A Time to Listen, A Time to Write
Since my last entry here I have been immersed in a time of listening, of work and; quite frankly; of astonishment. Many incredible things have happened, starting with Pastor Christian's memorable Wednesday Talk on April 30th through Pentecost until now. Besides the other work I am doing the time I have spent on the blog has been spent contemplating how to capture in words what happened with Pastor Christian when he spoke to us about his life before, during and after Creator.
His talk that Wednesday was grace-filled. Many from Creator came and there were others in the audience. Christian’s talk took us on a journey that started with what we believes unites us all – the gift of baptism. From that inclusive moment in his life he went on to describe his family, his church, his life growing up, his decision to become a pastor, his time in seminary, his time at Creator, his ordination and his subsequent ministry.
His understanding that he was a gay man complicated this journey. There were moments of discovery when his life made sense to him, of shame when he was conflicted by hiding this part of himself, and of intense joy when he met the man he loves.
The honesty and courage of his words impacted his audience and affected him. Due to that courage this was an evening where lives and dreams intersected. It felt like some cosmic tumblers went into alignment and something amazing opened up. We were all connected, recognized by one another and grateful for what was happening.
During his talk Pastor Christian emphasized the importance of process to Lutherans. His reference has stayed with me for since then. Sometimes process is painfully difficult and slow. As far as I’m concerned Creator’s RIC process continues to be a revelation and a testament to how a community comes together on decisions regarding change.
At one point that Wednesday evening there was a question about the latitude of bishops in applying the language that is currently contained in the Vision and Expectations: Ordained Ministers in the ELCA. Christian replied that since Bishop Dave was present he might be the best person to answer the question and Bishop Dave gave a clear, succinct answer that helped those there understand more fully what action was currently going on in the ELCA.
There were spontaneous shows of support for Christian after his talk. There was energy and spirit again present in the Creator community that Wednesday. It has appeared many times now in our RIC process and it both gives a boost and sustains our work together with our care and concern. That is apparent not only during the RIC meetings but in Creator church activities in general.
Trying to describe in detail all those activities would make for too long a blog entry. Highlights for me included Pentecost and May 18th. On that Sunday Genesis, a youth group, performed Friends 4Ever at both services. Creator youth performed Friends 4Ever in 2004 and this performance brought back memories of directing the youth then and of the choreography Denise put together and the Kelly coaching the singing.
There was a Telling Stories event for RIC after church on that same Sunday where we had invited guests telling stories of various degrees of welcome they experienced from the church as homosexuals. We learned much more about the details of being a welcoming church from both speakers, Doug Hamill and Michelle Kisinger.
Since my last entry here I have been immersed in a time of listening, of work and; quite frankly; of astonishment. Many incredible things have happened, starting with Pastor Christian's memorable Wednesday Talk on April 30th through Pentecost until now. Besides the other work I am doing the time I have spent on the blog has been spent contemplating how to capture in words what happened with Pastor Christian when he spoke to us about his life before, during and after Creator.
His talk that Wednesday was grace-filled. Many from Creator came and there were others in the audience. Christian’s talk took us on a journey that started with what we believes unites us all – the gift of baptism. From that inclusive moment in his life he went on to describe his family, his church, his life growing up, his decision to become a pastor, his time in seminary, his time at Creator, his ordination and his subsequent ministry.
His understanding that he was a gay man complicated this journey. There were moments of discovery when his life made sense to him, of shame when he was conflicted by hiding this part of himself, and of intense joy when he met the man he loves.
The honesty and courage of his words impacted his audience and affected him. Due to that courage this was an evening where lives and dreams intersected. It felt like some cosmic tumblers went into alignment and something amazing opened up. We were all connected, recognized by one another and grateful for what was happening.
During his talk Pastor Christian emphasized the importance of process to Lutherans. His reference has stayed with me for since then. Sometimes process is painfully difficult and slow. As far as I’m concerned Creator’s RIC process continues to be a revelation and a testament to how a community comes together on decisions regarding change.
At one point that Wednesday evening there was a question about the latitude of bishops in applying the language that is currently contained in the Vision and Expectations: Ordained Ministers in the ELCA. Christian replied that since Bishop Dave was present he might be the best person to answer the question and Bishop Dave gave a clear, succinct answer that helped those there understand more fully what action was currently going on in the ELCA.
There were spontaneous shows of support for Christian after his talk. There was energy and spirit again present in the Creator community that Wednesday. It has appeared many times now in our RIC process and it both gives a boost and sustains our work together with our care and concern. That is apparent not only during the RIC meetings but in Creator church activities in general.
Trying to describe in detail all those activities would make for too long a blog entry. Highlights for me included Pentecost and May 18th. On that Sunday Genesis, a youth group, performed Friends 4Ever at both services. Creator youth performed Friends 4Ever in 2004 and this performance brought back memories of directing the youth then and of the choreography Denise put together and the Kelly coaching the singing.
There was a Telling Stories event for RIC after church on that same Sunday where we had invited guests telling stories of various degrees of welcome they experienced from the church as homosexuals. We learned much more about the details of being a welcoming church from both speakers, Doug Hamill and Michelle Kisinger.
The book discussion group finished The New Man and decided to move onto John Steinbeck's East of Eden after a summer break. These Wednesday evening discussions before choir have been insightful and I feel priviledged to be able to meet with this group with their dedication and their honesty.
There is also a newly installed Creator council with three new members; Brent, Lisa and Vera. At our last meeting the council worked on the financial condition of the congregation, SpiritWorks – our new small group ministry effort and Pastor Dayle’s sabbatical.
Thanks to all of you who let me know that this blog is read and updating it makes a difference.
Peace.
There is also a newly installed Creator council with three new members; Brent, Lisa and Vera. At our last meeting the council worked on the financial condition of the congregation, SpiritWorks – our new small group ministry effort and Pastor Dayle’s sabbatical.
Thanks to all of you who let me know that this blog is read and updating it makes a difference.
Peace.
posted by Gary at
9:55 AM
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