"All will be well" in the Anglican Communion

Another amazing day yesterday. At noon, I had lunch with three primates, thanks to the Chicago Consultation. Along with Bishop Tom Ely, of Vermont, I broke bread with the Primates of Korea (and his translator), Scotland and Australia. It was a delightful and meaningful exchange between those of us who minister in radically different contexts. After my inquiries about his ministry in Korea, relations with North Korea and the nuclear threat posed there, Bishop Solomon of Korea spoke of a young gay man who came to him, wanting to know if he was going to hell, and his attempts to minister to him. He talked about the fact that 25% of Koreans are Christian -- and among those, the Anglican Church of Korea is a progressive and liberal alternative to the mostly conservative Churches available to Koreans. He expressed his disappointment that I had not come to Korea in my sabbatical journey around the Pacific rim. Perhaps that will happen some day, and I would be honored to do so.

My sense is that the place of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion is not in danger. Strained and tense, sometimes, yes. But actually threatened, no. Are we in the same place regarding the issue of homosexuality -- of course not. But the bonds of affection are strong and deep, and God will see us through this difficult time. This is a strong belief exhibited by all the primates and bishops visiting this Convention from across the Anglican Communion. It confirms my own belief that it is time for us to stand up and be the Church God is calling us to be, and trust that the Anglican Communion will not only survive, but be a blessing to all.

It was a long and tedious legislative day in the House of Bishops, dealing with mission funding, additions to the saints calendar of Lesser Feasts and Fasts (including the need for everything we do to be published also in Spanish and French, the other two languages of The Episcopal Church), the ethical treatment of animals and endangered species, a possible capital campaign for The Episcopal Church, and our methods of organizing and funding for a 21st century church. Our time was lightened by the settling of bets between the provisional Bishop of Pittsburgh and the Bishops of Arizona and Michigan: Pittsburgh won both the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup, and the Bishops of Arizona and Michigan were sentenced to wearing Pittsburgh team hats for the rest of the day.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, one of the most inspiring things about this Convention is the presence of new deputies from the continuing dioceses of Pittsburgh, Ft. Worth, San Joaquin and Quincy. After years of being purposely distanced from the Episcopal Church by their Bishops, they are visibly joyful in being back in the church. They are fully present, testifying at hearings and making themselves heard on the floor of Convention. Everyone is offering a welcoming word to them, and they are so grateful for our prayers.

Last night was the Integrity eucharist, always a highlight of General Convention. It was my honor to be the celebrant at this amazing and lively service. If the energy in that room could be harnassed (who says it isn't?!), the world and the Church would be a different place. Over 1600 people, many standing along the walls, did what Christians always do -- gather to express our love of God and thanksgiving for God's love for all of God's children. This is what liberation and freedom in Christ looks like! As I followed the Gospel procession, asperging (throwing sprinkles of holy water) the crowd, people extending their arms to be bathed in the water of their baptism, the joy on their faces, buoyed my spirits and lightened my heart. Then, as is the tradition at this service, all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clergy were invited to the altar, to share in the final blessing. What was once a small and brave group is now a joyous throng -- both those who have been doing this work for oh so long, and those who have recently joined the ranks. It was a stunning visual image of the gifts brought to this church by its gay clergy. Tears streamed down the faces of these clergy who are serving God in God's Church despite the slings and arrows of discrimination and hatred -- and tears of joy and appreciation filled the eyes of the congregants who honored them with sustained applause. A joyous moment of celebration that will carry us through these next days.

Today, in the House of Bishops, we will have a private conversation around the sexuality issues that face us, followed by the always-public discussion of legislation. Today, we are scheduled to deal with the legislation proposed by those bishops serving in states where marriage equality is already a reality -- asking for pastoral generosity and flexibility for responding to the pastoral needs of gay and lesbian members of our congregations. That discussion will be an early signal of how all this might go. Pray for us!!

