Queerty Reports on Gay Nominees

"Great!" says I when I see the pictures of the three gay nominees for the episcopacy on the the gay "news" blog Queerty. At least the secular blog noticed. Queerty is more gossipy than some of my favorites, but I do follow it.

Well that didn't take long. Just weeks after opening up the clergy ranks to gays, the Episcopal Church is seeing three homos nominated for the job. This is certain not to cause any controversy!

Two priests from from California and one from Minnesota join three heteros in nominations to become assistant bishops. Which means from here until December, where two new bishops will be selected,, liberals Episcopalians will be having it out with conservatives who don't want no gays in their church!

Also, maybe we'll hear from the global Anglican Communion, and its growing power base in Nigeria, about how the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool of Baltimore, the Rev. John L. Kirkley of San Francisco, and the Rev. Bonnie Perry of Chicago (pictured, L-R) will bring eternal damnation upon their souls!

It was disappointing to read the article with it's sarcastic tone.

My response:

As a voting member (deputy) to the recent convention in Anaheim it is GREAT to see that the a secular gay sight is reporting this at all. Maybe some of your readers might be looking for a church and want to join one that is putting a lot on the line to be inclusive.

If they want the real story, accurately reported and without the stereotypical gay snark, please google this story. We really are moving faster than most main-line churches to get the Gospel right.

Read the original blog here.

Impact of Episcopal Church actions on LGBT issues...

From the LA Times, Aug 2, 2009:

With a little more than 2 million members, the Episcopal Church of the United States is far from being the country's largest Christian denomination. But its recent pronouncements indicating support for openly gay bishops and church blessings for same-sex couples will have reverberations beyond that church, beyond Christianity and even beyond religion. For all the theological issues it raises, acceptance of gays and lesbians at the altar reflects -- and affects -- the campaign for equality in the larger society.

Read the rest...

Not to be outdone... here comes LA

Of a slate of 6 clergy nominated for Bishops Suffragan of Los Angeles, one is a Gay Man and one a Lesbian.

The Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool met her life partner, Becki in 1988.



The Rev. John L. Kirkley and his husband Andrew have an African-American son.



Of the slate of six, two will be elected to serve as Bishops Suffragan (Assisting the Diocesan Bishop) at a Diocesan Convention in Riverside. CA. The full slate follows with links to more information on the candidates:

The Rev. Canon Diane M. Jardine Bruce, rector, St. Clement's by-the-Sea Church in San Clemente, California;

The Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool, canon to the bishops in the Baltimore-based Diocese of Maryland;

The Rev. Zelda M. Kennedy, senior associate for pastoral care and spiritual growth, All Saints Church in Pasadena, California;

The Rev. John L. Kirkley, rector, St. John the Evangelist Church in San Francisco (Diocese of California);

The Rev. Silvestre E. Romero, rector, St Philip's Church in San Jose, California (Diocese of El Camino Real); and

The Rev. Irineo Martir Vasquez, vicar, St. George's Church in Hawthorne, California.

In Memoriam

Two youth were shot to death by a masked gunman at a LGBT Community Center in Tel Aviv Israel. Let us pray for those killed, those wounded, physically and mentally, and the friends and family affected by this horrible act.

#	English translation	Transliteration	Aramaic / Hebrew
1	Exalted and sanctifiedb is God's great name.a	Yitgaddal veyitqaddash shmeh rabba	יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא.
2	in the world which He has created according to His will	Beʻalma di vra khir'uteh	בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ
3	and may He establish His kingdom	veyamlikh malkhuteh	וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ
5	in your lifetime and your days	bekhayekhon uvyomekhon	בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן
6	and in the lifetimes of all the House of Israel	uvkhaye dekhol bet yisrael	וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
7	speedily and soon; and say, Amen.a	beʻagala uvizman qariv veʼimru amen	בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
The next two lines are recited by the congregation and then the leader:
8	May His great name be blessed	yehe shmeh rabba mevarakh	יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ
9	forever and to all eternity.	leʻalam ulʻalme ʻalmaya	לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא
10	Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted,	Yitbarakh veyishtabbakh veyitpaar veyitromam	יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם
11	extolled and honored, elevated and lauded	veyitnasse veyithaddar veyitʻalle veyithallal	וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל
12	be the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He.a	shmeh dequdsha, brikh hu.	שְׁמֵהּ דְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
13	beyond (far beyondc) all the blessings	leʻella (lʻella mikkol) min kol birkhata	לְעֵלָּא (לְעֵלָּא מִכָּל) מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא
14	and hymns, praises and consolations	veshirata tushbekhata venekhemata	וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא
15	that are spoken in the world; and say, Amen.a	daamiran bealma veʼimru amen	דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן

Gene's Interview in NYT

The interview can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/us/17bishop.html?_r=2

I was glad to see it linked at Towleroad. Many of my secular favorites don't seem impressed by what the Episcopal Church did in Anaheim. Yes, I mean you Joe Jervis...

As some of the uber-conservatives like to point out, we are the Church of the Presidents. What they miss is that means that our leap into a new Christian world is prophetic. They see it as decline.

Yes, it is a slippery slope. A slippery slope that started with the inclusion of women. I like that slope.

The Cheers for 3 Mo' Divas!

The Gandell's took us to see 3 'Mo Divas tonight at GeVa.

I could rank them in order, but I won't. You need to go and do it yourself.

This was one of the most exhilarating evenings of entertainment.. no THE most exhilarating evening of Entertainment that I have had this year.

Starting with Opera sung well these classically trained singers to us to many places far from the Opera House.

I confess to being a little leary of how far this very white man to travel on this journey. The led me gently into a world of Soul with familiar Broadway tunes and a showstopping rendition of "God Bless the Child." Then the show just kept on stopping with joyous celebration and a heart breaking rendition of Billy Holiday's "Strange Fruit." This song was new to me a left me unable to applaud. I was so deeply moved.

The show pun through pop, rock and disco to a spirit filled "His Eye is on the Sparrow."

See this!

Lesbian Candidate for IX Bishop of Minnesota

The Rev. Bonnie Perry, a lesbian, is one of 3 well-qualified candidates announced today to be the IX Bishop of Minnesota. The Diocesan Search Committee announce that The Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Perry and The Rev. Brain Prior are the candidates that they will present to an electing Convention in October. Additional nominees may come from "the floor." More information on all candidates can be found here.

The announcement follow just two weeks after the General Convention passed resolution D025 which effectively undoes the moratorium called for by B033.

Perry's high profile is in part as the co-convener of the Chicago Consultation a progress organization which joined Integrity this year in lobbying to move Beyond B033. Prior also enjoys visibility in the Episcopal Church as the Vice President of the House of Deputies.