Scriptures: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 51; John 6:24-35.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- our denomination of between two and two-and-a-half million members -- is in a state of crisis.

We are in a state of crisis because we have allowed and continue to allow one single fundamentalist in our denomination to exercise his given, constitutional, *Book of Order* right as a church member to file ecclesial charges against any presbyter -- i.e., any elder, deacon, or pastor -- in our denomination. All because he believes numerous folk, in their desire to be human and humane on sexual orientation and gender identification concerns, are being heretical to our sacrosanct *Book of Order*. And this man -- who happens to be an attorney -- is threatening to file charges against hundreds of defendants whom he has never met. Charges that must officially be answered, if not fully investigated.

And so far -- so far -- our denomination, so decent, so orderly, so focused upon preserving the system rather than promoting right relationships, continues to lie in supine defenselessness, blanketed in legal briefs rather than bolstered by loving prophecy.

How did we decent and orderly folks create such a mess? Is it just our polity -- a *Book of* erstwhile *Order* run amok, caught as it is in an ongoing degenerative spiral, originating as a handbook outlining principles of faith, now serving more directly and directively as a manual of operations? Is it just our polity? Our legal largess, if you will? Or, is our ailing polity symptomatic of something much deeper in our ecclesial soul? Maybe we can find some clues to our polity ailment in the theology that underlies it. Maybe we can find some clues in the church historic's perennial drift, when it is not being reformed and always reforming, from trusting the intuitive to worshiping the systemic.

Worshiping the systemic at the expense of trusting the intuitive: it's the Achilles heel of great institutions, be they church or university. People morph into numbers, treated more and more as if they were pawns on a chessboard. Laws or rules appear in abundance to govern every single possible dynamic on that grand chessboard, so that systems may operate smoothly. More correctly: that these systems may be given the appearance of operating smoothly.

Trouble is, when our focus falls on the systemic -- to wit, the oxymoron "systematic theology" -- we begin to lose touch with who and whose we are. We trust less and less the internal and the spiritual, and -- in our rush to control that which grows larger than ourselves -- we begin to worship the external and the material. To paraphrase Richard Rohr, we begin to lose the ability to see persons as complex, hence needing a simple law to govern all -- the law of love. Instead, we begin to perceive people as simple, needing many laws -- the love of the law -- to govern their every -- single -- step.[1]

This is what was happening to the church institutional by the time the Gospel of John was written. As some of you may know, John's was the last composed of the four gospels, and it was the one most unlike the other three, Matthew, Mark and Luke, which are called the Synoptics -- meaning, "seen together" -- due to their many similarities.

Many scholars have rightly pointed out that John's Gospel, particularly since it was composed last, reflects the increasing systematization of the early church. Something great in Jesus' Gospel, therefore, gets lost in the process.

The narratives in Matthew, Mark and Luke revolve around great calls for intuitive, internal, even subversive discipleship -- "You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth," we hear Matthew's rabbi proclaim to a probably peasant audience; "follow me," we hear him say in all three, be my disciples.

On the contrary, John's gospel gathers all power unto Jesus. John is unique among the gospel writers in proclaiming Jesus as God in human form. Jesus therefore becomes the message, and not just the messenger. He becomes "the bread of life," as we hear in the gospel reading today, and not the one in the Synoptics who says to his disciples wishing to turn away the 5000, "You give them something to eat."

Our Men's Gospel Breakfast, which meets two or three Fridays a month, has recently undertaken a study of Elaine Pagels' wonderful new bestseller, *Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas*. Many thanks go to Jeff Renner for calling our attention to this book, after he heard an interview of Pagels, a religion professor at Princeton, on NPR's "Fresh Air." Pagels' thesis in *Beyond Belief* is that this fifth gospel of Thomas did not make the canon, or standard, of scripture as we have known it for twenty centuries due to a chain of early church events that supported John's refutation of Thomas. (Remember, some of you, the rough treatment a disciple we've come to know as Doubting Thomas receives in John's gospel? Therein lies a clue.)

