advent - awake & praying

Advent is a gift that keeps on giving. The other day, I was walking down California Street and ran into a huge tacky "Holiday" display that was more advertisement than celebration, more noise than music. This "bright lights, big city" spectacle reiterated for me the great wisdom and nurturing spaciousness that the quiet season of Advent offers those who ache for something different.

A friend, church colleague and neighbor and I are planning a simple outdoor prayer gathering Friday nights in Advent at a park near our homes on Bernal Heights. A different kind of event we hope, flash lights, stars, prayers, friends, strangers, neighbors and a great view of the city. Check out Diobytes for more info. Join us.

By the way, check out Trinity Wall Street's and the Episcopal Diocese of Washington's interactive Advent calendars. My former Virginia Seminary professor Diana Butler Bass is also posting reflections on her Advent calendar over at Sojourners God's Politics blog.

the struggle continues, love endures

The passage of Prop 8 in California has felt deeply painful, we were inspired Friday evening along with thousands of others to join in protests and leaders from our faith community the Episcopal Diocese of California and Grace Cathedral have recently made strong, supportive statements. I am particularly grateful for these two paragraphs, from Alan Jones, dean of Grace Cathedral in his open letter to the community distributed to the congregation yesterday,

"Many years ago, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, I was asked by a reporter from the BBC whether we tolerated Gay people at Grace Cathedral. I answered with an emphatic “No!” I said, “We don’t tolerate gay people. Gay people are us! We are all together here, friends and colleagues – straight and gay.” So, we will continue to strive for justice and inclusion. The journey continues, and the progressive faith community has a profound responsibility to reach out to our brothers and sisters on the other side.

The Grace Cathedral community has benefited mightily from the steadfast love, commitment, service, and compassion of our LGBT members. It is fair to say that we would not be as prominent, dynamic, creative, or faithful a community without you/them. We stand in solidarity with you and your families, and look forward to running with perseverance the race that has been set before us."

Susan Russell beautifully chronicles much that is happening in California in response to the passage of Prop 8, read all about it here.

We have a long way to go for equal rights, the struggle continues and love endures.

There's also enormous gratitude in our hearts for the movement of change, hope and progress that continues to grow.

VOTE NO on PROP 8

Last night, a large group of Grace Cathedral folks and friends gathered to watch the powerful documentary For the Bible Tells Me So. We also talked a bit about the important role people of faith have to play in the movement for equality. On election day Californians have an opportunity to stand up for the equal rights of all by defeating Prop 8 which if passed would deny gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Conservative religious groups, many from outside the state, are pouring money into advertising in support of the proposition but other people of faith are working hard to defeat it. All the Episcopal Bishops of California are encouraging people to vote no, you can read more about their efforts here.

I was moved to learn of a Roman Catholic priest in Fresno, California who recently preached a sermon calling his congregation to vote no on Prop 8. Read more about Father Geoff Farrow over on Susan's blog, An Inch at a Time.  Thank you Fr. Geoff for your courage and compassion. 

There are many ways to get involved in the movement, volunteering, phone banking, and donating money. Visit No On Prop 8 to learn more.

Community Organizing

There are many things for young people to be involved in between college and graduate school. There are many ways to learn about the pressing issues of our time and make a difference. My brother, Christopher, spent last year working with young kids in a Washington, DC affordable housing community connected with the ecumenical Church of the Savior. He's now working with another church affiliated non-profit that helps tenants understand their rights in an urban area in the mid-west. My brother's doing this hard work, like the many community organizers I have met, because he cares about people and yearns to express his faith in all that he does.

Community Organizing is a process that helps churches, civic groups, organizations and others work together for the common good. Organizing is not isolated to urban or poor communities. One thing is clear, that community organizing has everything to do with responsibility. Helping people become part of the political process, take responsibility for themselves and their neighborhoods and bring accountability into civic life.

Check out the following links to read more about organizing and the most recent belittling of Barack Obama's experiences as an organizer before going on to law school and becoming a State Senator in the mid-west.

There are two great pieces on organizing posted up at:
Sojourner's God's Politics

If you saw the Democratic Convention you may have heard this great prayer by evangelical Don Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz. I think it expresses well the type of commitments that people involved in community organizing regardless of their faith are all about.