Well, the Methodists have voted to uphold its exclusionary policies by a (relatively) narrow margin. This is a video of the protest that was staged as a response to that vote.
I'm not a big fan of Methodist liturgical sensibilities, but I gotta tell ya, this is a very effective, emotional protest.
At the end of the clip, the moderator announces that twelve of their bishops had agreed to meet with twelve of the protesters to continue the dialogue and work toward reconciliation.
The music team features the leadership of the brilliant, fabulously talented Mark Miller, Professor of Liturgical Music at Drew and that amazing voice is DeLyn Celec, an M.Div graduate of Drew and a former student of mine.
Yup. You guessed it. Both gay. Indeed, DeLyn was just "discontinued" in the ordination process because she entered into a Civil Union last October.
I know. Ironies abound.
It was ever thus.
3 comments:
that was so moving - it lasted for almost 20 minutes but the silence felt so powerful that i hardly noticed the time going by.....may we all remember the words on one of the buttons of the protestors ...."all means all"
I left the Methodist church as a teenager to become the affirming Anglo-Catholic I now am. That noted, I'm so proud of those middle-of-the-road folk who, literally, stood up to be counted at this Methodist meeting. It couldn't have been easy for many of them.
Come the revolution.
Thank you, Professor Kaeton (ongoing Profess-er of Truth, and my former seminary professor). I am so touched that you include talk of our painful struggle in the United Methodist Church. Peace!
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