I'm off to a 6:30 AM meeting (who said we're only here to play?!), with joy and resolve in my heart to be the Church God is calling us to be.

+Gene

Here We Are! Send US!

The T-shirts worn by these two beautiful models were worn by many supporters of full inclusion at yesterday's eucharist, with the Archbishop of Canterbury preaching. They say, "Here I am, Send Me! I am a witness to God's inclusive love." As usual, the worship was spirited and lively -- reminding us all that it is in the worship of the God who made us, the saviour who redeemed us, and the Spirit who leads and guides us, that we find our true unity.

In his sermon, the Archbishop said that God longs for a humanity broken open for intimacy. Indeed! ALL of God's people are to be broken open for intimacy. In my testimony last night on moving past B033 (last convention's moratorium on any more gay bishops and blessing of unions), I suggested that God's longing applies to ALL of God's children, and that God's gay and lesbian children, called to the episcopate, deserve the opportunity for intimacy as well -- noting that I simply could not do the ministry of being Bishop of New Hampshire without the love and support of my partner, Mark. To exclude partnered people from the episcopate is cruel, and not in the Church's interest.

Last night's hearing on moving beyond B033 was inspiring and uplifting. It helped me remember why we do this work. Story after story of how gay and lesbian people have found hope in The Episcopal Church and its proclamation of God's inclusive love, after years of abuse and exclusion by other churches. Most profound of all were the testimonies of numerous young people, who spoke eloquently and movingly about the kind of church THEY want to be a part of, in which there truly are NO outcasts. One young man told of being a counselor at a church camp, who was confronted in the middle of the night, by an 8 year old camper, in tears, saying that he didn't want to BE in a church who would not love his older, gay brother. Another spoke the truth to power: we are not moving forward -- not because it's not right, but because of fear. Our beloved Church will be in good hands with these young stewards of God's message of love. Maybe it's time for us old foggies to just get out of the way!

One alarming thing about last night's hearing was the fact that there were almost NO bishops present. Other than those on the committee (who HAD to be there), there were only five bishops present: Andrus (California), Beckwith (Newark) and myself, arguing for moving forward; Love (Albany) and Lawrence (South Carolina) arguing for continuing B033. Other than these, NO bishop was present to hear the two hours of voices from the Church appealing for progress.

I fear (and I hope I'm not being overly dramatic here) that we are moving toward a train wreck between the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. I sense an unwillingness among the bishops to listen to these voices of the laity and clergy. I hope I'm terribly wrong, but it seems that bishops feel they have some special access to God's will and nothing will persuade them otherwise. I shutter to think of a church where the Bishops are so disconnected from the will of the people they serve. Please God, let me be terribly wrong about this perception, and may the scales fall from my pessimistic eyes and reveal an episcopate who has listened to the Spirit's movement in the people of this Church. Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong about this. Only time will tell.

One last note: In the table conversations using the "public narrative" model for communication, and seated at tables with our own deputations, I listened to our own deputies tell their own stories of conversion and how they came to faith and The Episcopal Church. I was moved almost to tears at the faithfulness expressed by our (your!) deputies to General Convention. I know each of them well, and yet through this process, I learned so much more about our colleagues whom you chose to represent them at Convention. All I can tell you is that you should be oh so proud of your deputation, the deep and abiding faith with which they are representing you, and their experience of the Living God which guides them. I could not be more proud of being from New Hampshire and serving with these exemplary Christians.

Please continue to pray for us. For our stamina and energy, for our witness, for our learning from others gathered here, and for our beloved Church. I keep reminding myself that, in the end, all will be well. It seems a long way between here and there, but in God's time, all WILL be well. Thanks be to God!

+Gene

Sublime, ridiculous and glorious!

The hectic pace of Convention continues. But amidst all the busyness, joys abound. Perhaps the most memorable of all experiences of General Convention are the innumberable images of our great diversity.

