This first request is for my friend and colleague in ministry, Cecilia. She is a member of a different church from mine, one that could impose serious sanctions on her and her ministry for coming out as a lesbian. She has been blogging for quite some time at Closeted Pastor. She did not start blogging with the conscious intention of coming out. Those of us who commented and joined her circle of conversation did not urge her either toward staying in the closet or toward leaving it. We accompanied Cecilia. In her time and Godde's time she made the decision to come out, and tomorrow she will come out to her congregation's governing board, and Thursday to her congregation.
Please accompany Cecilia in prayer if you feel moved to do so. I pray for her, in thanksgiving for her deeply pastoral ministry and for her courage, for her Beloved, and for her church. She is peaceful and has prayed through this decision. If only the Church in all its manifestations were as loving as Jesus, we would have nothing to fear. But even with fear, we have with us an Advocate. In Godde's Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Jesus, we go forth.
As a straight ally, I pray that I will keep faith with my lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered friends and that I will not step back from standing with them as they bravely go forth, wanting only to live and love as Godde created and called them. Pray for Cecilia. Pray for the Church.
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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, "At the Moulin Rouge: Two Women Waltzing"
10 comments:
Oh my. What a brave individual. How wonderful.
Our chanting, as you likely understand, aims not at intercession but at awakening all beings involved in a relationship or situation. This seems to call for that, as well, and our group will happily chant Kwan Seum Bosal for the clear, compassionate understanding of her congregation. She sounds very clear already! I hope those who will be hearing from her can keep their minds clear like space and see her heart.
I'm praying for Cecilia that all goes well - better than she expects.
Requests for interceasory prayer are definitely a form of ministry from my perspective.
I will pray for Cecilia, that all who have the power to impose earthly sanctions on her may be blessed with the vision and grace to welcome and embrace her. And I will continue to pray for you.
Jane-- and all Jane's dear ones-- thank you, so much, for your consistent witness and love and support. I am truly grateful.
Pax, C.
BTDT. Prayers for Cecelia... that love, compassion and understanding may overcome fear and that her congregation will see she is still the same person she was before except now wholly integrated. May her congregation see that they now have new energy because they won't be wondering (if this has been the case) and perhaps that they can be witnesses to something new in this season of resurrection.
Sorrowful that Cecilia has to serve a Church as narrow as the one to which she is about to offer herself up as a human sacrifice. That Church does not deserve her, even though God knows how much it needs her life and witness to God's love.
Of course I will pray for her. She is my hero for this single day at least.
My those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, and hearts to open, do so, and see what a wonderful gift Cecilia is to them...Prayers are ascending...
Prayers, yes, yes.
I have been reading Cecilia for a long time and have prayed with her since the first time I saw her blog.
She is truly a gift indeed.
It's crucial for those of us in the straight community to stand against the oppression of our sisters and brothers of the glbt community - because negativity against "them" is negativity against all humanity, all of us. Prayers for sure especially on Thursday morning. Joanne
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