Pagels writes, "Thomas's gospel encourages the hearer not so much to believe in Jesus, as John requires, as to seek to know God through one's own, divinely given capacity, since all are created in the image of God. For Christians in later generations" -- including the rising church leaders in John's time -- "the Gospel of John helped provide a foundation for a unified church, which Thomas, with its emphasis on each person's search for God, did not."[2]

A unified church: more concerned with systems and structure, creeds and legalese, a Christ less conveyed by intuitive spirit -- communal or individual -- and more and more held captive to prescriptive and even proscriptive ways.

Again, Pagels' description of the Gospel of Thomas: "Seeking to know God through one's own, divinely given capacity." A la Jesus in Matthew: "You are the light of the world ... you are the salt of the earth."

But, in John's gospel we hear Jesus say "I am the light of the world" -- and we hear today, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Quite different approaches to faith ... aren't they? And quite reflective of two entirely different ecclesial perceptions, if not realities.

I will admit: I believe that John's approach to Christology, when used well, has its strengths. But the fact remains: John's approach has won out in the Church. Almost completely. At the expense of the Synoptics, at the expense of Thomas. For two millennia, plus.

No wonder, in a recent denominational poll, nearly three-quarters of Presbyterians -- members, elders and clergy -- expressed belief in Jesus Christ as "the only absolute Truth for humankind."[3]

Believing in Jesus, rather than following Jesus -- worshiping

him systematically, rather than trusting intuitively in what Ephesians today calls Christ's diverse gifts to us: seems to be a simpler, more formulaic way to live.

Problem is: it also seems to be an easier, softer way, as well.

Referring to our Exodus scripture today: Could emphasizing

belief in and worship of Jesus at the expense of following him be the way of captivity for us, that leaves us whining and pining for an Egypt of slavery whence God has liberated us? Could it be that we desire the fleshpots of a pharaonic Jesus served up like Burger King -- "He'll do it all for you" -- when God's kingdom provisions await us across a desert wilderness of our more intuitive and risk-taking discipleship?

If we leave behind the fleshpots of our increasing denominational captivity to (guidance by) our two-part constitution -- *The Book of Confessions* and *The Book of Order* -- what will we have? We won't "have" much. Because, we won't be in need of so much. For we will begin to be nourished by the wonder of the questions -- the manna, which literally translated from the Hebrew means, "what is it?" -- rather than the fast-food answers by which an omnipotent Lord (read, an omnipotent church hierarchy) would enslave us.

This past Thursday, I attended the weekly summer film series and discourse being held by the University of Michigan Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs. (Mark Ely joined me -- some of you know Mark, a friend of our church from Monroe.)

Thursday's film, a documentary short produced by the Intersex Society of North America, was called, "Hermaphrodites Speak." A microphone was passed around to several gathered in a circle on a blanket outdoors, sharing their stories of how their bodies were altered -- "mutilated" was a word used more than once -- to make them correspond to a female or male body type after they had been born with ambiguous genitalia. A tough subject -- yet, not as uncommon a phenomenon as many of us may think.

We began our feedback session afterward by citing the amateur quality of the production. We then quickly segued to analyzing and theorizing such-and-so about society's prejudice toward those with ambiguous genitalia -- what it might be, how it might be, and why it might be so.

It was at this point that our discussion facilitator brought us back to what was truly the essence of the film. The film was not about persons with ambiguous genitalia, she noted. The film was persons with ambiguous genitalia. And perhaps -- just perhaps -- the simplicity of the production heightened the intuitive urgency of their stories. Production done in a slick manner could not convey this.

Our society -- our government -- and, yes, our denomination -- worships slick. We want Sallman's glossy Head of Christ to adorn our faith at every turn. No need to trust the gifts God has given us, some of which Ephesians enumerates today, when we can worship and adore the one sent to show us how to trust these gifts in the

first place. No need to celebrate the diversity of God's creation, when believing in Jesus is all there is to it. No need to hear the stories of diverse peoples, or simply to witness the diversity in the multitude of flora and fauna around us.

