Eucharist as revolutionary act

There's been a huge flap in some conservative corners (the really dark, dank, dirty ones) over the question of who will be presiding at Sunday's Changing Attitudes/Integrity Eucharist at Lambeth.

The real question is not 'who' will be presiding, but IF Bishop Gene will.

Which is simply ridiculous.

Bishop Gene has been told (by the Archbishop of Canterbury, no less) that he may preach but he can not perform sacramentally while in England.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that this is exactly what Bishop Gene will do. Well, that's true for those of us who still have minds and actually engage them once in a while.

When I was at Lambeth 10 years ago, I had the enormous pleasure of presiding at Eucharist at Kings College in London for the LGBT gathering which had preceded the opening of Lambeth.

Yes, that's me, there. Quite a few less gray hairs than a decade ago, eh? (And, what was I thinking about those glasses? Big enough for ya?)

It caused a similar stir. I had written to the bishop of London, telling him that I had been invited to preside at Eucharist and had gotten his permission. Women had been allowed ordination to the priesthood for about 4 or years at that time, so it was really no big deal.

Except - no woman had ever presided at the historic chapel at Kings College. And, certainly no woman who was, well, you know, 'known to be homosexual' had presided at Eucharist. I'm sure they had, they just weren't 'known'.

So . . . it was a Very Big Deal. So big that all the news media were there and BBC Channel Four came and broadcast it live.

Imagine! I swear it's true.

The Bishop of London sputtered, "I had no knowledge of this!" I waved my little letter from him in front of the cameras.

He sputtered, "Had I known she was one of . . . (get this) . . .'Spong's girls' (sheesh!) . . I never would have allowed it."

I said, "Excuse me, sir, but Jack Spong doesn't have any 'girls' who are ordained, and I haven't been called 'girl' in so long it makes me blush to admit it."

It was fascinating. "Eucharist as Theater!" one newspaper proclaimed (or, maybe it was a radio program).

Actually, it was "Eucharist as Revolutionary Act." It always has been. It always will be.

Any act that provides the Bread of Heaven and the Cup of Salvation for all - and anyone who comes to the table - will always cause at least a stir.

When one who has been excluded is the one who presides at that Eucharist, or when the one who has been excluded invites absolutely everyone to the Table to be fed, well, it becomes, in and of itself, the revolutionary act which Jesus intended it to be.

That kind of authenticity and integrity is enormously powerful. It is transformative. That's what Love that is Human and Divine does.

Which is why some will try to stop it. Which has been done in Bishop Gene's case.

Bishop Gene has invited everyone to 'come to the Diocese of NH where you'll find what the church looks like once it's gotten over its obsession with sexuality.'

Imagine! Just imagine such a church!

Well, I do. I live in one - and in such a diocese.

And, that's another reason I'm going to Lambeth.

Oh, and by the way. I'm not presiding at Sunday's Eucharist in England. And, I don't know who is.

I just know that it won't be Bishop Gene.

He can't.

Their loss.