength to reinvest in life.

Those planes literally came out of the blue – the blue of a beautiful morning sky. They brought death to thousands, terror to many more, loss and devastation to a city and a nation. That violence was the result of rage at the society around us, and it was calculated to inflict enormous damage. The results have been both tragic and hopeful. It’s not entirely clear just what the perpetrators wanted – they got immediate death and destruction, yet this nation and the world responded with an enormous outpouring of care and concern. It was quickly followed by many calls for retribution and vengeance. Yet even in the midst of that knee-jerk urge toward retaliation and violence, others sought understanding, reached out to the people who would be most vulnerable, and urged a peaceful and healing response.

What has our decade of grieving wrought? Have we found a new meaning in life? Have we found some reasonable measure of healing? Have we made sense of that violence? Have we found a way to forgive those who instigated the death and terror?

That last one is the hardest question, and there is more than a little irony that the readings we’ve heard this morning weren’t chosen specifically for today – they’re scheduled every three years on the Sunday closest to this one. We will continue to hear their calls to forgiveness.

Joseph says to his brothers, who tried to kill him and then sold him into slavery, “well, you meant to do evil, but God turned it to good. I forgave you a long time ago, and I will help you in your hour of need.”

The psalmist responds, “God is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness.”

Paul’s words to the people in Rome are haunting in our context, “who are you to pass judgment on the servants of another? God will judge them. God will hold them accountable.”

And Peter asks Jesus how many times he’s supposed to forgive people who offend him. Jesus responds by saying, if you’re counting you haven’t gone far enough. And then he tells of a man’s refusal to forgive a tiny debt, even though he has himself experienced enormous forgiveness, and how that only leads to his own destruction.

What do we do with all of that? I don’t believe that any of us would be here this morning if we didn’t ultimately believe that forgiveness is possible, and that we are all in search of healing. How do we let go of the desire for vengeance and let God deal with the work of judgment? How might we, like Joseph, even if we’ve been terrorized, come to the aid of brothers and sisters in time of need?

Maybe the most important part is where we locate ourselves in the story. As long as this act of violence is all about me and the hurt and damage I’ve suffered, it’s really hard to let go of a desire for payback. As I reflected on my morning wrestling match, I realized that in the heat of the moment I had no desire to hurt the guy. I didn’t want to kick him too hard, I just wanted him to let go. We can decide how to respond.

Where and how do we locate the attacker in the story? Were the hijackers personally after each human being who died? Did they intend to hurt and destroy this person’s family or that first responder? If we see that violence as an attack on western society, was it really only about the United States? Or was this lashing out, premeditated though it was, a response to changes in the world that have extinguished hopes or privilege in other communities? Those intrusive airport searches we live with are the same kind of unsought social change. Our current economic situation shares some of the same roots and character.

Forgiveness begins in discovering some element of common humanity with your attacker, even if it is simply a search for understanding – whether it’s rational or irrational. But forgiveness doesn’t end there. The very act of violence that first connects perpetrator and victim binds them together. Joseph was his father’s favorite, and his brothers took it out on him by trying to destroy him. That didn’t break the bonds between them, it actually bound them more closely together – the brothers’ secret vengeance produced a kind of chain gang. At the same time, their act destroyed a good part of the healthy bond they had with their father. Joseph’s forgiveness set them free in a way that they could not accomplish themselves.

What do we choose? What kind of bonds have we taken on in the last ten years in this city, or as Americans responding to attempts to terrorize us? Are we choosing prison chains or bonds of understanding? Healing emerges from seeking to repair some of the damage from the violence and the quest for retribution. Health is growing in interfaith dialogue, in spite of the vitriol poured on Abdel Rauf and Daisy Khan. Some may have meant it for evil, but God is working good nevertheless.

We have to tell the stories, including the ugly ones. Real change began in the civil rights movement when the gratuitous violence perpetrated on non-violent marchers began to appear on television. America began to be appalled and embarrassed. This nation began to recognize that human beings were treating other human beings in inhuman ways. We began to see how we are bound together.

We can choose how we are bound – by chains of hate, fear, and terror, or through the life-giving possibilities of love, forgiveness, and solidarity. We are a nation built on tenets of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There’s nothing in that declaration about hate and fear, except its end and absence. Like Joseph and his brothers, the central figures in this story are descendants of Abraham. We all proclaim a god of love, forgiveness, and peace. Jews, Christians, and Muslims share God’s vision for a healed world where all live together in peace, shalom, salaam. That is the meaning of life and the goal of existence. Our own lives and decisions change as that dream begins to center and shape our lives.

What will you choose in your next experience of affront or attack? How will you share in the world’s healing this year, and ten years from today? What kind of bond do you choose?

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Presiding Bishop and Primate

The Episcopal Church

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Reflections on 9/11: “I have called you by name and you are mine.”

by

The Rev. Canon Susan Russell

All Saints Church, Pasadena CA

As we prepare for tomorrow's events marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11 I'm remembering the service we held at All Saints Church in Pasadena marking the first anniversary on 9/11/2002.

The candles massed in front of the altar burn in tribute to the names being read from the lectern – Naomi Leah Solomon, Daniel W. Song, Michael C. Soresse, Fabian Soto – as other names scroll above the altar projected on a video screen – John Bentley Works, William Wren, Sandra Wright, Myrna Yashkulka.

The church is silent save for the reading of the names and the careful footsteps of those who come forward to light a candle -- the gentle thud of a kneeler lowered for prayer --the quiet rustle of pages turned in a prayer book.

“American Airline Flight 11”– Anna Allison, David Lawrence Angell, Lynn Edwards Angell, Seima Aoyamma. The names began at 5:46 – the west coast moment when the first plane struck – and will continue through the morning until we gather for Eucharist at noon. The table is already set. The red frontal – blood of martyrs – covers the altar. The chalice is vested, the missal marked. The credence table is ready, too: flagons of wine, silver chalices and ciborium lined up – ready to hold the holy food and drink of new and unending life we will share here at All Saints Church.

“All Saints.” Charles’ deep voice breaks the silence as he begins reading the next segment of the list of names: “World Trade Center, continued” – Paul Riza, John Frank Rizzo, Stephen Luis Roch, Leo Roberts. I remember the ancient words of comfort from the prophet Isaiah, “I have called you by name and you are mine.” As Charles tolls the names of the dead that assurance echoes again and again in my head. These names I do not know – some I cannot even pronounce – each and every one known to God. Beloved of God.

“United Airlines Flight 93”: Christine Adams, Lorraine Berg, Todd Beamer, Alan Beaven. Gone from our sight yet gathered into God’s embrace -- seated at the heavenly banquet we can but glimpse through the sacrament we are preparing to share -- the offering of praise and thanksgiving we will present at this altar.

I look again at the ciborium massed on the credence table – the candles flickering in the polished silver – the light of lives lost reflected in the vessels holding the bread of life. It staggers the mind to consider what they represent – the magnitude of the collective loss of love, joy, hope and possibilities taken on that day a year ago with such sudden unexpectedness.

Takashi Ogawa. Albert Ogletree. Gerald Michael Olcott. The pain of death and loss mingles mysteriously in the promise of life and hope. Body and Blood. Bread and Wine. Strength for the journey and hope for the future. Hope for a world where differences enrich rather than divide. Hope for the end of wars waged in the name of the God who created us not to destroy but to love each other.

Dipti Patel. James Matthew Patrick. Sharon Christina Millan Paz. “Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on your journey of faith there is a place for you here.” Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Amen.