The Prom

From deep south Louisiana comes a local front page story from The Daily Comet about a young man from a local high school who, at first, encountered difficulties getting a couple's ticket to the prom to take his boyfriend.

Alex Altenhein wasn’t looking for a fuss, and he didn’t want a fight.

"I just want to take my boyfriend to the prom just like anybody else would be able to take their boyfriend or girlfriend to the prom," said Altenhein, a soft-spoken H.L. Bourgeois High School junior, who learned the request was nowhere near that simple.

When his friends told him that he would not be able to buy a couple's ticket, he didn't believe them, so he went to the principal's office to ask.

"I said 'Is it true that I’m not going to be able to take my boyfriend to prom,’ and he said 'Your friend is going to have to buy a singles ticket.’ I said 'It is not my friend, it is my boyfriend,’ and he said again that he was going to have to buy a separate ticket," said Altenhein, who admits that he became emotional -- but not abusive -- during the meeting. "He said 'I believe I have answered your question,’ and showed me the door."

But Alex was not satisfied.

"The couple’s ticket says that me and Travis are going out, that we as a couple are equal, just as equal as the others, that we are normal people," Altenhein said. "That is the most-important thing to me for people to know. I am just your average Joe taking his boyfriend to the prom. I’m not the gay kid that you tell 'Oh you get a special little ticket.’ "

Good for Alex.

The local press became involved, and eventually the School Board intervened, and Alex got his couple's ticket.

Altenhein’s mother, Mary, says she is supportive of him and respects his sexual orientation. But she also fears that concerns about the prom will overshadow his schoolwork. And while she wants her son treated with equality, she is not so comfortable with him leading a civil-rights charge.

"I hope this makes a difference in that no one will be discriminated against again when they try to go to a dance,"

As a mother and a grandmother, I understand Mary's discomfort with her son's "leading a civil-rights charge," but I know, deep down, she's proud of him.

The pleasure with which Altenhein and Griffin greeted Authement’s [the principal] decision was tempered by reservations over how serious the school’s commitment to equality will be, and sadness that it should be an issue at all.

"It was not supposed to be like this," Griffin [Alex's boyfriend] said. "It shouldn’t be this difficult. It shouldn’t take the newspaper getting involved for that to happen. The damage has already been done. We shouldn’t have to ask for what is our right to begin with."

"It was not supposed to be like this," is exactly right. I am pleased that the story has a happy ending, but it should not have been such a struggle.

I have hope that those of Alex's generation will be much further along than my generation in making sexual orientation a non-issue. Here's a quote from one of Alex's classmates:

"I am not gay or anything, but I have a few gay friends," said Ian Wood, an H.L. Bourgeois senior from Houma, who signed the petition. "I thought we got past all that a long time ago. I don’t think it should matter who you go with. Why are they making such a big deal about it at school? I think it’s stupid."

I'll add that I'm quite pleased with the actions of the local press in this situation.

MadPriest

There once was a man called MadPriest.
Of his humor he served up a feast.
He stirred up a storm
To his bishop's alarm.
Now he's merry, but churchless, poor priest.

Frank Said...

Frank and I met - virtually - at Of Course I Could Be Wrong, MadPriest's blog, "where the lunatics rave". Frank's wit is dry, sharp, and pithy. In just a few words, he can be very funny, laugh-out-loud funny.

A couple of days ago, I wrote a post titled "Back Home And Back In Business". In response, Frank wrote a wise, and wonderful, and serious comment that I thought was worth calling attention to.

These are the words in my post that Frank responds to:

After the service, I had a conversation with a gay man and a lesbian from my congregation, and both expressed support for Bishop Katharine, and the man thinks she did the right thing. I was much more saddened and disturbed by the communiqué and the PB's reflection than they were. The two of them were amazed at how upset I was, and, honestly, I was amazed at how complacent they seemed. The woman said, "I'm used to being oppressed." What gives here?

Here is Frank's comment:

As an old queer, with the emphasis on "old," I think I understand at least up to a point where the gay man and lesbian in your congregation are right now. Many of us have gotten used to taking what we need from the church whether or not it affirms us, knowing the gifts are God's to give and only channeled, sometimes imperfectly, through the human institution. If barred absolutely in one place, we have found another. We can do it again.

I'm not too worried about my generation. We're sturdy and stubborn, having survived this long. I worry about the younger ones who, confronted by such damnfool goings-on, may simply turn away --- not necessarily from God but from institutions the rest of us treasure.

Old queers are accustomed to not getting our way, and that may help explain the behavior of some of the grumpy old straight men now at play in the fields of the Lord. They ARE accustomed to getting their own way, unused to bending with the wind, not open to compromise or kneeling next to those who won't agree with them. Lord have mercy on them.

For one, I don't think this is a time to even consider "fasting" from The Episcopal Church. She has for the most part behaved in a Christ-like manner toward us for many years now and, like PB Katherine, deserves our hope and prayers during a season of hurt.

February 22, 2007 3:38 PM

UPDATE: Oy! Frank the Wit, at MadPriest's place tells me that he is not the author of this comment. I should have guessed that from its seriousness. Anyway, it's quite good, and I thought you should see it.

Back Home And Back in Business

Yesterday, I was away from home all day with none of my passwords working from the computer that I was using. I could neither post on my own blog, nor could I post on other blogs which require registration. Nevertheless, I did manage to get in a few words here and there in the blogosphere with the name "Anonymous".

Perhaps it was for the best that I did not post anything on my blog, because I was having a bad day. I had the taste of ashes in my mouth because of my disappointment with Bishop Katharine's Reflection on the meetings in Tanzania and the communiqué issued by the Primates after the meetings.

Prior to the meetings, I admired Bishop Katharine greatly, too much, really, and I knew, deep down, that I was doing that, and MadPriest warned me about it, but I paid no attention to him. She was to be our savior. However, she is human, possessed of the same faults and foibles as the rest of us. We have only one Savior, as I was well reminded. Psalms 146.3 tells us:

Do not put your trust in princes [or princesses],
in mortals, in whom there is no help.

My sadness was such that I wondered if I could stay with my church. My question was answered last night. After I finished my child-care responsibilities, I headed to my church for the Ash Wednesday service. The service and the ashes on my forehead took the taste of ashes out of my mouth, thanks be to God. For better or for worse, I need my church community.

I'm sure my bishop is quite pleased with what came out of Tanzania. My rector and the majority of the members of my church probably like the results, too - those who pay attention.

After the service, I had a conversation with a gay man and a lesbian from my congregation, and both expressed support for Bishop Katharine, and the man thinks she did the right thing. I was much more saddened and disturbed by the communiqué and the PB's reflection than they were. The two of them were amazed at how upset I was, and, honestly, I was amazed at how complacent they seemed. The woman said, "I'm used to being oppressed." What gives here?

I told them, "But you should be paying attention; you should follow this closely." I don't know that I made an impression. The gentleman indicated that he believed Bishop Katharine had a long-term plan to outfox those who tried to lock her into the ultimatum. Perhaps she does; perhaps I'm missing something.

Lord God Almighty, bless and guide us in the Episcopal Church in the days ahead. Give us wisdom and and strength for the tasks ahead. May we always act according to your will, in truth and in love. We pray in the Name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Reginald Heber's hymn from Isaiah 6:3, courtesy of The Cyber Hymnal:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Shall I Speak?

While my view of the communiqué coming out of Tanzania is not positive, I seem to be not quite so pessimistic as some "on our side", because I think that Bishop Katharine's signing the communiqué is perhaps simply a statement that, "Yes, this is what happened at the meetings." She really does not have it in her power to commit to more than that. If she meant more than that, then I am truly disappointed in her. She has said that BO33 needs to be revisited, and the communiqué will, most certainly, be revisited.

