Twenty years ago last week, Mark Benson and Philip Straw stood together on the chancel at All Saints Church in Pasadena and promised to love, honor and cherish each other until death did they part. A 1992 editorial in The Living Church wrote of the service : “Undoubtedly similar events have taken place in clandestine circumstances but this is the first known “public” blessing in a prominent parish.”
We mark the anniversary of that “first known public blessing” of a same-sex covenant today with a celebration of not only the Benson/Straw blessing but the ninety-three same-sex blessings held at All Saints since 1992 – along with the ripple effect of those blessings in both the church and civic arenas. George Regas will share his own journey from “I can’t do that” to leading the entire congregation on a year-long discernment process that led to the January 18, 1992 blessing and beyond as we look at the last 20 years together and we’ll see archive video of the service as others tell their own stories of being part of the bending the arc of history toward equality..
You are cordially invited to join us for all or part of today’s event as we’ll be live-streaming the program from 9-12noon and the Festival Eucharist from 4-5pm (Mary Glasspool, preaching; Gene Robinson, celebrating) here.
3 comments:
Susie and Jan were married at St John the Evangelist in Boston on Nov 10, 1991 during the Sunday morning Eucharist. Maybe not as 'prominent' in SoCal thinking but definitely public and a big deal. I was there. Jennifer Phillips and Richard Valentasis officiated.
Brilliant! And that ... I hope ... will be PART of the point we're making today: that this is the story of "a" parish and its discernment process ... and there were many, many others ALL over the church ... and have continued to be ... and WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR A VERY VERY LONG TIME!!!
I wish that your ripple effect would travel further and turn into a wave effect.
In the Diocese of Ottawa, a same-sex civilly-married couple may be blessed (but not married) in their church if the congregation, parish council, and clergy are in agreement, and with the permission of the bishop, which must be applied for for each couple.
I have been married for a year and a half and we refuse to apply for this second class blessing.
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