Yesterday, just in the worship service alone, I saw...spirited drumming from one of our overseas dioceses...a eucharistic minister with her seeing-eye-dog-in-training by her side...three tables of deaf men and women, signing the singing of hymns, looking like a beautiful and syncronized ballet troupe...Native Americans, Asians, Africans and African-Americans, more Hispanics than I ever remember, European-Americans, all worshipping the God who made them...at the time of the Lord's Prayer, the words given to us by Jesus being recited in countless tongues, sounding like the Day of Pentecost, when each heard the Gospel in his/her own language, a glorious cacaphony of sound...and then, at the moment I was taking communion, the opening notes of my favorite hymn, "I want to walk as a child of the Light." Indeed!

Legislation goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. One minute testifying before one hearing asking for pastoral generosity in those dioceses where marriage equality is now or soon will be a reality, to respond to the pastoral needs of our gay and lesbian couples. The next minute slogging through the legislation of my Structure Committee, tending to the tedious, but necessary, issues raised by our canons and the groups doing ministry in the Church -- where and how does it fit into the structures of the church. One exciting, the other mundane -- and all to the glory of God.

We also had a disturbing private (no one in the gallery) conversation in the House of Bishops that led me to feel discouraged about what lies ahead. That conversation is private, so I can't detail it, but there seems to be a kind of belligerent attitude toward the House of Deputies by some of our bishops. Their vision of the episcopate is way too "high and mighty" for my taste, or my theology, and I am not happy about it. The last thing we bishops need is a larger measure of arrogance. Didn't Jesus save his most serious criticism for the religious powers-that-be of his day who lorded their power and position over others?

Mark is now here -- thank God! -- along with my camera. So perhaps tomorrow I will have some pics to go along with these musings.

Off we go into another long day. Hearings on same sex blessings and moving forward from the two moratoria (on blessings and gay bishops) of B033 from the last Convention. And of course, the conversation and worship which remind us of our community in Christ. Pray for us!

+Gene

We're off!!

The first couple of days have been at lightspeed! I've been to many General Conventions, but never one so ready to roll!! There is a sense of urgency here that is new. Perhaps there are many perceptions about why that is so, but my sense is that there is an urgency to move on beyond the divisions that have plagued us in the last few years.

What a joy to see the deputies from the new "continuing" dioceses of Pittsburgh, Ft. Worth, San Joaquin and Quincy -- rejoicing in their newfound voices within the Episcopal Church. Young people -- tons of them -- here as deputies and volunteers, eager to BE the Church God is calling us to be, a fully inclusive and open church, one focused on mission to the world, instead of dwelling on internal struggles.

Legislation is being front-loaded in a way I've never seen. Having experienced recent conventions where legislation gets bogged down, sometimes never reaching the floor for action, I sense an urgency in our legislative committees to get the important things discussed, heard in open hearings, perfected, and to the floor for action. Meetings of Committees are beginning at 7am; strategizing meetings often as early as 6:00! People are here to WORK, not play. To quote a favorite president of mine, "the urgency of NOW!"

For me, the time has already been exhausting. No time to rest, or even eat. It's hard for me to move from one place to another because of being stopped by countless numbers of people who want to say hello, tell me they have been praying for me, and to wish me well. More humbling still are the many people (surprisingly many, and usually young people) who want to tell me that my election is the reason they're in The Episcopal Church, or more usually, why they've returned to the Church, after year of being disillusioned with the institutional church. Wonderful, but exhausting too. Many seem so very grateful for the witness of New Hampshire to the wider Church. It is often easy to forget what our life and ministry and witness mean to the greater Body of Christ -- and it is a humbling expression of support for all of us in New Hampshire.

