Reaching Out, Reaching In: Welcoming LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ People at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR

Yesterday at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Rev. Jeremy Watson, Assoc. Pastor, preached.  The first sermon illustration he used was the protest of the Westboro Baptist Church while he was attending the Gay Christian Network gathering a few weeks ago.

I smiled outwardly and inwardly.  I wasn't preaching about it (though I used the reference earlier in the month): Jeremy was preaching about it.

There is something empowering when the two ministers--one gay and one not-gay--show solidarity in that preaching moment, talking about it slightly differently but nonetheless using the story as an affirmation of how we should follow Jesus.

Powerful.

Hopeful.

Love-filled.

Pax!

B

Protesting Westboro Baptist and Imitation Game

Imitation Game, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, had me transfixed toward the end of the film as I watched "Turing" twitching from the effects of the medication he was taken after he was sentenced with "gross indecency" in the UK.  He eventually killed himself rather than go through further pain of the medication and the depression of having to deny his humanity. This sentence "gross indecency" was also the bane of writer Oscar Wilde's life.

Gross indecency.

That's what the public in the UK and the US wanted those of us who are LGBTQ to feel: that we and our lives were guilty of "gross indecency."

The group from Westboro Baptist Church and their minions want to actually go back to the day and age in which I too could be sentenced and found guilty of "gross indecency." That I would be shamed.  That I would be given medicine to dull the God given testosterone in me.  That I would eventually kill myself. Die of cancer.  A heart attack.

The signs of Westboro play in my head.  Hopefully the songs like "We are one in the Spirit" will play in their heads.

Pax,

B

Corridor of Love

This weekend in Portland, OR, we had a chance to witness to Westboro Baptist Church folks at the Gay Christian Network gathering.  I hadn't seen these folks since NC Pride Parade in Sept.

While it did rain a bit, it was powerful to stand in the embrace of love among the counter protesters. We created a corridor of love (corridor of hate to Westboro).

What was amazing was realizing that we were Christians addressing Christians. Because of baptism, we are sisters and brothers.

Here's an article that was in Huffpo: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/vicky-beeching-wesboro-baptist-church_n_6457408.html

Pax, B

Hillsdale News! Greetings from Portland, Oregon

I know, I know: I am SO behind on blogging.  Bad blogger.  Bad.  Yech.

So: this is the news:
* Got here on Nov. 28, preached on Nov. 30;
* Dean introduced during worship! A first!
* Made it through Advent AND Christmas BEFORE taking off to HI;
* HI was a blessed time of rest and letting the body be healed.
* Back in the saddle again in OR.

And this from the Hillsdale News: http://hillsdalenews.org/

Pax!

B