The Emperor's Club: Get Off Our Backs

The Emperor’s Club. It makes me wanna scream!

I know. I know. The rest of the Anglican world is in an absolute flummox about the deposition of John-David Schofield. I, on the other hand, am reeling from the “all-Spitzer-all-the-time” that’s all the news in the Tri-State area.

That would be Eliot Spitzer, the now former Governor of the State of New York who resigned in disgrace after being caught with a $1,000 per night ‘call girl’ in a prostitution sting of an organization known as “The Emperor’s Club.”

This would be the same governor who gained enough political capitol as the State Attorney General by bringing down two ‘high-end’ prostitution rings and the promise to bring ethics back to state government to win a sweeping victory a little over a year ago.

The media shark-frenzy has been merciless – as merciless as it was to NJ Governor Jim McGreevy and former President Bill Clinton and Jimmy Swaggert and Jim Bakker and . . .well, you probably know the Litany of Sinners better than I.

I suppose that’s as it should be. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, the better example they make. Right?

Well, I agree that those in high places fall farther and harder than most, but that’s what happens when you live in the rarefied air of political esteem in a position of public trust.

Here’s my question: If they made a better example, then why does the problem persist? Why did Eliot Spitzer fall after Bill Clinton’s debacle?

Ah, right. “Boys will be boys.” “You know, all men are scoundrels.” “How can you tell when a man is lying? His lips are moving.”

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And, no, not so much.

That’s just a lot of hooey, far as I’m concerned. I know lots of men, normal, healthy men – hetero, bi and homo – who not only know a commitment when they make one, they keep it.

Is it something about power? ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’, as the saying goes. Well, the only difference between Eliot Spitzer and Jack, the Bar Tender at Charlie’s Aunt, the local town ‘watering hole’ here in the pristine suburbs, is that no one cares about what Jack does in his spare time. Just mix a good martini, Jack.

Oh, and then there’s the rather large difference in the price they pay for ‘services rendered.” Jack is still “a John” hiring a “$2 whore” and Eliot is “Client 9” paying $1,000 a night for a beautiful “escort”.

‘Arm candy’ is more expensive than a box of Godiva Chocolates, you know.

Personally, I’m less concerned about all that. What is really disturbing to me is how this underscores the prominent role of sexism and inequality in our culture. Rarely, if ever, do the ‘Johns” get prosecuted. In Spitzer’s case, the only reason he was brought down is due to the fact that the woman he was with was transported over state lines – a violation of the Mann Act of 1910.

The ‘prostitutes’? Well, we know what happens to them, don’t we? Even Scripture has great disdain and very little pity for the women who work in the oldest profession. But, oh, those boys-who-will-be-boys! Ain’t they something, though?

That’s not even it. I went to the webpage for “The Emperor’s Club.” There, disembodied pictures of women are rated according to a “diamond rating.” ‘Kristen’, the woman who ‘escorted’ the governor on the Eve of Valentine’s Day, was rated a 3 diamonds score – approximately $1,000 per night – placing her in the middle range of a rating system that tops off at 7 diamonds or $4,300 per night.

Mind you, ‘the girls’ only receive a portion of that. The margin of profit goes to the owners of The Emperor’s Club.

Not exactly a news flash, is it?. Whether we are talking about the Mill Girls of Lowell, MA at the turn of the century or the women who are Buyers for Macy’s, it was ever thus. Studies show that even in the church where there is a woman as Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies is also a woman, gender-bias and pay inequality run rampant among Episcopal Clergy who are women.

The NY Times is reporting that ‘Kristen’ is actually Ashley Alexandra Dupre, a 22 year old woman who left her Jersey Shore home at the age of 17 to pursue a career in music. That's her picture at the top of this post.

She has a dream, our little Ms. Ashley, to rise above the broken shards of her past and be a successful performer. And hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do in order to achieve her dreams, right? I mean, this is America, the land where you gotta be brave because nothing is free – not even the American Dream.

Ms. Dupre is quoted as saying, “I just don’t want to be thought of as a monster.” I guess she didn’t realize that achieving your dream can sometimes be a nightmare - especially for a woman.

Here’s what’s sticking in my craw: The diamond-rating system. If you look at the home page of The Emperor’s Club, under the faceless parade of legs in black silk stockings, g-strings on curvy hips and tight buttocks and red lace bras on bodacious breasts, there are anywhere from three to seven diamonds, depending upon how each . . . ‘girl’ . . . is rated.

The higher the number of diamonds, of course, the more expensive your evening will be.

It’s like the Westminster Dog Show!!!!!

I don’t know whether to be sick or disgusted; to laugh or cry.

So, the first question, of course, is why do these beautiful women do it? Surely, with that beauty, that physical perfection, those obviously well placed connections and access to networks of influence and power, they could get jobs as models and make $1,000 per hour rather than for an entire night. Right?

I’m sure I don’t know. That’s not even the question I want to ask. I want to know why the oldest profession is still in business.

I want someone to explain to me the reason why it is that we live in a world where there is a woman who running for the Democratic nomination as President of the United States who is the Senator from the same state as the Governor who is engaged in prostitution.

Does anyone else but me catch the irony of this?

Of all the things that make me angry and sad about this whole tragic mess – the ruination of a political career, the humiliation of Sila Spitzer, his wife, and their children and their families, the anguish of the family of the New Jersey woman who was Spitzer’s ‘call girl’ whose identity has now also been revealed in the NY Times, the chaos in the state government of New York – is that prostitution is still an acceptable ‘profession’.

That people still make money, literally on the backs of women. That women – beautiful women – continue to be seduced by the lure of ‘easy’ money, and the illusion of power and prestige and all the other trappings of the heterosexist, misogynist dominant cultural paradigm.

The Emperor’s Club, apparently revealed the vulgar transparency of arrogance, political corruption and blind ambition of a leading state official. In so doing, it also revealed something about the world’s oldest profession and something more about the world’s original sin.

Eight years into the dawn of the New Millennium, and the naked truth is this: sexism and misogyny continue to thrive in our post modern world, in the midst of the sophistication and polish of The Big Apple, of The Capitol City of The World.

As Flo Kennedy once said, “If we had come a long way, no one would still be calling us ‘baby’.”

I hope we keep Eliot Spitzer, his wife, Silda and their three young daughters in our prayers. I hope we pray for the State of New York, that it may recover from this time of scandal and move on to new leadership with Mr. Paterson, the first African-American governor of his state, and the first man who has vision impairment to be governor anywhere.

I hope we pray for Ashley, that she may come to know that she is not a monster, but that she might also learn that selling your body to achieve your dream can cost you your very soul.

And, once we get up off our knees, I hope we work to find a way to keep women off their backs as a position of sole support for their lives and their dreams.

The ancient Chinese proverb is that women hold up half the sky. You can't do that unless you're standing upright, claiming your full dignity as a child of God.

Of all the lessons this awful time will teach us, I hope we listen most closely to this.

Why can't we be friends

For Mimi and Jonathan

ENS: Schofield and Cox Deposed

Episcopal News Service
March 12, 2008

House of Bishops consents to deposition of John-David Schofield, William Cox

By staff

[ENS] The House of Bishops voted March 12 to consent to the deposition from the ordained ministry of the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, and the Rt. Rev. William Jackson Cox, bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Maryland, resigned.

Members of the House of Bishops are preparing a statement regarding these actions and for release after a March 12 afternoon session.