Today I will be testifying in favor of resolution B012, put forward by those bishops who live in dioceses where marriage equality is already a reality, asking the General Convention for a certain generosity and flexibility with the marriage rites in our pastoral care of gay or lesbian couples who want their unions legalized and sanctified by their Church. Some will argue that this is an end run around Prayer Book revision, but actually it is seeking an open and honest way of offering pastoral care to ALL our members. With the introduction of marriage equality, our priests are being forced to discriminate against certain people in their congregations, offering the sacrament of marriage to some, but not to all. This resolution would permit us, for the next three years, to experience the equal treatment of all our parishioners, and then report on that experience to the next General Convention, in preparation for the marriage equality that is destined for all of us. You'd have to be crazy to think this is a slam dunk -- but it may be possible.

More than usual, there are not enough dollars available to do all that we would like to do, for ourselves and for the world. Our own Judith Esmay serves on Program, Budget and Finance, who is charged with presenting a balanced budget, choosing among many worthy priorities and funding those that seem essential for the life and ministry of The Episcopal Church -- a daunting task indeed.

Our deputation is doing well. Somehow, seeing a familiar and trusted face among the thousands of people is an unexpected and delightful oasis of joy. We have a terrific deputation, and we should all feel grateful to them for this sacrifice of time and energy on our behalf.

Please keep all of us in your prayers as we seek to do God's will in this place. It is inspiring to see so many gathered, commmitted to God and to our beloved Church. Know that we keep YOU in our minds as we deliberate and vote, always with great affection and love. Oh, and did I mention, PRAY FOR US!!

+Gene

Coming Soon to a Church Near You

Watch this space for my blog from General Convention! I'll try to let you in on the "feel" of Convention, as well as its events and high points. Please pray for all of us. My message will be: "NOW is the time for The Episcopal Church to be the Church God is calling us to be!" We'll see if we have the courage to do that.

Here are the pics

One last posting -- pictures to prove I wasn't making it all up!

Ella and Gene with The Man (compliments of Mark).

Ella and Michelle.

Ella, Mark and Gene with the Tom Hanks family.

Hug fest with Bono.

Thanks to all of you for accompanying us on this amazing three day journey. Give thanks to God for a new day in America!

+Gene

A New Day

Wasn't yesterday amazing?! A new day -- for all of us. Here's what it was like from my perspective.

Mark and I arrived at St. John's Episcopal Church early in the morning. Waiting in the security line, I greeted Pastor Rick Warren, who couldn't have been more gracious. Once inside, we were seated in the fifth row, with a perfect view of the service participants, and eventually, the President-Elect himself. This is not a man who fakes a faith, but one who is clearly motivated by it.

Dr. T. D. Jakes gave a magnificent sermon, based on the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, being thrown into the fiery furnace. Some of his points, on which he elaborated brilliantly: "there is no light without heat"; the three Hebrew boys were saved because they stood up! it's time we ALL stood up for what is right and good; King Nebuchnezzar (sp?) turns the furnace up to seven times its normal heat, more than the furnace or its contents can bear -- pointing out the ways in which the economy, war, health care, etc. have deteriorated beyond what we can bear; and finally, when the King looks into the furnace to see the boys' destruction, instead, they are intact, and there is a FOURTH figure -- the Spirit of God which has seen them through and preserved them. You can imagine the rest. It was SO powerful.

I met some wonderful people. Sat next to the new Securities and Commodities appointee, who later introduced me to the new Treasury Secretary and his wife. Oprah was there (sitting BEHIND us, I might add!). Most of the cabinet. Other denominational leaders.

Then, we were bused to the Capitol. Mark and I split up, because I had been invited to sit on the Presidential Platform. Through several security checkpoints in the bowels of the Capitol. Al and Tipper Gore left their entourage specifically to greet me -- a real honor, given the magnificent contributions he's making to our common good. Then, we walked down the series of hallways/steps that the new president would walk down in a few minutes. I entered into the light of day and the Presidential Platform, just behind Newt Gingrich and Rick Warren. I told Pastor Warren that I would be praying for him. Again, he was most gracious.

