An Inch At A Time: Reflections on the Journey: "Let your light so shine ..."

Saturday, November 19, 2011

"Let your light so shine ..."

Yes, it's been a busy week or so. Between "thank-you notes" to Kim Kardashian, Maryland Bishops Behaving Badly, action at OccupyLA and then the Prop 8 decision on Thursday there's been a lot to write, respond and blog about.

Meanwhile, the All Saints beat goes on. We've got my rector back on Oprah on Sunday, some amazing speakers coming to All Saints in the weeks ahead, a cold-weather coat drive going for Pasadena school kids and tomorrow ... Sunday, November 20th ... we will baptize eleven adults and welcome 21 other new members at the 11:15 service at the culmination of our Fall 2011 new member class.

Yep. Baptize ELEVEN.
And welcome TWENTY-ONE more.

THIRTY-TWO new members of All Saints Church ... folks who have decided after our 8-week new member class that they want to (as the rector puts it) make All Saints their spiritual headquarters and be part of the adventure of putting their faith into action as we work together to turn the human race into the human family.

Don't tell me there aren't people out there in the market for what the Episcopal Church has to offer! And it isn't just where I hang out ... if you missed the piece in the New York Times about St. Bart's don't. Miss it. "To Capture the Mystery."

I'm filing it all under Matthew 5:15 in hopes that the light shining out from St. Bart's in the New York Times and from All Saints in Pasadena tomorrow as we welcome these new folks into the household God and invite them to share with us in Christ's eternal priesthood will spread a little light unto everyone in the house.

So let your light so shine. And have a great Sunday, everybody! We certainly plan to!

1 comment:

JCF said...: Whatever you're doing right, Susan, you & All Saints should Keep Doing It!

[Have y'all considered a plant somewhere nearby? Or maybe patent the "All Saints' 'How to Grow Your Church' Method"?]; 7:59 PM

... where I try to be really clear about what I'm clear about. For example:

Religious persecution is when you're prevented from exercising your beliefs, not when you're prevented from IMPOSING your beliefs.

============

Using "biblical standards" to condemn those who understand that sexual orientation is morally neutral makes as much sense as using "biblical standards" to condemn astronomers who understand that the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible may have said it but that doesn't always settle it.

============

It's liberty and justice for all -- not some. It's respect the dignity of every human being -- not just straight ones. Got it? Great. Let's do it.

======

In order to keep moving forward toward liberty and justice for all we can't just be right about what the 1st Amendment protects. We have to be smart about how we respond to those who skipped the 9th Commandment and think lying is a Traditional Family Value.

=======

Jesus said "Love your neighbor." Not "Love your neighbor unless your neighbor is gay."

Smart things other people have said you should know about

“Faith in action is called politics. Spirituality without action is fruitless and social action without spirituality is heartless. We are boldly political without being partisan. Having a partisan-free place to stand liberates the religious patriot to see clearly, speak courageously, and act daringly.” -- Ed Bacon

“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's time for "tolerant" religious people to acknowledge the straight line between the official anti-gay theologies of their denominations and the deaths of these young people. Nothing short of changing our theology of human sexuality will save these young and precious lives." -- The Rt Rev Gene Robinson

"How can you initiate someone into the Body of Christ and then treat them like they’re half-assed baptized?" - The Rt Rev Barbara Harris

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize

"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these." — Siddhārtha Gautama

"I'm so glad Mary didn't wait for the formulation of a Doctrine of the Incarnation before she said 'Yes' to God." -- Ed Bacon

"The great Easter truth is not that we will be born again someday but that we are to be alive here and now by the power of the resurrection." -- Philips Brooks (paraphrase)

"History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.” -- Walter Wink

“Patience, a quality of holiness may be sloth in the soul when associated with the lack of righteous indignation.” -- Abraham Heschel

"Don't tell me what you believe. Tell me what difference it makes that you believe!" -- Verna Dozier

“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief. Nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief. At the same time as our constitution prohibits state religion, establishment of it protects the free exercise of all religions. And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral.” -- Ronald Reagan

Let's be clear. The fact that the State authorizes a marriage in no way compels any Church to perform or recognize it. Marriage equality merely guarantees equality under the law to all citizens; it does not compel churches to do anything.-- Katherine Ragsdale