Remember, she stayed seated at the meeting, and only seven primates refused the Eucharist with her. I think she might have brought some of those in the opposition around a bit, and that's no small thing. Whether we need to spend a whole lot more time trying to bring these folks around is another matter. Perhaps we don't.

Sooner or later, a gay or lesbian partnered candidate will be elected in another TEC diocese. What happens then? The vote will go in favor of consent for consecration. Then what? Another crisis? This meeting solved nothing.

As for the covenant, no matter what is in the covenant, I am against it. We already have a New Covenant given us by Jesus Christ. Why would we think that sinful human beings could come up with a better covenant than that of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

In the end, I am not gay; I am not lesbian. If I were, I'm wondering if my alarm wouldn't be greater, because, if the contents of the communiqué were put into effect, they would much more personally affect me. I don't think there's much chance of that, but we do need to get to work to keep that from happening. It is, in fact, happening in the dioceses of the Windsor bishops.

I can stand in solidarity with my GLTB brotheres and sisters, but empathy only takes me so far. I cannot be them. I hesitate even to express myself here, wondering if what I say is relevant at all. However, I do so because I am a member of the faithful, and my voice should count for something, whether gay, straight, black, white, old, young, whatever, therefore, I speak my small piece, for what it's worth.

UPDATE: Here is the link to Bshop Katharine's reflection on the communiqué and the meetings in Tanzania. I'm not quite clear yet if she is saying, "This is what the communiqué suggests," or if she is saying, "This is what I suggest."

What is being asked of both parties is a season of fasting - from authorizing rites for blessing same-sex unions and consecrating bishops in such unions on the one hand, and from transgressing traditional diocesan boundaries on the other.

She can only recommend this "fasting" to the US bishops, right? She has no power to order this "fasting". My question: "Is Bishop Katharine recommending that TEC follow through on the requests in the communiqué?" If she is, then I am deeply disappointed in her. She has made a grave mistake. Maintaining the Communion is not worth the sacrifice of our brothers and sisters.

As I see it, in the communiqué, GLTB Christians are asked to "fast" from seeking full inclusion in the church, in other words, to "fast" from seeking justice, and the authorities in TEC are asked to "fast" from handing down justice. The bishops who poached outside their territory are asked to "fast" from poaching. How, in any sense, is this equivalent "fasting"? How is this in any sense Christian?

The sacrifice comes on the backs of GLTB Christians. Who else is being asked to sacrifice? This resembles the Pharisees in Matthew 23:4: "They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them."

How long before TEC follows the words of the prophet Amos 5:24, "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

I found this statement to be quite toubling also:

This covenant is a further step in the Windsor process, engaged in the understanding that all human communities need boundaries in order to function.

I was not aware that this was so. When did this come to be?

HAPPY MARDI GRAS

Happy Mardi Gras to all!

Sorry y'all have to work today. You should get with the celebration.

On Being Too Old

My husband and I spent today caring for my two precious grandchildren, the two whose parents are in the middle of a nasty divorce. They slept over last night so they could sleep late, because their father has to be at work early. They are out of school for the whole week, because Tuesday is Mardi Gras, and I suppose their parents need the rest of the week to recover from their hangovers from the revelry. They both attend a Roman Catholic school, so it seems a little strange to me that they begin Lent with a holiday.

My granddaughter, A. is 11, and she is no trouble at all. My grandson, J. is six, and he is an altogether different story. At the beginning of this school year, he was diagnosed with ADHD and put on medication. I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon to medicate kids, but, in his case he needed it. His condition was seriously interfering with his learning. Fortunately the first medication worked well, and the dosage was right from the beginning. He is doing much better in school. Best of all, the medication has not turned him into a zombie, as it seems to do to some children.

Since the meds reduce his appetite, my son keeps him off them on days when he's not in school - today being one of those days. It's fine with me, since he eats better without the meds, and he needs a little fattening up.

