Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Masks We Wear
The spiritual life is a journey to our most authentic self. What are the masks you wear that prevent your authentic self from shining through?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Standing on the Side of Justice and Love?
Recently, The United Methodist Church General Board of Pension and Health Benefits decided to add another social screen to their investment portfolio: companies related to private prisons. This adds to the current screens of gambling, the manufacture, sale, or distribution of tobacco-related products, weapons, and pornography. This continues to keep the pension funds of clergy and lay employees in line with the denomination's historic stand for social justice.
I am very happy that The UMC is concerned about those on the margins enough to make a commitment not to profit from (or add to the profit of) companies that support systems of injustice.
I wonder, however, how well The UMC would fair if some companies that we are in partnership with utilized certain social screens? Would they continue to do business with The UMC?
Every clergy and lay employee whose pension is through GBPHB has free access to Ernst and Young Financial Planning Services. This is valuable and important for those whose careers do not exactly offer a windfall of economic gain. But interestingly enough, Ernst and Young has just been named The Employer of the Year by the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender advocacy group, Stonewall.
The UMC, with its own version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", speaks out of both corners of its mouth when talking about homosexuality. The church believes in equal rights for gay men and lesbians in society, but not within the church. Gay and lesbian couples ought to have their relationships protected by law, but cannot have those same relationships blessed in their house of worship by their pastor. Gay men and lesbians ought to be able to serve freely in the military, but self-avowed, practicing homosexuals are not to be admitted as ordination candidates, ordained clergy, or appointed to churches. All this because the church states that homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching."
This year, The United Methodist Church will gather as it does every 4 years to determine how the Holy Spirit is moving the church to live with greater faithfulness into the future. Nearly one thousand delegates will spend two weeks in prayer, conversation, study and legislative activities, providing a new set guidelines for the people called United Methodist. One of the issues that will be discussed and debated is homosexuality. For forty years, this has been an issue which has divided the church, yet the voting body has been unable to even acknowledge that the divide exists, voting down time after time a simple recognition that the church does not agree on this issue. As a result, United Methodist gay men and lesbians have been told that their lives and their love are incompatible with Christian teaching. This pronouncement flies in the face of a God who causes each one of us to proclaim in our own voice, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139)
As we prayerfully approach General Conference, I wonder where, how, and what God is saying to us regarding homosexuality:
I am very happy that The UMC is concerned about those on the margins enough to make a commitment not to profit from (or add to the profit of) companies that support systems of injustice.
I wonder, however, how well The UMC would fair if some companies that we are in partnership with utilized certain social screens? Would they continue to do business with The UMC?
Every clergy and lay employee whose pension is through GBPHB has free access to Ernst and Young Financial Planning Services. This is valuable and important for those whose careers do not exactly offer a windfall of economic gain. But interestingly enough, Ernst and Young has just been named The Employer of the Year by the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender advocacy group, Stonewall.
The UMC, with its own version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", speaks out of both corners of its mouth when talking about homosexuality. The church believes in equal rights for gay men and lesbians in society, but not within the church. Gay and lesbian couples ought to have their relationships protected by law, but cannot have those same relationships blessed in their house of worship by their pastor. Gay men and lesbians ought to be able to serve freely in the military, but self-avowed, practicing homosexuals are not to be admitted as ordination candidates, ordained clergy, or appointed to churches. All this because the church states that homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching."
