Friends in the News

I'm wrapping up my first week at this new job, and it was quite a week to begin. Yesterday, the ELCA released both its Statement on Human Sexuality and its recommendations on rostering (that means making ordained pastors and commissioned lay ministers) people who are in same-gender loving relationships.

Our Exec. Director and Communications Director spent a lot of time talking to the press yesterday. They handled them quite well. They got their word out about what we agree with in the statement (there is quite a bit that we agree with), and what we profoundly disagree with (there is some of that as well). There are also a few things that the statement leaves out.

Our local TV station, KARE 11, ran a story on the release of the statement. They found some old footage of my friend, J's, ordination (I'm not bothering to link to his blog, since it seems to be a dead blog at the moment). J is no longer at the church where he was ordained, so their footage is a little out of date. He has moved on to another congregation on the east coast. I was the assisting minister at his ordination, so I appear in the footage. I'm the one NOT wearing a red stole.



Also, another friend, Brad, is being installed at a new congregation this Sunday. Our local paper used him as the face of gay clergy, using his photograph along with the story about the Sexuality Statement. It also ran a story about his installation. I learned through this story that my friend is listed as "on leave from call" because he is in a relationship. It saddens and worries me that he had to take this step to be installed.

The cool thing is that both J and Brad are my co-directors of The Naming Project. They have been working hard, along with me, to create a camp for young people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We continue to work, even as jobs shift (all three of us have changed jobs since we started TNP).

Today, please offer up a prayer that God's children can heed the call...no matter where that call might lead them. Pray that human barriers will fall before that call.