He did not want to take a bath this morning, so I said the hell with it and decided to punt the chore to my son to do when he got him home. Somehow, in the way of six-year-old boys, he peed all over himself while he was on the toilet. I said, "Well, now you've got to have a bath." He resisted every step of the way, and the bath was a wrestling match which Mimi won, because I'm bigger. As I was wrestling with him, I was praying and thinking, this is not P., it's the ADHD, and I was able to keep from getting angry with him.

Later, while he was playing outside with my husband, he dropped his pants and pooped right there in the yard, and Grandpère had to come into the house to get toilet paper for him to wipe himself. When he asked him why he had done that, he said, "I had to go bad."

In spite of all this, we have fun times with them. They make us laugh, and maybe keep us young. My granddaughter is a beautiful little girl in appearance and personality. P. is truly a delightful, charming, and bright little boy, but I am 72 years old, and he is a challenge. My heart goes out to these two kids because of what they are going through, and I would lay down my life for them. I feel that caring for them and loving them through this time is what I'm called to do right now. If I die doing it, I will have died doing a good thing.

They've gone home now, and the house is quiet. We'll have them again on Wednesday, and then their mother has them for the rest of the holiday.

Lord, give us strength.

What Will I Do?

How much value to give this report from The Times is questionable. I have suggested in the past that those in the US who want to "walk apart" should walk over to Rome. It seems a logical fit to me. The least of the problems would be the acceptance of married priests, for they do that already for those who come from the Episcopal Church. As to the bishops, they may have to step down from their lofty positions, for I doubt that they could assume the role of bishop at the moment of reception into Rome. As for the remnant, I think we would do pretty well here in the US.

The thing about stories like these is that, though denials may come, there could still be something in the works that will only come into the light somewhare down the road.

My main worry is what the Windsor bishops are up to, not least, because my bishop is one of them. They do not even issue reports after their all-bishop meetings, such as the recent one at Camp Allen, Texas, to which Bishop Katharine was not invited, and certain African bishops were.

I've decided that I'm going to prepare a list of questions and ask my rector if he can answer them. If he can't, then I'm going to ask him how I can get answers.

My town has only one Episcopal Church, and if my bishop decides to "walk apart", where will I go? He says he won't, but again, what is the plan for the Windsor bishops?

As far as the Church of England goes, MadPriest says this:

What would unite liberals, radicals, old school protestants and bog standard, man in the pew, Anglicans?

Is the Archbishop a Catholic?

Or is he the cleverest person in the history of Anglicanism who will bring about a lasting and real cohesision to our Communion by sacrificing himself and giving us in the "Unity with the Italian Church" proposals, an enemy, so great, so vile, that we will forget our petty squabbling in order to save our Church from heresy?

Think about it. The Bishop of Rome will be accepted by the Anglican Communion as the universal head of Christianity.

I do not think so.

I suppose that a decision to move toward union with Rome could have a unifying effect in the US, too. We shall see.

The Kingdom of God

Rmj at Adventus had a post titled How the Kingdom of God Like That? in June of last year. In a comment - well, in two comments - I spoke my piece. At first, I was at a loss. All that came to my mind was this little activity song that we taught to the children:

"Joy is the flag flown high
From the castle of my heart,
From the castle of my heart,
From the castle of my heart.
Joy is the flag flown high
From the castle of my heart
When the King is in residence there"

....

Since we recently celebrated Flag Day, perhaps that's why the song came to my mind - that poor flag which represents our country with its reputation dirty and tattered.

It's probably as good an answer as I could give to the question, "What is the kingdom of heaven like?"

Then other commenters chimed in with brilliant observations, referencing learned theologians, and I became ashamed of my poor contribution and began to consider in a serious way what the Kingdom of God means to me. Here's my second comment:

Boreas, you and Schillebeek and Crossan have most surely stolen my thunder. I wanted to add a bit to my little ditty which I posted upthread - which, as I take a second look, ain't half-bad.

In the light of the wisdom you quoted, I'll compress what I was going to say about what the kingdom of God is like, as we live out the meaning of the parables in the Gospels.

