Time to Cross the Jordan*

I am always surprised when I meet a young gay man who introduces me to his wife. I always want to say “but wait, you don’t have to do this anymore, we’ve been liberated.” But, of course, I do not say anything, I smile and say “how do you do?” But then I go away shaking my head wondering what the six decades of fighting I have lived through were all about if young gay men will not take up the reins. Of course, as a wise colleague once said to me, we do not know what sort of arrangement these folks have made with each other. Still, I think it is time for gay people to “cross over” as the people in Joshua 3 crossed over into the promised land (and the priests stood on dry ground in the middle of the water, while the people crossed over all around them).

One remarkable Sunday, not too long ago, our rector announced long-term anniversaries of two couples—both were gay couples. I thought it a halcyon moment in our church. None of the stones rumbled and the cross of Christ did not crash to earth. Because, in fact, God, and Christ Jesus, celebrate our embrace of our gay lives. And what better celebration of gay lives is there than 25th and 35th anniversaries? Testaments to God’s love, that’s what those are.

For those of us who have crossed the Jordan metaphorically into the lives God has called us to lead, for us there are many rewards. Yes, there also are some drawbacks. But, speaking as a man, coupled for 34 years and married legally for 3, I think the rewards far outweigh the rest. Yes, Brad and I have crossed over the Jordan into the promised land. The interesting part is that we still have to work and deal with neighbors and pay taxes. We still irritate each other. That’s just how it goes. The Bible leaves that part out. Even in the promised land, it turns out life is hard work. But that’s okay, that’s why we have the Good News, that by living the lives God has made for us we have inherited God’s kingdom. This is our salvation, that the love we share, which is from and of God, is love that will last forever. This is Paul’s promise in today’s lesson from Thessalonians: “God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.”

For most of us being gay is no big deal, except in those moments when we are confronted by societal oppression. Those moments are fewer and farther between than they once were, but we still experience them. Depending on where you reside on this continuum, you might never experience oppression, or you might be so oppressed that you have not yet even come out. But the time has come my friends to cross the river. You are God’s children, you should live gay lives in God’s kingdom. Come, cross the river by Jericho. God’s word is at work in you.

*Proper 26 (Joshua 3:7-17; Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12)
©2011 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.

Gay Christians … talk about dimensions of reality!*

This will be short, and I’m sorry it’s a day late … when I preach at the real deal on Sundays it just wipes my brain out, I’m sorry to say. Anyway, you can find Sunday’s sermon on the CHT website. It’s an all purpose call to learn to walk in God’s reality.

But while I was pondering that, I made these notes about what it means to be a gay Christian? It is at once easy and hard. It is easy, because being God’s own is easy. It is hard, because being a gay person in a church that has for a couple of centuries made us out as demons is hard. As usual in life, as usual in gay life, it involves the ability to live into different realities, sometimes all at once. We have to know that God has made us gay on purpose. God has even made us vital and gay on purpose. The way we live together has an effect on all of society, all of creation, that God has intended. It loosens things up, it makes things happier, it makes the rainbow more generously accepting of diversity. We show the others how it is supposed to be. That is why God has made some of us, even many of us, gay. And some of us have been made gay so we can make families together. I know that God called me and Brad together to be one. So what do we do with all of these different realities?

Well, if we’re clever, we celebrate them, we embrace them, we rejoice in them. Frankly, every time I go to dinner at the Venture Inn in Philadelphia, or every time I sit at the Engel van Amsterdam on the Zeedijk and watch the joyous parade of gay humanity I celebrate the glorious diverse world that God saw that I was born into. And I think that is our job too, to rejoice in our diversity, to celebrate our multiple realities. Go forth and rejoice then. Celebrate being gay and Christian.

And one more thing—remember to walk in love. Because that is how we reach God’s kingdom, that is how we walk into God’s reality, that is how we leave our own selfish reality behind. Walk always in love my friends.

©2011 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.
*Proper 25 Year A RCL, Leviticus 19: 1-2, 15-18, Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46

Thanks for good witness*

Last Sunday was the OutFest street fair in Philadelphia. Our parish had a booth, which we set up at about 9:30 in the morning and tore down at 4pm, so we were out there on 12th St. for more than six hours. It was a gorgeous day, getting too warm only for a bit in the midafternoon, all of which meant it was a comfortable space for us to engage in our ministry of witness.
As is often the case at these events, although I answer lots of questions about one thing or another, the major impression I come away with at the end of the day is the simple power of our having been present with our “Episcopal Church Welcomes You” sign, and our Episcopal flag flying alongside rainbow flags. Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 22:15-22) to give the emperor’s things to the emporer and to God the things that are God’s. And that’s what we do at the OutFest. We set up a sign of God’s presence, of God’s healing love, of God’s caring creation, and then we let it become its own beacon to the swarms of folks swirling around all afternoon.
There often are so-called “protestors” at these events; I didn’t see any this time although a few distraught folks stopped by our table to say they wished our message was as loud as that of the protestors. I always chuckle, because for everyone who says something like that to me fifteen more stop by to whisper “thanks for being here.”
In today’s lesson from 1Thessalonians Paul writes words of encouragement remembering “your work faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope.” We had a varied crew of parishioners at our booth throughout the day, but the best moments came, I think, when it was possible for potential church-shoppers to actually have a chat with one or the other of our folks. I was grateful for their easygoing welcoming chatter, which is born of the reality of their genuine sense of home at CHT.
It is a ministry of witness, witness to the simple power of the love of God. Thanks folks.

Proper 24 (Exodus 33:12-23, Psalm 99, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22)
©2011The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved

The crux of gay Christian experience*

It has been a long week for me, although I have to admit nothing has been out of order. I got an upgrade to business class for my return from Amsterdam. I am completely now of the mind that passengers should just refuse to purchase coach seating on airlines. What if we all did that, and all they could do was sell six seats? You know what, they would extend decent service to the rest of the plane, that’s what. So think about that. This is how air travel used to be, comfortable seats for eight hours, good drinks, a nice meal, and your choice of pleasant conversation or quiet alone time. While I’m at it, how many people flying on US carriers know that most other world airlines have electricity at each seat to plug in or recharge your electronics, and WiFi to stay connected?

Sorry.

It meant, however, that instead of the usual abuse, I had a pretty pleasant trip home, in a seat large enough to relax, and in a cabin with only about 10 people, and with whatever food or drink I wanted. I slept twice, and got home feeling more or less normal, then got a good night’s sleep. Instead of the usual four days of jetlag I had just about one and a half.

You’ve got to wonder what these diplomats are doing flying around all the time feeling like crap and messing up world affairs because of jet lag. But as usual I digress.

So here, in Phillipians, we have the entire crux of the experience of gay Christians: “this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Oh my …

Well, how can we forget what lies behind. Yet, essentially, we must. We must not dwell in closets or in fear, we must press on into the new lives God is giving us each day. Last week I wrote about how there are young couples getting married in the Netherlands now. This is a great example. They do not live in the fear of earlier generations. And so for those of us of a certain age, it is important to maintain the history of our culture, but it also is important for us to help young people get ahead, help them press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus, which is the call to walk in love.

The Gospel this week is Jesus’ condemnation of the religious right of his day; they were so enamored of their earthly rules that they could not even think about God. That is why these lessons are paired with the reading of the Ten Commandments in Exodus. The commandments themselves are not so important in this context; what matters is this last bit, Moses says: “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”

Remember that “sin” is deliberately separating yourself from God. So my friends, love God, love each other—and remember that loving each other is the best way to love God—and, well, there is no and. Just love each other. Please.

Proper 22 (Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46)
©2011 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved