April 19, 2006
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. Jeff Francisco said to me after worship last Sunday, "If I had a blog, today it would begin, 'There were protesters outside my church on Easter...' " Yes, on Easter! In case you missed them, they took umbrage at our rainbow flag, our "all are welcome," and our interpretation of the Bible, among other things. (They were also appalled by our Easter egg hunt with the children.) Several members tried valiantly to engage them in dialogue, to no avail. They were in town, apparently, to protest the presence of gay and lesbian families at the White House Easter Egg Roll, and decided to protest a few inclusive churches (ours was not the only target) just for good measure. They were, as Minas Roros put it in a follow up note, "controlled, prepared, methodical, and were there specifically to upset people."
Their presence was, to say the least, unnerving. They attempted to dissuade people from entering worship, though from our record attendance, they utterly failed in that objective. They attempted to demean our gay and lesbian members, and they certainly succeeded in making many people feel hurt and uncomfortable.
It may also be that this brought out the best in us. We did not respond in kind. We did not back down. We witnessed to all who came through our doors to our determination to be "a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:7).
[Some of you may have read that William Sloane Coffin died last week, notorious anti-war chaplain at Yale, then pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City. Several years ago, during the "Sanctuary Movement" when many churches around the country (including Pilgrims) harbored Central American families fleeing the civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala, Coffin was on The McNeil-Lehrer New Hour after the INS had raided Riverside in a vain effort to capture the family taking sanctuary there. Coffin concluded the interview by saying, "And remember, there are two things that increase in value when they're stepped on: a Persian carpet and the Christian Church."]
This Sunday following worship you are invited to participate in an open discussion to debrief the experience together, initiated by church members Minas Roros and Jonathan Mertz. How do we feel about what happened? Was our response appropriate? Is there more we could have done? Are there things we should not have done? What might we do differently if this sort of thing should happen again in the future? We will convene following coffee hour (buffet is not for two more weeks) in the sanctuary.
2. Despite the protesters (because of the protesters?) our Easter worship had particularly good energy this year. Thanks especially to all our worship leaders: To Rob and the choir for their wonderful music, to Ashley and our liturgists Carol and Nancy, to Helen who brought the flowers for the cross, to Doris who set up communion, and to Gerry and our ushers who greeted and welcomed visitors. All worked together for a powerful worship experience.
3. This week is a bit of a respite from the busyness of Holy Week. No choir rehearsal this Thursday, and no Sunday school this week for children or adults. (Both will resume on April 30). However, don't stay home! Not only will we have the dialogue following worship, but you will have an opportunity to join in commissioning me for my trip next week to Israel/Palestine. As you may have read, there was a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv this week. I go feeling even more cautious than before, but still determined to participate. I thank you in advance for your prayers of support.
4. This week at Friday Club we will say a special farewell to long-time member Vellas Funk, who is moving to West Virginia to be nearer her daughter, Betsy. If you would like to join us for lunch at noon, please send a note to Pat Goeldner pgoeldner@iona.org .
5. At 4 p.m. this Sunday, "Under 40 (But Who's Counting)" will have a gathering at the manse (4324 Van Ness Street NW). Bring a dish to share.
6. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (where my sister, Sue, works) is in touch with several families coming into DC this weekend to participate in talks and rallies on Capitol Hill Monday and Tuesday regarding immigration reform. They need housing and help with transportation. If you might be able to help, please contact Matt Wilch at LIRS, mwilch@lirs.org ASAP!
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
April 12, 2006
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. This week's journey-- from Palm Sunday through Good Friday to Easter morning-- is perhaps the most important journey we make as Jesus' followers. If you missed Palm Sunday, I offer my Palm Sunday sermon, not because I am moved by my own words, but because I lift up the words of others who I believe are helpful guides in this difficult week: Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, Oscar Romero and Gary Wills, and Bono (!).
Perhaps these reflections will strengthen your resolve to join us for worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Our schedule is:
Maundy Thursday in the Fellowship Hall at 7 p.m. We'll share a meal of bread, fruit and cheese, sing together, celebrate the Lord's Supper, and hear a telling of the Passion narrative from the Gospel of Mark. (Storytellers, please meet in the Bird Room at 6 p.m.).
Good Friday will be in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. A service of prayers, scripture and song in the tradition of TaizP.
Easter morning will begin with refreshments in the Bird Room at 9:00 a.m., Intergenerational Gathering at 9:30, and Worship at 11:00 a.m. (No coffee hour this week.)
2. Last Sunday we received the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, totaling $2,066. If you would still like to contribute, send a check to the church, with "OGHS" in the memo.
3. The Family Pride Coalition is planning a Gay/Lesbian Family Visibility Event at the 2006 White House Easter Egg Roll and they need your help. The White House Easter Egg Roll will be Monday, April 17th. This year they hope to make lesbian and gay families a visible part of this tradition. This is a wonderful opportunity for people all across America to see these families as they really are. Tickets to the Egg Roll are distributed on Saturday morning, April 15th and they need people who are willing to stand in line starting Friday night to get tickets for families that are unable to stand in line themselves. If you’d like to help a family to attend this historic event, sign up to help out at http://www.familypride.org/eggroll
4. Please keep in your prayers:
Mary Ester as she travels home to be with her family, especially her father who suffers from late-stage Alzheimer's.
Jackie Smith who is caring for her brother, who is in the hospital.
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
April 5, 2006
Pilgrims on the Journey:
I'm sending this out a day early because of several events this week you may wish to take advantage of.
But first, two very special "thank you's" to Ashley. First, for leading this year's Lenten Series, which concluded last night. It was, in my experience, Bible study as it is meant to be. We not only learned a lot about the psalms, but we entered in to the experience of the psalmist, and found that place of deep connection between the ancient experience of biblical people and our own lives. It was a special pleasure for me, often in the leadership role, to be a "participant."
Second, for shaping this past Sunday's powerful worship experience on domestic violence and the story of Tamar. It was, indeed, one of our more powerful worship experiences together.
Now, on to this week's events:
1. A reminder that tonight, the Washington Interfaith Network's "Ward 1 Team" will hold a public "Action" at All Souls Church (16th & Harvard) at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate a series of hard-won agreements with DCRA concerning code enforcement and the condo conversion process. If you would like to attend and ride over together, meet in the church parking lot at 7:00 p.m. sharp. (Note also a terrific op-ed in yesterday's post written by one of the leaders of the Industrial Areas Foundation-- WIN's parent organization-- Johnny Ray Youngblood, pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY, part of our sister organization East Brooklyn Congregations: go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/02/AR2006040201185.html?referrer=emailarticle
2. Two opportunities to hear acclaimed Presbyterian novelist and essayist Frederick Buechner. First, this morning at 11:00 a.m. on the Diane Rehm show (WAMU 88.5FM); Second, 7 p.m. tomorrow night at the National Cathedral, where he will be "feted" by a panel of preachers and writers, including two of my favorite preachers, Tom Long and Barbara Brown Taylor. The event is free. For more information see http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/register/buechner2006sp.shtml
3. Would you like to be involved in the Capital Campaign? The team, led by Mary Ester and Mitch Fulton, will meet this Thursday at 7 p.m.
4. This Saturday, for the first time in my ministry, I will officiate at two weddings in one day: Joyce Gomez and Cid Butuyan and Nora Schmidt and Patrick Dietz. Please keep the four of them in your prayers.
5. This Saturday night the Gay and Lesbian Fellowship will gather at the home of Minas Roros. If you would like to attend and have not received an invitation, please send a note to Minas (minas.roros@faa.gov) or Jonathan Mertz (jmert@bradymail.org).
6. This Sunday is Palm Sunday:
At 9:30 a.m. I will lead a special Adult Education class on Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan's new book, The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem. As I mentioned in an earlier note, I know of no better guide to this year's journey through Holy Week in the Gospel of Mark. (If you are a storyteller for Maundy Thursday, you may especially wish to devote yourself to it: It will illumine the text you are telling.) You can now find it at local bookstores, or buy it at amazon for only $14.27: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060845392/sr=8-1/qid=1144155952/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8589973-9685539?%5Fencoding=UTF8 .
In our 11:00 a.m. worship service we will begin with procession of the palms and then move toward the passion of Christ. This is the tension of Holy Week, between the adulation of the crowds on Palm Sunday, and the condemnation of the authorities on Good Friday.
We will also receive our One Great Hour of Sharing offering. This special offering, taken by Protestant churches across the United States on Palm Sunday or Easter, supports hunger programs, disaster assistance, and self-development of people. Please plan now to give generously.
7. Another opportunity to see a Presbyterian author: Anne Lamott, author of Traveling Mercies and Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, will be at Olsson's Books & Records, 418 7th St. NW, near the Gallery Place Metro, on Monday, April 10, 2006 at 7:00 PM.
8. Holy Week Schedule:
Maundy Thursday 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Creating the atmosphere of the early church, we will share an "Agape Meal" of bread, cheese and fruit, followed by celebration of the Lord's Supper, and a telling of the Passion Narrative.
Good Friday 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary, prayer, scripture and song in the style of Taize.
Easter morning will begin with a Continental Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. in the Bird Room, followed by an Intergenerational Experience at 9:30 a.m., and Worship at 11:00 a.m., with procession of flowers to the cross, special music, and celebration of the Eucharist.
9. Looking Ahead:
Are you interested in a work-trip to the Gulf Coast? Presbyterian Disaster Assistance can help us bring a group down with as few as three people. There are opportunities in May, June, and October. If you are interested at all, please send a note to Anne Womeldorf adwomeldorf@speakeasy.net
May 17-20, Tikkun Magazine editor Michael Lerner (author of The Left Hand of God) and a host of others are sponsoring a national conference at All Souls Unitarian Church for "Spiritual Progressives." For more info, see http://www.tikkun.org/community/spiritual_activism_conference/
10. Finally, I just finished reading former General Assembly Moderator Jack Roger's new book, Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myth, Heal the Church. It is an excellent guide through the current debate in our church, and will steel your resolve to be inclusive, welcoming and Presbyterian all at the same time! Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0664229395/104-8589973-9685539.
From the preface:
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Preface to Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality
Why am I doing this? I am not gay. No one in my family is gay. That is why I was able to stay on the sidelines for so long. It didn't touch me personally.
I am a Christian who cares deeply about Christ’s church. The church is being torn apart by controversy over whether people who are homosexual can have full rights of membership. It is not just my own Presbyterian Church, but all of the denominations in this nation that are divided.
Our country is also being rent by this controversy. Attitudes toward people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender are among the factors that have divided us into red and blue states, rural versus urban areas, midlands versus the coasts. How we choose to respond to this issue is a test of who we will become as a nation...
This is a defining issue of our time. For some it is an issue of maintaining traditions and customs that have given order to our society. For others, it is an issue of justice -- all citizens should be entitled to equal rights under the law. For me, it is a moral and spiritual issue. How can the church live up to the highest ideals of Jesus Christ? How can we most faithfully act according to the central principles of the Bible? How can we most honestly and equitably share the love of God with all people?
I first dealt with this issue in the local congregation where my wife, Sharon, and I worship. Since that time I have explored it using my training as a scholar. I have not specialized as a biblical scholar, but I have wrestled with the biblical texts that are most commonly cited regarding people who are homosexual. I have not specialized as a church historian, but I have delved deeply into the history of how we have coped with other bitterly divisive issues in the church. I am a theologian and a historian of doctrine (the beliefs of the church) especially in its creeds and confessions. I have looked at these foundational documents of the church afresh, seeking guidance from the church’s central traditions.
I am a minister, a teacher, and I had the honor to be elected the Moderator of the 213th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2001. The Moderator is sort of an honorary head of the church for one year. I had the privilege, as Moderator, of traveling all over the United States, and in several foreign countries. I met people in congregations with 15 members and congregations of 4500 members.
I have been exposed to every kind of opinion on the issue of whether gay and lesbian people should have equal rights in the church and in society. I have encountered people red-faced with anger who have shouted at me. I have met people who wept because they felt rejected. I have met people who just didn't want to be involved in controversy. I have known people who could not quite understand what the fuss was all about. I have come to know a great many people who are homosexual that I am now grateful to call my friends.
I want the church to be healed of this great wound in the body of Christ. My favorite seminary professor often said: “If Christ is divided, who bleeds?” My attitude toward this problem has changed. For a long time I thought that we just had to wait, that time would heal the controversy. I no longer believe that. The Presbyterian Church took that attitude toward slavery until the nation and the church were finally torn in two.
I have gone through a change in my mind and heart. I have gone from being a silent spectator to actively working for change. I believe people who are homosexual should be given full rights of membership in the church and citizenship in the nation. I believe that it is the only way to heal the wounds of the church and the nation.
We in the church are not living according to the ideals of our Savior and Sovereign, Jesus Christ, when we discriminate unjustly against any group of people in our midst. To act unjustly weakens our witness to Christ in the world. I believe that we will be one holy and whole church only when all our members are treated equally. Then, together we will be able to evangelize, worship, and serve with the integrity of those who live according to Christ’s teachings. To help us reach that goal is my reason for writing this book. I invite all who share the goal of healing the church to join me as I describe my journey of discovery and my change of mind and heart.
In this book each chapter represents a step in my own journey. In chapter one, “Studying Homosexuality for the First Time,” I describe how my journey began, on a task force in my local congregation to study the status of people who are lesbian or gay. Then I wanted to know how the church had dealt with other, similarly volatile, issues. In chapter 2, “A Pattern of Misusing the Bible to Justify Oppression,” I review how our leading theologians, for two hundred years, preached and taught that the Bible justified the enslavement of people of African descent and the subordination of women to men. In chapter 3, “A Breakthrough in Understanding the Word of God,” I present the dramatic change in biblical interpretation that began in the 1930s, and rejoice in the way that it supported movements toward equality for African-Americans and liberation of women from limiting stereotypes. Chapter 4, “Interpreting the Bible in Times of Controversy,” tells the story of how, in the 1980s, the Presbyterian denominations, North and South, developed guidelines for biblical interpretation. Here we walk through seven guidelines, see their support in our Reformed Confessions, and consider their application to the lives of people who are gay and lesbian. In chapter 5, “What the Bible Says and Doesn't Say about Homosexuality,” we study, in detail, the usual biblical texts that are cited to condemn homosexual behavior and the theories, imposed on these texts, that twist their meaning. Chapter 6, “Real People and Real Marriage,” will enable us to move beyond stereotypes by introducing us to the powerful witness of faithful gay and lesbian Christian couples. In Chapter 7, “Healing the Church,” we look back on what we have learned and discuss the appropriate action that will move us forward. In that chapter I make recommendations for what the Presbyterian Church can do to right the wrongs of our present situation and to heal the divisions in the church. I hope that people in other denominations facing these same issues will be encouraged to reflect on the parallels in their setting and plan what they will do to bring healing to their communities.
Let us begin.
Jack Rogers
Pentecost, 2005
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Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