IMHO, it has to do with doing, as well as being, as well as believing. In the Gospels Jesus calls us to be the actors - not members of the audience - in the drama of the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

When we do as the prophet Micah, speaking the word of the Lord, tells us:

"He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?"

Micah 6:8

When we follow the two Great Commandments:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

When we keep the beatitudes always in mind as Jesus says, "Blessed are you poor...you hungry...you who are weeping..."; and then he says, "Woe to you rich...you who are full...you who laugh now...," never forgetting to whom he says "Blessed are you...," and to whom he says, "Woe to you rich...[you who full...you who laugh....]" Luke 6:20-25

When we follow his teaching to, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you and pray for those who maltreat you." Luke 6:27-28

When we do these things, we are actors - perhaps with bit parts - in the great drama that is the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

In church today, the OT reading was from Ezekiel, speaking to Pharaoh, comparing the future of his kingdom to that of Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon, which had been struck down by foreigners because "its heart was proud of its height".

He says this in 31:14:

"All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to lofty height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For all of them are handed over to death, to the world below; along with all mortals, with those who go down to the Pit."

It is not by accident that the first of the deadly sins is pride, which is so often the greatest stumbling-block in the way of the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

We shall not see the climax of the drama of the Kingdom of God in this life on earth, only the bits and pieces of the drama that contain our parts - as the actors in Shakespeare's time had in hand only their parts and their cues.

Paul tells us in Phillipians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice!" Perhaps the children's song was not a bad jumping-off spot to consider the Kingdom.

Feast Day of Archbishop Luwum of Uganda

Today is the feast day of Archbishop Janini Luwum of Uganda. Archbishop Luwum served in office during the bloody rule of Idi Amin. He protested the murderous policies of the gorvenment and often interceded on behalf of those imprisoned for opposing Amin and his policies.

Here is an excerpt from the brief biography by James Kiefer at Oremus:

The Archbishop called on President Amin to deliver a note of protest, signed by nearly all the bishops of Uganda, against the policies of arbitrary killings and the unexplained disappearances of many persons. Amin accused the Archbishop of treason, produced a document supposedly by former President Obote attesting his guilt, and had the Archbishop and two Cabinet members (both committed Christians) arrested and held for military trial.

On 16 February, the Archbishop and six bishops were tried on a charge of smuggling arms. Archbishop Luwum was not allowed to reply, but shook his head in denial. The President concluded by asking the crowd: "What shall we do with these traitors?" The soldiers replied "Kill him now". The Archbishop was separated from his bishops. As he was taken away Archbishop Luwum turned to his brother bishops and said: "Do not be afraid. I see God's hand in this."

The three (the Archbishop and the two Cabinet members) met briefly with four other prisoners who were awaiting execution, and were permitted to pray with them briefly. Then the three were placed in a Land Rover and not seen alive again by their friends. The government story is that one of the prisoners tried to seize control of the vehicle and that it was wrecked and the passengers killed. The story believed by the Archbishop's supporters is that he refused to sign a confession, was beaten and otherwise abused, and finally shot. His body was placed in a sealed coffin and sent to his native village for burial there. However, the villagers opened the coffin and discovered the bullet holes.

What a courageous man in the cause of justice. What steadfastedness he showed in the face of persecution and death. He lived the Gospel of Jesus Christ without counting the cost, which was his very life.

Yesterday - was it just yesterday? - Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda refused to participate in a Eucharist which included Bishop Katharine Jefforts-Schori of the US. Am I wrong to compare the actions of the two archbishops? What is gained by the refusal of the seven archbishops to approach the table of the all-forgiving Lord because Bishop Katharine is participating?

The Preface For the Feast of Archbishop Luwum

.O God, whose Son the Good Shepherd laid down his life for the sheep: We give you thanks for your faithful shepherd, Janani Luwum, who after his Savior’s example gave up his life for the people of Uganda. Grant us to be so inspired by his witness that we make no peace with oppression, but live as those who are sealed with the cross of Christ, who died and rose again, and now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.