It was an extraordinary night of celebration and sacrament ... and I hope these photos will give you just a glimpse. More to come ... if YOU took photos on Friday night and are willing to share, please send 'em on over.
We got nice press on the service ... even from The Living Church , writing "The planners of Integrity’s Eucharist thoroughly transformed the Pacific Ballroom in the Hilton Hotel into a place of lively worship."
That it was indeed! An indication of how far we've come is that +Barbara Harris' sermon is available "on demand" online on the General Convention Media Hub site.
Who'd have thunk it?
More later ... including appropriate, copius thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this year's Integrity Eucharist such a stunning success.
Meanwhile, check out the Walking With Integrity blog for more pictures and commentary:
For now, it's off to bed I go. Tomorrow is just DAY FIVE ... many General Convention miles to go before we rest!
Blessings, all!
.
4 comments:
The pics totally rock!
As a little boy of 9 years of age in the confirmation class of an Anglo-Catholic Parish in 1962, I learned that the definition of a sacrament was "an outward and visible sign of an inward an spiritual grace." I also learned there were seven (count 'em) sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, Unction, Ordination, and last but not least, Marriage. In those days the latter was only between a man and a woman. Then as an adult I learned that God made some people heterosexual and some as GLBT, and that ALL persons need lifelong faithful compansionship as part of God's design. To extend the sacrament of marraige to GLBT folk is not only logical, but the justice and compassion we value as Christians demands it.
I do not know if Barbara Harris is single or married, and I do not know her sexual orientation. But I found her position that marriage should not longer be a sacrament to be highly offensive. Even if marriage were not recognized by the Church as a sacrament, as the low-churchers among us believe, the does not mean God's grace is not present in your marriage and mine. Ontologically, your marriage is a sacrament and so is mine, Barbara Harris notwithstanding. Yes, "All the Sacraments for all the Baptized" is the way to do business.
Fine pictures, thank you.
Thanks to you and Rev. Cynthia Black and others who contributed to this album.
David, I don't think Bp Barbara preached ending the Sacrament of Marriage at all. She was saying clergy should renounce the states' permission for clergy to sign the legal marriage license. That way clergy would be freed to follow their churches' teaching about marriage whether states have caught up with equality or not. The Sacrament of Marriage would be completely independent of the legal contract that is state marriage, but it would still be a joyful outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. (Separation of church and state can work both ways.)
Post a Comment