Coming out onto the platform was overwhelming. Not only would I be mere feet away from Barack Obama when he took the oath of office, but the view from the platform of the millions of people on the Mall was awe inspiring. It was a solid mass of humanity for as far as the eye could see, all the way to the Washington Monument, and then all the way to the Lincoln Memorial, where this weekend's journey had begun for us. The air was electric, the joy palpable, and the momentousness of the occasion solemn. I was seated in the sixth row behind the president, beside Federico Pena (who was delightful), directly behind Gov. Warren Dean (chairman of the Democratic National Committee). General Colin Powell was also in the next row in front of me -- we greeted each other with the secret Episcopal handshake. In front of him was Aretha Franklin (you gotta love that hat, eh? it takes a substantial black woman to wear a hat like that!). Senator Judd Gregg (Republican from NH) came over to chat. I also spoke for a while with Senator Joe Lieberman. Pretty heady stuff for a Kentucky country boy, who grew up in poverty and never thought he'd live to SEE a real president, much less be invited to sit where I was invited to sit.

And then, as you all saw on TV, each of the principals entered. To see the military personnel salute their about-to-be Commander in Chief made me cry. As always, Obama seemed natural, calm, confident-but-not-cocky and present to the moment. I've said it before, but it was never more evident than yesterday -- I've never seen someone so comfortable in his own skin. And then the oath of office, the moment when America changed.

Leaving the swearing in, and still separated from Mark and Ella, I had some alone time to try to absorb what I had just been a witness to. It is still hard to find words to describe it. But you know what we were all feeling. Waking up this morning felt different somehow, didn't it?

After the parade, home for a nap. Then off to the lgbt ball at the Mayflower Hotel. When I walked in, Rufus Wainwright was dedicating a song to me. (He's one of my faves!) He was then joined for a couple of songs onstage by Cyndi Lauper. Then I was introduced to the crowd of several thousand. I got to introduce Mark and Ella to them, and say a few words. The crowd was overwhelming in their kind and generous response. Then I posed for pictures with, oh, six or seven hundred of them. Nearly exhausted, we left for the live Daily Show broadcast, with Jon Stewart.

It's always difficult to do such a show from a remote location. I can only hear what is going on in my earpiece, and am talking into a black camera screen. But it went well, I think. He started in with a joke (this IS Comedy Central, after all), and miraculously, I was able to respond with a joke in return. I don't think he was expecting it, and he nearly fell off his chair laughing. Later, after the show, he told me it was the best line of the show. Amazing praise from a brilliant comedian who is SO good at what he does.

The best part of that was, he had done a joke, and so had I, and then the rest of the interview was serious. I was moved that HE had seen the connection between the inauguration of an African-American and the hopes of the gay community, and asked if it had raised my hopes that one day, perhaps a gay or lesbian person might become president. He had read my thoughts -- and I suspect, the hopes of so many of us.

It is a new day in America, thanks be to God! I was overwhelmed all day by the sense that God is still alive and well and working overtime in our great nation, bringing about things that could have never even been dreamt of a few years ago. Join me in giving thanks to our great God for loving us as we are, and loving us too much to make us content with staying as we are.

I have been carrying all of you in my heart these few days. So often during this time, I have reflected on the many, many blessings that are mine. To serve the people of the Diocese of New Hampshire is a holy and awesome gift to me. To feel your love and support during these momentous days calmed my heart and brought me great joy.

In a day or two, once we "break into" Ella's camera, I will post on this blog a few pictures that you've just GOT to see. But thank you for traveling this path with me, and know that I give thanks to God for you every day.

Today, I return to New Hampshire, back to my "day job" which I love. Tonight, life resumes with the ordination of Madelyn Betz at St. Thomas, Hanover. Ordination of someone to the priesthood is one of the most awesome and wonderful tasks assigned to Bishops -- and I can't think of a better way to re-enter the "real world" of my life in the Diocese of New Hampshire. I look forward to seeing you soon!

+Gene