The process used to work through these resolutions took into account the importance of prayer and careful reflection before each vote was taken.

Specifically, in both cases the House was first led in prayer by a chaplain, followed by small-group discussion, and then plenary discussion. After this, voting commenced. Each vote was cast clearly in the majority, with some nay votes, and some abstentions.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked the bishops assembled "to continue to reach out" in pastoral care to both Schofield and Cox.

"Abandoning the Communion of this Church does not meet we abandon a person as a member of the Body of Christ," Jefferts Schori said.

Full texts of the resolutions follow. Each resolution was considered and voted upon separately. The resolution pertaining to Schofield was acted upon first.

RESOLUTION

RESOLVED, that pursuant to Canon IV.9.2 of the Episcopal Church, the House of Bishops hereby consents to the Deposition from the ordained ministry of the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin.

EXPLANATION: On January 9, 2008, the Title IV Review Committee certified to the Presiding Bishop, pursuant to Canon IV.9.1, that the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, has repudiated the Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship of the Episcopal Church and has abandoned the Communion of the Church by, inter alia, departing from the Episcopal Church and purporting to take his Diocese with him into affiliation with the Province of the Southern Cone. In the intervening two months since the Presiding Bishop gave notice to Bishop Schofield of the foregoing certification, Bishop Schofield has failed to submit to the Presiding Bishop sufficient retraction or denial of the actions found by the Title IV Review
Committee. Accordingly, the Presiding Bishop has presented the matter to the House of Bishops and requested consent to Bishop Schofield's Deposition.

RESOLUTION

RESOLVED, that pursuant to Canon IV.9.2 of the Episcopal Church, the House of Bishops hereby consents to the Deposition from the ordained ministry of the Rt. Rev. William Jackson Cox, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Maryland, resigned.

EXPLANATION: On May 29, 2007, the Title IV Review Committee certified to the Presiding Bishop, pursuant to Canon IV.9.1, that the Rt. Rev. William Jackson Cox, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Maryland, resigned, has repudiated the Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship of the Episcopal Church and has abandoned the Communion of the Church by, inter alia, departing from the Episcopal Church and stating his intention to continue to perform episcopal acts solely under the oversight and jurisdiction of a bishop outside the Episcopal Church without conforming to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church. In the intervening two months since the Presiding Bishop gave notice to Bishop Cox of the foregoing certification, Bishop Cox has failed to submit to the Presiding Bishop sufficient retraction or denial of the actions found by the Title IV Review Committee. Accordingly, the
Presiding Bishop has presented the matter to the House of Bishops and requested consent to Bishop Cox's Deposition.

Dave Walker Does it Again

With a few bold strokes, Dave Walker over at Cartoon Church has summed up the essence of the decision from Lambeth Palace to exclude Bishop Gene Robinson from the gathering of Primates and Bishops in the World Wide Anglican Communion.

Hmmm . . .never noticed this before, but isn't it interesting how close the miter looks to the "dunce cap"?

The Governor and the Emperor's Club

The New York Times broke the story early yesterday afternoon. By 2 PM, the media airwaves were full of the news: Eliot Spitzer, the Governor of the State of New York, was linked to a Prostitution Ring.

By 5 PM, the local news channels were on their 1,000th loop of replaying his statement of apology, made only a few hours before. There he was, looking calm and anything but apologetic. His wife Silda was by his side. The only word I could use to describe her pale face, obviously struggling to hold back any sign of emotion, was "stricken."

Ironies - ironies upon ironies - abound. This is the governor who built his political campaign for governor on the promise to bring ethics back to New York State.

As Attorney General, he made his name prosecuting at least two prostitution rings while he was chair of the state's task force on organized crime. In one such case in 2004, Mr. Spitzer spoke with revulsion and anger after announcing the arrest of 16 people for operating a high-end (whatever the heck that means) prostitution ring out of Staten Island.

The NY Times reports: "Federal prosecutors rarely charge clients in prostitution cases, which are generally seen as state crimes. But the Mann Act, passed by Congress in 1910 to address prostitution, human trafficking and what was viewed at the time as immorality in general, makes it a crime to transport someone between states for the purpose of prostitution."

The Mann Act. How ironic for the Governor of the State of New York, a common "John" to be brought down by "the Man/n."

The NY Times further reports: "Under the state constitution, should Mr. Spitzer resign, Mr. Paterson, the lieutenant governor would serve the remainder of the Governor’s term.

Mr. Paterson’s current office would remain unfilled until the 2010 election, as the constitution makes no provision for filling a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office. Under those circumstances, Joseph L. Bruno, is the Republican majority leader and temporary president of the state senate, would "perform all the duties of the lieutenant-governor" until a new one is elected in 2010.

Those duties include acting as governor when the nominal office-holder is out of the state. Moreover, should Mr. Spitzer resign and if Mr. Paterson were unwilling or unable to take his place, Mr. Bruno would become acting governor—a possibility that would hold special irony, given the vicious and ongoing battles between Mr. Bruno and Mr. Spitzer over the last year."

Yes, well, but the deepest irony for me is that "Client 9," as Spitzer is named in the afidavit (which begs the question - if the Governor of the State of NY is "number 9", who the heck are the first eight?), frequented the prostitution ring named "The Emperor's Club."

Looks like this Governor had no clothes - in more ways than one. I guess that happens when you weave together threads of arrogance, political power, judgement, blind ambition, and corruption.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/nyregion/10cnd-spitzer.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

What Real Bishops Say

The Rt Rev. Gene Robinson, although an elected diocesan bishop in the Episcopal Church has not been invited to attend the Lambeth Conference of bishops of the Anglican Communion. Lambeth Palace offered him a place in the Marketplace - the exhibit hall for the conference. Here is his letter in response:

I first want to thank Ed and Bruce and Tom. (ed.note - the bishops who tried to negotiate with Lambeth for Gene and the House of Bishops) They have been so true to what they were asked to do by the Presiding Bishop. They have been in close communication with me. I have felt very supported by them. They have represented me extremely well.

I want to be clear than I am not here to whine. I learned of the result of this negotiation on Friday evening. I have been in considerable pain ever since.

But I want to acknowledge that I am not the first or last person to be in pain at a House of Bishops meeting.

My own pain was sufficient enough that for 36 hours I felt the compelling urge to run, to flee. My inspiration for staying came from my conservative brothers in this house. I have seen John Howe and Ed Salmon and others show up for years when there was a lot of pain for them. I see Bill Love and Mark Lawrence, and I know it is a very difficult thing for them to be here right now. For me, the worst sin is leaving the table. And that is what I was on the verge of doing. But, largely because of you, I stayed. Thank you for that.

I want to tell you why I declined the invitation as it was proposed. I really had high hopes that something might work out. I have been talking with the Anglican Communion Office for almost a year now. I got my first phone call four days before the invitations to Lambeth went out. I thought something would work out.

The offer to be hosted at the Marketplace is a non-offer. That is already available to me. One workshop on one afternoon and being interviewed by the secular press was not anything I was seeking. I wasn't going to Lambeth to have another interview with the secular press. If interviewed at all, I want to talk with a theologian. I want to talk about the love of Christ. I want to talk about the God who saved me and redeemed me and continues to live in my life. I want to talk about the Jesus I know in my life.