This year, The United Methodist Church will gather as it does every 4 years to determine how the Holy Spirit is moving the church to live with greater faithfulness into the future. Nearly one thousand delegates will spend two weeks in prayer, conversation, study and legislative activities, providing a new set guidelines for the people called United Methodist. One of the issues that will be discussed and debated is homosexuality. For forty years, this has been an issue which has divided the church, yet the voting body has been unable to even acknowledge that the divide exists, voting down time after time a simple recognition that the church does not agree on this issue. As a result, United Methodist gay men and lesbians have been told that their lives and their love are incompatible with Christian teaching. This pronouncement flies in the face of a God who causes each one of us to proclaim in our own voice, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139)
As we prayerfully approach General Conference, I wonder where, how, and what God is saying to us regarding homosexuality:
- as our sister and brother mainline Protestant denominations have moved to accept the gifts and graces of gay and lesbian members,
- as state after state offers legal recognition through marriage equality or domestic partnerships of gay and lesbian couples,
- as the US military sees that gay men and lesbians can serve as faithfully and valiantly as straight service men and women,
- as young people turn to suicide because of the church's complicit support of bullying,
- as more and more companies that The UMC does business with have more just employment policies than the church.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
We Are Glide in San Francisco!
Here is a little homage to the people who make Glide such an amazing place. It was premiered at the Glide Gala on December 1, 2011.
We Are Glide in San Francisco!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Calling All Angels
The profound mystery of being both a vessel and recipient of God's grace: I came out of the gym locker room and saw a woman--I didn't know her name but knew she had lost her son earlier this year--who was crying. I asked if she was okay and she fell in my arms, saying, "The song that's playing was sung at my son's funeral. The grief just got to me" as she fell in my arms in tears.
Then, as I got to "my" machine, another woman--whose name I also don't know--came up to me, "I've been looking for you. I just bought a pair of slacks and I think they'd look better on you than me" as she handed them to me.
We are indeed angels for one another.
Then, as I got to "my" machine, another woman--whose name I also don't know--came up to me, "I've been looking for you. I just bought a pair of slacks and I think they'd look better on you than me" as she handed them to me.
We are indeed angels for one another.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Why I Support Occupy Wall Street
I was disappointed to read a tweet from one of my favorite religious authors, Len Sweet: ‘Isn't the way to really "Occupy Wall Street" to buy stocks and become shareholders?” Actually, my mouth fell open as if I was watching a Republican primary debate. From what place of privilege does a statement like that emerge?
Of course, a “publicly owned” company allows the shareholder to have voice within a company, but there is too much broken within this system to really allow the other 99% to even own stock, much less to have a voice.
A recent report in Business Insider summed it up pretty succinctly:
1. With a brief except in 1980, unemployment is at the highest level since the Great Depression
2. At the same time, corporate profits are at an all-time high
3. Wages as a percent of the economy are at an all-time low.
4. Income and wealth inequality in the US economy is near an all-time high
Take a look at this graph which shows how CEO salaries have skyrocketed in the past 20 years while worker wages have had an incremental increase:
This information confirms what I am seeing every day at Glide: the American Dream has become the American nightmare, as more and more individuals and families struggle just to make ends meet. Investing in stocks has become an activity reserved for the rich and famous, not the poor and struggling. Unfortunately, in this economy, even things like health insurance and education are now luxury items for too many Americans.
This is why I support the Occupy Wall Street movement. The system isn’t working. Too many are suffering. It can no longer be business as usual.
Of course, a “publicly owned” company allows the shareholder to have voice within a company, but there is too much broken within this system to really allow the other 99% to even own stock, much less to have a voice.
A recent report in Business Insider summed it up pretty succinctly:
1. With a brief except in 1980, unemployment is at the highest level since the Great Depression
2. At the same time, corporate profits are at an all-time high
3. Wages as a percent of the economy are at an all-time low.
4. Income and wealth inequality in the US economy is near an all-time high
Take a look at this graph which shows how CEO salaries have skyrocketed in the past 20 years while worker wages have had an incremental increase:
This information confirms what I am seeing every day at Glide: the American Dream has become the American nightmare, as more and more individuals and families struggle just to make ends meet. Investing in stocks has become an activity reserved for the rich and famous, not the poor and struggling. Unfortunately, in this economy, even things like health insurance and education are now luxury items for too many Americans.
This is why I support the Occupy Wall Street movement. The system isn’t working. Too many are suffering. It can no longer be business as usual.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