But my mind boggles at the misperception that this is just about gay rights. It might be in another context, but in this context it is about God's love of all of God's children. It's a theological discussion, it's not a media show. I have been most disappointed in that my desire was to participate in Bible study and small groups, and that is not being offered. It makes me wonder: if we can't sit around a table and study the Bible together, what kind of communion do we have and what are we trying to save?

I am dismayed and sickhearted that we can't sit around a table, as brothers and sisters in Christ, and study scripture together.

It has been a very difficult 48 hours sitting here and hearing your plans for Lambeth.

In my most difficult moments, it feels as if, instead of leaving the 99 sheep in search of the one, my chief pastor and shepherd, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has cut me out of the herd.

I ask two things of you. Some of you have indicated that if I am not invited, you won't go either. I want to say loud and clear - you must go. You must find your voice. And somehow you have to find my voice and the voices of all the gay and lesbian people in your diocese who, for now, don't have a voice in this setting. I'd much rather be talked to than talked about. But you must go and tell the stories of your people, faithful members of your flock who happen to be lesbian and gay.

For God's sake, don't stay away.

And second, please don't let them separate me from you. Please don't let that happen. It will be difficult, and we will have to be intentional. I know that the last thing you will need at the end of the day is another meeting just so I can catch up with you. But I hope you will be willing to stay in touch with me.

From the day I have walked into this House I have been treated with respect and welcome, even, and perhaps especially, by those of you who voted no on my consent.

I can never thank you enough for that. I will always and every moment treasure your welcome and your hospitality.

Don't let them cut me off from you.

All this is really sad for me and for my diocese. I won't have the experiences you will have, to share with them. But I will be there in the marketplace, willing to talk with anyone who wants to talk, especially with those who disagree with me. If you know me at all, you know that that's true.

Now, my focus has to change. Maybe this is what God has in mind. I had hoped to focus on the community of bishops at Lambeth, making my own contribution to its deliberations. But now, I think I will go to Lambeth thinking about gay and lesbian people around the world who will be watching what happens there. I will go to Lambeth remembering the 100 or so twenty-something's I met in Hong Kong this fall, who meet every Sunday afternoon to worship and sing God's praise in a secret catacomb of safety - because they can't be gay AND Christian in their own churches. I will be taking them to Lambeth with me. They told me that the Episcopal Church was their hope for a different, welcoming church. They told me they were counting on us. Yes, the things we do in the Episcopal Church have ramifications far, far away - and sometimes those ramifications are good.

I hope we can talk about the ways we can stay in touch in Lambeth. I will be praying for you, all the time. I know it will seem very strange, being separated from you. But we can do it if we want to. I have nothing but respect and sympathy for the Archbishop of Canterbury and the difficult place he is in. I was trying to help him, and it just didn't work.

Pray for me. I will need that. A lot.

(Note: T-shirt design by MadPriest. But, of course.)

Jesus At The Movies

My congregation and I have stumbled onto what other churches have no doubt already discovered: Christian Education at the movies.

We have been doing this for a few years now, and it is a great way to build community while having an opportunity to discuss Christian themes, spirituality and ethics in a postmodern, secular, confusing world which is hungry for community and meaning.

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by. We'd love to see you!

The Episcopal Church of St. Paul is pleased to present

The Spring Series of “Jesus At The Movies"

This season’s theme is “Family Trouble”. We’ll look at three films and discuss the complex, funny, and sometimes tragic but always compelling nature of families. The film is always shown on Friday evening . Discussion follows on Saturday morning in the Moore Conference Room. RSVP (so we can make enough popcorn).

April 18: The Ice Storm 7-9 PM
Discussion: April 19, 9:30-11 AM

Prep-schooler Tobey Maguire returns home one winter weekend and finds his family on the verge of imploding. His father (Kevin Kline) tries to douse his unhappiness with booze and infidelity while his mother (Joan Allen) searches for answers in self-help books. The experimentation and permissiveness that defined the times lead to ruin as the family's surroundings literally turn to ice during a freakish storm.
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen Director: Ang Lee

May 9: You Can Count on Me 7-9 PM
Discussion: May 10, 9:30-llAM

Small-town single mom Sammy Prescott (Laura Linney) is preoccupied with raising her son Rudy (Rory Culkin), who's become sullen -- and curious about his missing dad. Amid romantic and work troubles, Sammy's wayward brother Terry (Mark Ruffalo) appears, instantly bonding with Rudy and instigating a perilous father-son reunion. Director Kenneth Lonergan's intimate, Oscar-nominated drama won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize.
Starring: Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo Director: Ken Lonergan

June 6: The Graduate 7-9 PM
Discussion: June 7, 9:30-11 AM

Dustin Hoffman (in his first major film role) turns in a landmark performance as a naïve young man recently graduated from college who is seduced by a middle-aged neighbor (Anne Bancroft). He, in turn, falls in love with her daughter (Katharine Ross). Mike Nichols won a Best Director Oscar, and Simon and Garfunkel achieved immortality with a score that includes "Mrs. Robinson."
Starring: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman Director: Mike Nichols

Absolutely everyone is invited!

(But please let us know you’re coming)

200 Main Street – Chatham, NJ (973 635 8085) www.stpaulschatham.org 

Come! Grow! Celebrate!

The Radical Orthodox Rabbi

I was asked to go to a local facility - one of those "one-stop-shopping" Residential/ Skilled Nursing /Rehabilitative / Alzheimer / Hospice facilities that are flourishing here in the Northeast corridor - to do the baptism of a 75 year old woman who is a resident there, who had recently been transferred to the Hospice Unit.

Her deceased husband had been Roman Catholic and had insisted on proper instruction and baptism for their two children - one now a Presbyterian and the other an Episcopalian.

She had always refused Communion because she had never been baptized. As she has been preparing for her eventual death, she asked that she be baptized because, she says, she is now ready. At the age of 75.

"I'm doing it for me, not for anyone else," she said. "I'm doing it because I want to, because I want to see Jesus when I get to heaven."

I've visited with her a few times to make certain she understood what was being offered. I didn't want her to think this was some kind of "Magical Mystery Tour" but to be fully cognizant of the Sacrament of Baptism and Eucharist, and the grace being offered to her through them.

We decided to do the Baptism this morning, when her daughter and son and grandchildren could be present. It was a joy and an honor and a privilege to baptize her and then preside at her first reception of Holy Eucharist. Some readers of this Blog will be relieved to know that at no time were any rubrics or canons injured, violated or compromised. All the 't's' were crossed and all the 'i's' were dotted.

As I was leaving her room, I came upon a most amazing site. An orthodox Rabbi was heading into the Dining Room - his seven children and wife in tow - immediately recognizable as orthodox by his beard, fedora, tzitzit or prayer tassels, tallit or prayer shawl and teffilin or phylactery (I think I spelled everything correctly. If not, you should excuse me. I am 'goyim' - non-Jew - after all.)

Curious, I followed him in and saw the dining room filled almost to capacity, with others lining up to enter. As I looked around the room, I recognized many there who were not Jewish. The Rabbi saw me standing at the door and said, "Come in, come in. Welcome!"

"Good morning, Rabbi," I said as I smiled.

"We're about to start the Shabbat," he said, "Come!"

He noted the look of hesitancy and surprise that crossed my face as he glanced at my clerical collar and the cross on my neck. "It's okay," he said. "Do you know someone here? Would you like to sit next to them?"

"No," I responded, more curious now than either hesitant or surprised.

"Still, come in. It won't take long before everyone knows everyone."

His wife came to my side, their seven small children came too, like baby ducks following their Mama. "There's plenty to eat. Come," she said with a beautiful smile.

"Let me guess." said her husband, "You're Rabbi is the one from Nazareth. Jesus, right?"

"Right." I said. "Ah, and a good, orthodox Jew he was. He knew Torah and the Shema. But, you know that, right? You have studied his teaching?"

"Yes," I said, surprised if not taken aback.

"Then," he said, "only one question remains: Are you hungry?"

"A little," I offered sheepishly, "Yes, I suppose I am."

"Ah, good! Wonderful! Come, come! Ruth! Ruth! Make a place for our guest. There, can she sit next to you? There you go," he said as he seated me next to Ruth, adding to the rest of the table, "Isn't this wonderful? The whole family is gathering from near and far and we are going to share a most wonderful meal in the name of our most abundant God."

Then, he leaned and whispered into my ear, "You know, like your Rabbi, I have a little bit of the radical in me, too. In Rabbinical School, they tried to teach it out of me, but as you can tell, it didn't work." He laughed and then he and his wife made themselves busy seating the rest of their guests and finishing the preparations for the service.

Before we began, the Rabbi stood at the table and formerly welcomed us to the Shabbat service by first apologizing for conducting the service in Hebrew - "It's the only way I know how to say it," he said while some giggled and others murmured assuringly, "It's okay, Rabbi. You just do your best."

Ruth touched my arm and whispered, "Did your parents teach you Hebrew?"

"No," I said, "I'm sorry."

"Ach!" she said, "Such a shame! I don't know what's wrong with parents today! Tsk! Tsk!"

The Rabbi explained that what we were about to do three things: First and foremost, we were to remember the gift of our freedom, our liberation from bondage, gained for us by the Great Prophet Moses in ancient Egypt. "Such a gift," said the Rabbi, "should always be remembered, always celebrated."

Second, said the Rabbi, we were to remember the gift of the Sabbath, a time of resting from our labors to remember and give praise to the God who created us, who also rested from his labors. "Work, work, work!" said the Rabbi, "Sheesh! We could work ourselves to death and never enjoy the fruits of our labor! That's not what God wants, does he?" The congregation shook their heads collectively as negative responses filled the air.

Finally, the Rabbi told us that we will have a taste of the Messianic times, when God will send "An Anointed One" to bring true shalom - true, lasting peace, without poverty or war, disease or famine - to the whole earth. That will be a most wonderful time, won't it?" "Yes!" shouted one of the Rabbi's children joyfully as everyone chuckled.

He said some silent prayers, as his wife lit the candles and then he said the kiddush over the wine and the prayers over the bread. I got "Barukh ata Adonia, Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam . . ." (Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe . . .).

And you know, nothing else really mattered.

I found myself weeping (I know. I can be such a girly-girl). Never had I experienced such radical hospitality in any religious service. My gender, my sexual orientation, my clerical collar, not even the small cross which hung from my neck had kept me from fully participating in that service.

I felt my heart pounding wildly in my chest and a surge of joy that must have been like that felt by the tax collectors and women caught in adultery, the widows and orphans, and all the other sinners when invited to Table with that thoroughly orthodox rabbi who didn't have his radical nature "taught" out of him.

I also understood at a deep level in my soul why that ancient "woman of ill repute" anointed the head of her Rabbi with expensive perfume, and wept at his feet and wiped them with her hair.

I didn't have much time to think on these things at the moment because, almost immediately the Oneg Shabbat Service began, which followed by a wonderful Shabbat luncheon of fish and salad and challah bread and the wine which had been blessed, all lovingly prepared by the Rabbi's wife.

Then, we sang songs."Take Me Out To the Ball Game." "My Wild Irish Rose." And, "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." Oh, and someone insisted on singing "The Dreidel Song." We all joined in the singing and laughed and laughed and laughed.

Someone else did a solo of "Sunrise, sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof, accompanied by someone who played the sadly out of tune piano in the corner. When the man who sang it, a big, strapping Irishman whose red hair had turned to silver, finished, he apologized because, he said, it was the only Jewish song he knew. It brought both the Rabbi and his wife to tears as they thanked him.

We talked with each other and some of us danced with the children, and an absolutely marvelous time was had by all. As we left the dining room, I heard the Rabbi and his wife and some of his children say to everyone, "Thank you for coming. We'll see you next month. You'll come? Good! Stay well."

You know, something happened to me in that service. It was transformational. I do believe Jesus was there and fully approved. I saw his joy reflected in the eyes of that orthodox, slightly radical Rabbi.

I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room where we did, in fact, experience a foretaste of the Messianic Banquet, where true Shalom, was present.

This morning, none of us was poor. None of us was hungry. None of us was sick. We ate and drank until we were full. When we danced, we forgot our aches and pains, our age and even our diagnosis or that of our neighbor. We were one. We were reconciled with ourselves, our God and each other. We were at peace.

That's what is supposed to happen at our Eucharist. Be honest. Beyond the personal, individual sense of spiritual satisfaction at the altar rail, when is the last time you felt like that in community?

Okay, we've got our rubrics and our canons. I get that. But, surely, as followers of the orthodox, radical Rabbi Jesus, the Christ, we can do better than rubrics and canons. Surely, our Eucharists, when we remember the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and He is truly and fully present, can be a place were, in His Most Precious and Blessed Name, all are welcome, all can sit at table, all can hear the ancient words of prayer and not understand with our heads, but know them deep in our hearts and souls.

What evangelism! What a way to transform the world!

Then again, isn't that more nearly the orthodox, radical Way of Jesus?

I came home and, as I went about my weekend tasks, I found myself weeping again. I wept for the woman I baptized this morning - for the years she was kept from the fullness of community and family because of rubrics and canons.

I wept that some of my 'radical' nature has apparently been 'taught out of me'.

I wept because when Jesus, The Messiah, The Anointed One, comes again to bring true Shalom to all the world, I will have some explaining to do.

I wept with deep joy and gratitude for the simple question, "Are you hungry?" followed by the simple invitation to "Come."

I wept because I'm ashamed to admit it: I didn't know just how hungry I've been.

I wept remembering these words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe?
Expediency asks the question: Is it politic?
Vanity asks the question: Is it popular?
But conscience asks the question: Is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right."

Shalom, chaverim. Shalom, my friends.

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day.

More than 15,000 women marched in New York City in 1908 demanding shorter working hours, better pay and voting rights.

One hundred years later, we've got our voting rights. And the first woman candidate for President of The United States.

Not so in the rest of the world.

Women still hold up half of the sky, as that Ancient Chinese saying goes, but we bear more than our share of the world's burden.

To find out more about the work of International Women's Day, please visit their website

And, make a generous contribution to the Millennium Development Goals through Episcopal Relief and Development.

Spring forward, fall back: I'm dizzy

Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October. In the EU, all time zones change at the same moment.

That means that in 2008, Daylight Savings Time in the US begins at 2 AM, Sunday, March 9th.

In the UK., Summer Time begins at 1 AM Universal Time on Sunday, March 30, but it won't be Summer Time in the U.S. until June 21, at the moment of the solstice, when the sun reaches its highest altitude in the north, the Tropic of Cancer.

If I understand this correctly, until March 30 there will be one less hour of time difference between the US and most European nations. That's an additional three hours of time in the cosmos. Is that right?

What happens to the time as we change it in the various time zones in the US? I have this cartoon image of a clock at the center of the universe spinning madly in the middle of the night as it tries to keep up with all the various changes across the country until dawn.

Hawai'i never changes its time. It's always the right time in Paradise. Does that mean Hawai'i is ahead or behind the time? Or, is it the rest of us?

If Summer Time begins in the UK after March 30th, can they still wear white even though its not Memorial Day (and, everyone knows you can't wear white until after Memorial Day)?

We gained an entire day in this Leap Year, on February 29th. Does that mean that this year has a sum total of an additional 27 hours of time? How does that effect the calculation of high and low tide? Has someone told the Easter Bunny? Santa Claus? The Tooth Fairy? Will there always be an England?

I have no idea how that all works or what that means for the cosmos. It simply boggles my mind.

Just remember this, people:

GET YOURSELF TO CHURCH ON TIME SUNDAY MORNING!

Thank you. Thank you very much.

"Press Release" from the Diocese of NY

Louie Crew has written a brilliant satire regarding Bishop Mark Sisk's letter about Honor Moore's book, "The Bishop's Daughter." Reprinted with Louie's kind permission.

EMBARGOED until April 1st:

This just in from the Diocese of New York:

Rt. Rev. Mark Sisk, Bishop of New York, has called on the Standing Liturgical Commission to expunge 2 Samuel 11 and 12 from the canons of Holy Scripture, as well as any subsequent references to the narrative therein.

"King David violated professional boundaries, and it is regrettable that someone decided to memorialize his sorry affair with Mrs. Bathsheba Hittite and her cuckold," Bishop Sisk explained.

In a letter to be read to all parishes in the diocese next Sunday, Bishop Sisk notes: "David did not understand the enormity of his sin. Look at the overrated Psalm 51, for example. In it the king says, 'Against you and you only have I done any wrong.' The king does not acknowledge any offense against Mr. U. Hittite or the Hittite family. Instead, he married the'widow.'"

Last month Bishop Sisk brought similar objections to THE BISHOP's DAUGHTER, a book he takes to be about boundary violations by Bishop Sisk's penultimate predecessor.

Bishop Richard Grein, Bishop Sisk's immediate predecessor, could not be reached for comment. While still the ordinary, Grein divorced his wife and married his canon pastor. The couple are rumored to be in flight to Aruba lest there be additional pastoral letters from 1047 Amsterdam Avenue.
#30#

Is anyone listening?

Go to this site to hear a recording of an Oklahoma State Legislator give a jaw-dropping speech that drips with hate.

She thought only fifty people were listening.

Go to The Victory Fund and let her know you heard what she said and that she doesn't represent you.

A very short sermon on Ezekiel 37:3-4

The 'Preacher'?

Why, it's MadPriest, of course.

FUNDRAISING: A TALE OF TWO BLOGS

The following was published in this month's edition of THE VOICE, a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.

Fundraising. It’s the bane of many in parochial ministry, a harsh necessity to provide financial support for particular social justice programs or organizations, some of which are missions of the church, above and beyond (and often in addition to) the regular stewardship campaign.

Technology has been an enormous help. Information is more easily available, and almost anyone has the ability to produce promotional information that is effective and looks professional. Communication by email is often more efficient than a telephone call or ‘snail mail’. When inevitable problems or glitches arise, a group email can settle the problem in a matter of hours.

Fundraising in Cyberspace? Get out! No way!

Yes way. Not only do I know it exists, I’ve seen it happen.

From December 1, 2007 to January 6, 2008, I was privileged to be part of an international effort which raised over $10,000 in cyberspace for a special ministry of Cristo Rei(Christ the King) Episcopal Anglican Church in Cidade de Deus (City of God), the poorest section of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To know how we did that is to know the story of two Blogs and the power of the Internet as a highly influential post-modern medium of message.

Jonathan Hagger, an Anglican Priest at St. Francis, Newcastle Upon Tyne has a blog “Of Course I Could Be Wrong” where his alter-ego, “MadPriest” is the virtual mayor of an international “neighbourhood” where absolutely everyone is invited and no holds are barred.

In preparation for General Convention 2006, Randy Johnson, the Parish Administrator at St. Paul’s, set up a Blog for me as a place where I could keep my wardens, vestry and parish members informed of my perceptions of General Convention. I called it “Telling Secrets” which, in my naiveté, I thought only they would read. I’m embarrassed to admit it now, but I had no clue that Blogs were such a vastly public place or that anyone else would find my reflections of any interest. Almost 170,000 visitors later, it has become an unintended hobby where I now post reflective essays about various topics that interest or confound me as well as various news items concerning events in the World Wide Anglican Communion in general and The Episcopal Church in particular.

Luiz Coehlo is a frequent commenter on both Blogs, with a few Blogs of his own. He is a seminarian who did an internship in Cidade de Deus, often telling us what he witnessed in his ministry among the children, there, sometimes sending us pictures or videos.

Jonathan contacted me by phone one mid-November morning and together we hatched a simple plan to raise money for “Luiz’s kids”. It would be a Christmas Appeal to the readership of our Blogs. We thought we might be able to raise, oh, perhaps, a couple thousand dollars. Maybe buy some Christmas presents for the kiddos. We had no idea!

There were 134 contributors to the Appeal: 122 from the US, 6 from the UK, 3 from Canada, one from Sweden and two from Australia. More than a handful of contributions were in the amount of $5 and one in the amount of $500; most were in the range of $25 -$75. Approximately 10 people contributed more than once - several contributed several times in small amounts of $5 and large amounts of $100. There was one challenge donation of $200 and an appeal to sacrifice our “Starbucks fix” for one week and contribute that amount to the Appeal.

Laura Weinbrom, our Parish Financial Coordinator, set up a PayPal Account through St. Paul’s, Chatham as well as a checking account designated for this specific purpose. Contributors were told that they could donate either by credit card through PayPal or check to St. Paul’s.

Jonathan and I ‘launched’ the campaign on the first of December on our Blogs. We provided updates every couple of days. Jonathan was a particularly effective fundraiser, sometimes using outrageous humor to promote generous giving. We rejoice to have been able to wire $10,180 to the church’s account in Rio bank.

I should say that while PayPal provided the most efficient and most often used means for contributions, it was not the easiest administratively. They do charge a hefty surcharge of 30% and their requirements were sometimes daunting for a small tax-exempt organization. I think we learned a great deal from this experience and we’ll be ready for it next time.

Yes, there will be a next time. We already provide automatic monthly cash withdrawal for those who pledge at St. Paul’s. My finance committee and I are in conversation with my Wardens and Vestry about how we might use credit cards and/or PayPal and the Internet for specific fundraising efforts. Might we ‘partner’ with a ‘sister’ parish in a ‘companion’ diocese? Might there be people who do not claim membership in a particular church or denomination who, nevertheless, might want to support a good work of ministry?

In these days of financial constraint and concern, it behooves us, I think, to apply our imagination to ways we might use technology creatively to assist us in raising the funds needed to do the work of Christ’s mission in the world.

After all, Jesus used the web of the technology of his day - sandals. He sent his disciples out two by two to create webs of information and community, which eventually (and very effectively) became international in their composition.

I am happy to share the particulars of our experience with anyone who wishes to give this a try. I would love to learn about your experiences. The best way to reach me is either on my cell phone or by email – but, of course!

Information about Cristo Rei: http://cristorei.anglicanarj.org/home-en.html
Cidade de Deus: http://cristorei.anglicanarj.org/cidade_de_deus-en.html

Target Practice

Okay, so shoot me. If it isn't already abundantly clear, I'm for Ms. Hillary as the Democratic Candidate for the next President of these United States.

She's highly intelligent, politically savvy, experienced, seasoned and tested.

And, yes. She's a Bitch.

Put a 'capitol B' on that word, please. Because of all of the adjectives above.

'Bitch' has come to describe a strong woman who knows who she is and what she wants and is willing to work hard in order to achieve her goals. You know, just like men. Except, they are described as 'self-directed', 'goal oriented', and 'successful.'

I'll leave that essay about the next level of sexism for another time. Right now, I want to talk about the dilemma I'm struggling with: the nomination for Democratic presidential candidate. In talking with many Democrats - male and female - I know I'm not alone in this.

Look, I'm as excited as anyone else about the Democratic slate. An African American and a woman! Women of a certain age never thought it would be possible in our life time. And, there she is. There he is. My, my, my. Whodathunk it? It's certainly cause for great celebration - and, yes, hope.

I admit, I'm worried (Ready?). I'm worried that Mr. Obama is going to win the nomination.

Not that I don't want an African American or a man to win. It's that I want a Democratic candidate to win.

My real concern is that Mr. Obama can't win.

I admit, I'm worried (Aim!). I am very concerned about the fact that while he's obviously 'all that' - intelligent, self-directed, goal-oriented and successful - he is not seasoned, experienced or tested. He's a junior senator with no international experience, for goodness sake! He needs more seasoning. More experience. More testing.

He's got lots and lots and lots of charisma, of this there can be no doubt. Suddenly, I feel like that feisty old woman in those commercials for Wendy's Hamburgers. I listen to him and I find myself asking, "Where's the beef?"

So much of what we know about both candidates is what we read in the papers, and what I'm reading about both candidates smells like old fish. Susan Russell sent me the article below, which I append for your consideration. It's much of what I have suspected all along.

I like Mr. Obama. It's not that. I want an African American to be President. It's not that. I don't mind having another man as President of the United States. It's not that.

It's this: While she is far from perfect, as far as I'm concerned, the only really qualified candidate we have for the kind of change we need is Ms. Hillary.

So, here it is: (Get ready to fire!). If Mr. Obama wins the Democratic nomination, I just may have to vote for Mr. McCain.

Never mind. Put down your guns. If I had to do that I'd probably shoot myself first. At this point, however, I'm seriously considering the possibility of voting for a Republican President for the first time in my life.

Not because he's Republican, but because if Mr. Obama is the Democratic candidate, Mr. McCain is going to win anyway. It brings me no joy to say that he probably should. There is simply no contest between Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain.

Change for the sake of change is not good enough. These are dangerous times - politically, economically, and internationally. We need someone who is seasoned. Experienced. Tested. Mr. Obama is not. Mr. McCain is.

And, Mr. McCain is certainly smarter that the present incumbent. Further, he has earned a reputation for sitting down and talking with Democrats. He's a reasonable Republican. Just the fact that the Religious Right hates him is almost reason enough for me to like him.

But, Ms. Hillary? She's all that and more. More importantly, she can win against Mr. McCain. Then again, what do I know. I'm just a woman.

Here's the bottom line, for me: If she's not the candidate, well, as far as I'm concerned, it's all over but the crying. I'm sure there are those who are for Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain who are saying the same thing.

You wouldn't know that from reading the papers. Well, here. Read this. Okay, it's one perspective, but I think it's a voice that is being suppressed in the 'free press'.

I know I'm going to pick up a lot of heat for this, but there it is. Tell me what you think.

The Uppity Woman has just unfurled her 'Bitch' flag. Target practice has officially begun.

(With apologies to my sisters and brothers who work hard against that militaristic imagery. Find me a better metaphor and I'll use it, but for me, it fits. You just wait and see.)


Caveat emptor
When it comes to news about candidates, few people really know what they are getting

By Ellen Snortland 02/28/2008

American news consumers are double-crossed by the mainstream press all the time. The Latin phrase, "caveat emptor," or "buyer beware," is particularly apt for news consumption. As news consumers, how do you know what's missing if it's missing? I've seen press bias about Hillary Clinton (and other powerful women) my entire professional life. How do you impact a biased media without access to the media? Double standards and double binds abound!

Here's a recent, relatively small yet highly emblematic example: I was eager to attend the Feb. 2 Hillary Clinton rally at Cal State LA. I arrived around 7:30 a.m. for a 9 a.m. start time. I had forgotten to apply for a press pass, so I was prepared to stand in line. At the entrance to the main gym, I was thrilled to see that people of every color, age, size and yes, both genders, were waiting. "Wow," I thought, "Is it possible there won't be room in the auditorium?"

Looking for the end of the line, I kept walking. I grew more choked up as I walked. People were engaged in the democratic process. They were on fire, inspired and eager to support Sen. Clinton. This is exactly like the crowds the media covers showing up for Sen. Barack Obama. They cared enough to take a precious Saturday morning to participate in the selection of the next president of the United States. I saw remote news vans. OK, finally, the Clinton camp will get some decent coverage. How is it possible that I can still be so naïve after all these years of being a part of the media, albeit the alternative media?

Finally, I arrived at the end of the line. I realized I was not going to get into the gym. Fortunately, I let a friend of mine, MJ - who had a sprained ankle and was using a cane - stand with me in line so she wouldn't have to hike even further. An hour later, a campaign volunteer pulled people out of the line who needed handicapped access. I got to accompany MJ and made it into the rally.

The place was packed to the rafters and smelled of the sports gyms of my youth: that unmistakable mix of maple flooring and packed bodies. They had to set up an overflow area outside for the thousands of people who could not get in. I stood shoulder to shoulder with a crowd that actually looked like the population of America. The press bleachers were packed. "There's no way the press is going to be able to ignore the inspirational impact that Hillary has on people," I thought.

Her speech was exhilarating, as were those of her endorsers: US Rep. Maxine Waters, Sally Field, Magic Johnson, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers ... the list is too long for this column. Our cheers were deafening. The rafters literally shook. The chants: "Hillary, Hillary, Hillary" or "Si, se puede!" (An AP reporter, David Espo, reported recently that "Si, se puede" is a translation of Obama's "Yes, we can," when almost any progressive from California knows the United Farm Workers and other labor activists have been chanting "Si, se puede" for decades.)

I left refueled. I tuned into news with great expectations. Alas, the Hillary event was reported in the most tedious manner possible, if at all. No mention of the packed crowd, no "sound bites" from her stellar line-up of endorsers, no sounds of the rapturous, gigantic crowd. No mention of the overflow. Meanwhile, the Obama rally on the same day was reported with words like "raucous," and "packed," with the ambient sound of the chanting crowd of passionate Obama supporters. How do you know what's missing if it's missing? If I hadn't been there to witness it myself, from the news reports I would have concluded the Clinton event was virtually empty.

Later, a so-called liberal talk show host "spun" the event at Cal State LA to be Latino vs. African American. Excuse me? Why the intentional creation of conflict? There were plenty of African Americans - again, men and women - in that gym. Excuse me? Who is spinning what? When people support Clinton, it does not mean they are anti-Obama or anti-African American.

When I covered the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, I witnessed the impact Clinton had on gigantic crowds. She had them on fire. What did US readers get? More column inches on OJ Simpson and prosecutor Marcia Clark's hair. I have heard a news producer's directions to "Get a picture of that ugly woman," to represent a crowd full of all sorts of people when he was covering a feminist demonstration. You get the idea.

Do you think I could get this Cal State LA story published in the mainstream press? The irony is that if I suddenly became one of those "anti-feminist" female columnists, I'd bet you I'd be syndicated in no time.

Buyer beware, you're being sold on some ideas that are ultimately double-crossing all of us.

Refreshment Sunday: Bishop Beckwith's Visitation

YES WE WILL!!! YES WE WILL!!!

The 'Comeback Kid' came back and took Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island with her.

"We're going all the way," she said (When she and I were in high school, that meant something entirely different. Then again, in politics, maybe it means the same thing.)

“Americans don’t need more promises,” she said. “They’ve heard plenty of speeches. They deserve solutions, and they deserve them now.”

As she spoke, the crowd responded with chants of “Yes, she will!” — apparently an orchestrated response to Mr. Obama’s trademark “Yes, we can!”

Turning one of Mr. Obama’s themes against him, she said, “Together, we will turn promises into action, words into solutions and hope into reality.”

Oh, yeah. Obama took Vermont and McCain cinched the Republican nomination.

Okay, now where was I? Oh, yeah!

Yes we will! Yes we will!!

YES WE WILL!!!!!

Damn her!

She keeps asking difficult questions.

Yes, ten of them, in fact, guaranteed to make some people squirm.

(Someone I once saw for Spiritual Direction said to me, "I know you. You're the Sondheim witch - from 'Into The Woods' - who sings, 'I'm the witch, I'm not bad, I'm not good, I'm just right. I'm the witch.'")

Here's my recent posting on HOB/D - a fleshing out of the questions I asked before posting Mark Sisk's letter.

The entire discussion about Honor Moore's book "The Bishop's Daughter", and both Bishop Sisk's and Bishop Charles' letters about them, raise some important questions.

Let me state this first, clearly, and emphatically: I do not believe in infidelity to marriage vows. I do not believe in divorce. Even so, I have seen both and know that they exist. I believe that old saying, "you are only as sick as your most deeply held secret." This is even more the case when one's profession/vocation is one of public/congregational trust.

I know this may come as a surprise to some, but I want to restate a point that needs some expansion: that Paul Moore's sexual orientation was an 'open secret'. I am sure that both bishops who responded to Honor's book were, at the very least, aware of the 'open secret'. I suspect many on this list knew of the secret as well.

I know this will not come as a surprise to some but there are presently leaders in our church - male and female, lay and ordained - who live similar 'open secrets' about their lives.

You know who you are.

Think for one moment about the term 'open secret'. It implies that someone - several, perhaps many - know 'the secret' but they're not telling. They collude in the secrecy and therefore, the pathology. Edwin Freidman has a great deal to say about the family dynamic of keeping secrets in the family system known as 'the congregation' or 'the Temple' or 'the church'.

Freidman says the effects of family secrets are four:

1. Secrets function to divide a family as an avalanche would a community
2. They create unnecessary estrangements as well as false companionship.
3. They distort perceptions
4. Most importantly, they exacerbate other pathological processes.

Paul Moore could not, and others before and since can not, live an 'open secret' without the collusion of others. Indeed, I would venture to say that there are both those who benefit and those who are harmed by those who collude in the secret. Apparently, his wives knew, as well as his children. Apparently, so did many of his colleagues.

So, to those of you who are wailing and gnashing your teeth, consider these 10 questions:

1. If you never ask “the question” does it mean you don’t know the answer?

2. If you know ‘the secret’ but never tell it, are you spared from the responsibility of the truth?

3. If you are complicit in keeping a secret, do you bear equally in the consequences when the secret is told?

4. If it’s a ‘social secret’ about a Very Important Person, does that excuse you from having any responsibility for harm done when the secret is told?

5. If more harm than good will result in telling the secret, are you compelled to keep silence? Should one work first for the reduction of harm before telling the secret?

6. When is it right to ‘keep a secret’ and when is it wrong to tell it? Is it better to tell the secret before or after the person has died? How do you tell the secret? To whom do you tell it first?

7. Why is telling the secret of the tortured life of one who was hurt by his own secrecy and hurt so many not a good thing, especially if it will serve to help others tell the truth and see for themselves the damage done by living a life of duplicity?

8. Why should the nature of anyone's sexuality be an issue?

9. Why should anyone’s sexuality be a secret?

10. What does it say about our family system in the family of God known as The Anglican Communion that there are still those among us who live 'open secrets' - as well as those who know the secrets and collude in keeping them?

Women's History Month - Highlight Sr. Joan Chittister

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, MARCH 8:

“The moment a woman comes home to herself, the moment she knows that she has become a person of influence, an artist of her life, a sculptor of her universe, a person with rights and responsibilities who is respected and recognized, the resurrection of the world begins.” — Joan Chittister

Paul Moore: Questions and Answers and More Questions

So, here are my questions for Mark Sisk:

If you never ask “the question” does it mean you don’t know the answer?

If you know ‘the secret’ but never tell it, are you spared from the responsibility of the truth?

If you are complicit in keeping a secret, do you bear equally in the consequences when the secret is told?

If it’s a ‘social secret’ about a Very Important Person, does that excuse you from having any responsibility for harm done when the secret is told?

When is it right to ‘keep a secret’ and when is it wrong to tell it? Before or after the person has died?

Why is telling the secret of the tortured life of one who was hurt by his own secrecy and hurt so many not a good thing, especially if it will serve to help others tell the truth and see for themselves the damage done by living a life of duplicity?

Why should anyone’s sexuality be a secret?

And, here's what prompted these questions:

NEW YORK: Bishop Sisk responds to revelations about predecessor
By Mary Frances Schjonberg March 03, 2008
[Episcopal News Service]
Saying that information in a soon-to-be-published memoir by the daughter of former Diocese of New York Bishop Paul Moore "comes as a shock to many of us," current New York Bishop Mark Sisk has deplored what he calls Moore's "exploitive behavior."

Honor Moore, in her forthcoming book, "The Bishop's Daughter," describes how her father became involved in a long-term relationship with a man who came to him for advice about being received into the Episcopal Church. The man, to whom she gives the pseudonym Andrew Verver, was a Roman Catholic.

"The man that so many of us knew and admired was a man of enormous personal courage, a passionate, articulate, and tireless champion of the poor, the disenfranchised and the most desperately helpless in society," Sisk wrote about Moore in a February 29 pastoral letter. "He was all that, but as Ms. Moore tells us there was another side to him, a man who led a secret double life. While on the one hand he inspired people to work for, and hope for, a community that could stand against the powers of oppression and exploitation, on the other he was himself an exploiter of the vulnerable."

Moore, the 13th bishop of New York, became bishop coadjutor in 1969 and served the diocese as bishop from 1972 to 1989. Previously, Moore had been the bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Washington. Moore died in May 2003 at the age of 83. He had been suffering from brain and lung cancer. The former Marine who had earned a Silver Star, a Purple Heart and a Navy Cross, was known for his outspoken stands on issues of social justice. He advocated women's ordination early in the Episcopal Church's debate on the issue. In 1977 he became the first Episcopal bishop to ordain a lesbian as a priest.

In Moore's obituary, the New York Times said that he had been "the most formidable liberal Christian voice in the city" for more than a decade.

An excerpt from Honor Moore's book, due out in May, was published in the March 3 edition of the New Yorker magazine. Sisk said the article "brings to light what appears to be her father's decades-long violation of his wedding vows." Moore was married in 1944 to Jenny McKean, with whom he had nine children. She died in 1973. Two years later, Moore married Brenda Hughes, who died in 1999.

"Any person who has extra-marital relations commits an offense," Sisk wrote. "This is true whichever party is married: whether clergy or lay, same-sex or heterosexual. Whatever the circumstances, it is family relationships which are broken. And, indeed a point of Ms. Moore's article would seem to be just that: the relationships between Bishop Moore and Ms. Moore and her mother indeed were evidently severely damaged."

Sisk continued: "The preservation of those relationships is an important aspect of the Christian life and of course of the life of its ordained ministry. Actions such as those which Ms. Moore reports are wrong and could quite conceivably result in the most severe penalties that the church can apply to an ordained person."

Sisk wrote that Moore's offense was made worse by the manner in which it began, calling the circumstances "a fundamental violation of an ordained person's vow to minister to the needs of those entrusted to his or her care; never is this more so than when working with the vulnerable who have come seeking pastoral care.

"Sadly the violation of trust that Ms. Moore reports is consistent with behavior recorded in complaints about Bishop Moore's exploitative behavior received by the office of the Bishop of New York," Sisk said. "As Canon Law required, the concerns of those complainants (who wished their identities held in confidence) were duly conveyed to the then Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning for disposition."

Sisk concluded his letter by calling Moore "a vastly more complex man than many of us who admired and respected him ever knew." While "there can be no excuse for the enormity of the betrayal of personal trust that he perpetrated in his private life," Sisk wrote, "similarly there can be no diminution of the greatness, the nobility even, of the purposes and goals of his public life."

"We are left seeing a deeply flawed man in desperate need of God's merciful grace," he wrote. "As are we all."

Scenes from a Church on the March to End Violence

Morristown marchers: 'Enough' violence
150 gather at Green to protest bigotry alleged to be behind Calif. kid's death

BY KATELYN FARAGO
DAILY RECORD
Monday, March 3, 2008

MORRISTOWN -- A crowd of 150 assembled at the Church of the Redeemer in Morristown on Sunday afternoon to march around the Green with a simple message: "Enough is enough."

The march was organized by the Rev. Phillip Dana Wilson and the Rev. Melissa Hall, leaders of the Church of the Redeemer on South Street to memorialize Lawrence King, a 15-year-old boy who was shot during his English class in California last month for reportedly dressing in a feminine manner.

Another student, Brandon McInerney, 14, has been charged with King's murder, and faces the special allegation of committing a hate crime. The Morristown march is the only rally organized in New Jersey in response to King's death.

"How do we make sense of one eighth-grader killing another eighth-grader because he's different?" Wilson asked his congregation prior to the march. "We must find ways to tell the world, 'Enough is enough.'"

Marchers carried stakes bearing the names of children who have been slain because of their sexual orientation, and planted them in the ground outside the church following the march. Christian Fuscarino, a 17-year-old student and the president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Columbia High School in Maplewood, spoke to the crowd, particularly emphasizing the need to educate students about their rights.

"There are students in these schools that don't know these laws, because there is no one there to tell them," he said.

In order to prevent future hate crimes, Fuscarino encouraged the crowd to make changes themselves to help change the perception of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

"It's 2008. I think that's a year for change," he said as the crowd applauded.

Allison Carr, a 20-year-old student from Fairleigh Dickinson University and the president of the Gay and Straight Peers there, was one of the marchers on Sunday.

"More than discrimination, I see ignorance (on campus)," she said.

According to Carr, students often use slurs that they may not think hurt anyone. However, when you hear of tragedies like King's, she said, it seems that those slurs are the foundation of the violence.

However, Carr said the march was a healing experience for her

'A lot of hope'.

"It was definitely uplifting," she said. "It's also given me a lot of hope."

The newly formed Gay-Straight Alliance at Morristown High School also was one of the groups represented at the march. Andrea Parr, 17, is a straight ally and a member of the alliance's executive committee.

Parr said she hopes the march helps to educate people and bring awareness to the community. Because she is a member of the alliance, she said many other students assume she is gay. Though she is not offended by it, she said she is surprised by their assumption.

Hannah Tillinger, 18, also of the alliance's executive committee, said she too thinks the alliance often is thought of as a club reserved for gay students.

"It's interesting how people can label you based on your club activity," she said.

Tillinger, who is bisexual, said she appreciates the support she receives from the straight allies in the group. She said she also likes that there is no pressure to define yourself.

"You're just a member," she said.

The Rev. Melissa Hall, the assistant rector at the Church of the Redeemer, helped organize the march. Hall said she woke up on Sunday morning feeling exhausted.

"What's happened?" she asked. "Somehow we've lost our heart in this country. This is every parent's nightmare."

However, Hall said she was heartened to see the community's youth taking a stand against violence at the march.

"I am so hopeful," she said after the rally. "These children are so self-actualized."

Happy Sixth Anniversary

It's hard to imagine it, but today marks the 6th Anniversary of my work as rector and pastor of St. Paul's.

To celebrate, I'm having a dinner party with all of the former Senior and Junior Wardens and their spouses/partners. Only one couple was unable to attend. That means 12 to dinner.

I'm making Chicken Piccata with linguine that will be tossed with olive oil, garlic, chopped broccoli, halved grape tomatoes and finely chopped pecans. Appetizer is one of Giada's concoctions called Pizzette with Fontina, Tomato, Basil and Prosciutto. I'm going to get that started in a few minutes, then they'll be ready to pop into the oven for 12 minutes after everyone arrives. I've just made homemade Bourbon Ice Cream (Woodford Reserve, of course) which will be served with some finger cookies (Madeline's) I've just finished making.

The Chicken Piccata recipe is fabulous. I got it from the restaurant on Long Island where Billy Joel wrote "Bottle of red, bottle of white." They tell me it's his favorite meal - orders it 9 out of 10 times he's there.

It's so easy, it's embarrassing.

I'm off and running for the day, so I'll leave you with the recipe. Enjoy.
Ingredients:

6 to 8 chicken breast halves, boneless, no skin
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika (to taste - gives it a nice reddish glow)
3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
6 - 8 thin slices lemon
3 tablespoons capers (optional)

PREPARATION
Put chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap; pound to flatten to about 1/4 inch. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika; dredge chicken breasts to coat well.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Saute chicken breasts in batches, about 3 minutes on each side.

Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Stir in chicken broth, scraping to loosen browned bits. Add lemon juice and heat through. Return chicken to the skillet with lemon slices, heat until sauce thickens. Add capers, if using. Serve with your favorite pasta and a green vegetable.

Serves 6 to 8 people.

PS: If you have vegetarians coming for dinner, try slices (1/4 inch thick) of sweet potato instead of the chicken. Delicious! (Besides, I love saying "Sweet Potato Piccata") Just make sure you use a separate skillet and use vegetable broth verses chicken broth.

The bishop and his spouse are coming tomorrow, so there's also a HUGE parish luncheon to coordinate. It's also Refreshment / Mothering Sunday, so the Rose Vestments and altar hangings need to be steamed and put out.

I'm putting my roller blades on as soon as I finish this post. I have a feeling it's going to be that kind of week end: completely wonderful fun but thoroughly exhausting.

Film, as they say, at 11.