No need to intuit -- anymore.

It is precisely at a time and a place such as this that we are prophetically challenged, sisters and brothers, to trust anew. To trust anew not in the structures or systems that place Christ (not to mention many of us) on a holy pedestal, but in the intuitive processes that stamp us in the humble image of God.

Perhaps the fastest growing spiritual movement in the Western world this past half century, Alcoholics Anonymous -- whose origins trace to a Christian renewal movement -- can teach us something about trusting the intuitive. Hear the following pearls of wisdom from AA's classic Big Book:

"On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead .... In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle." (Hear that, those who serve on church committees?) "We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while. What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind ... it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it."[4]

And finally, hear these words from a brief appendix, titled "Spiritual Experience," in this steadfastly interfaith book: "With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves.

"Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience. Our more religious members call it 'God-consciousness.'"[4]

God-consciousness, indeed. For we may not find the answers in Jesus. The answer is, we are found.

For we may not find more light in Jesus. The answer is -- because of his guidance -- it is found within us, and among us.

Thanks be to God!

References:

1. Source unknown.

2. Elaine Pagels, *Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas* (New York: Random House, 2003), p. 34.

3. Jerry L. Van Marter, "Survey says: Presbyterians find Truth in Jesus," PCUSA News Service, June 20, 2003, #03270.

4. *Alcoholics Anonymous*. 3rd ed. (New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1976), pp. 86-87 and 569-70.

Benediction

church, etc. The *More Light Update* puts a human face (and of course, many faces over the years) on our movement, and so helped people and the Church "get it" that we are not "an issue," we are human beings who love, and are loved, people of faith who are part of the Church.

Jim, I must also say that you have been an absolute delight to work with in terms of being the editor and publisher of the *More Light Update*, at Board Meetings, at GA, MLP Conferences, WOW, etc.

I am very happy for you and Rafael that you will be together full-time in your Florida home. A loss for Rutgers and NJ, and a big gain for St. Petersburg. -- With much love and care to you and Rafael, Michael

(Hey, many many warm thanks to these, and to the others who have sent along their thanks now, and over the past 20 or so years! -- JDA)

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On the Road with Michael Adee

MLP National Field Organizer

Measuring Goodness, Life and Faith

"Some people say that we should measure our goodness by what we don't do, what we deny ourselves, or what we resist and who we exclude. I think we get to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create and who we include." Such was said in a sermon by the village priest, Pere Hern, in Joanne Harris' book. This magical book became the award-winning, heart-stirring film "Chocolat."

Among the townspeople, the contrast was clear between the dogmatic and the free, law and spirit, the closed and open heart and mind, mere existence and joyful living because of the narrow and fearful theology of the village church.

When I saw the film, I thought about our Church and the struggles within faith communities to live out a Gospel marked by what we embrace, what we create and who we include.

Part of this is what we do with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and our families, and it is much larger than this, of course. It is essentially how we live as people of faith, and within faith communities. Are we defined by, and

do we measure our goodness by what we do not do, what we deny ourselves, what we resist and whom we exclude? Or, by what we embrace, what we create and whom we include?

Sadly, there are some in our Church that believe that God, Jesus, the Bible and marriage need to be defended, codified or understood and possessed by them alone. This is the exact opposite of what it means to be reformed, Presbyterian, and Christian. Do they really believe that God, Jesus, the Bible and marriage are in that much trouble? Their words and actions suggest so, as in "Chocolat."

There is another way. The More Light Presbyterian Movement in

our Church marks 30 years very soon. A group of persons both

LGBT and heterosexual gathered in Chicago with the late David Sindt to dream of and work for a Church for all God's children. And, a similar group of persons at West Park Presbyterian Church in New York CI\ity wrote the first "More Light" statement -- More light as in seeking more light, not having it. Such was the beginning of the Welcoming Church Movement for Presbyterians, and this witness would inspire other denominations to do the same.

Our beloved Jim Anderson was part of that early fellowship at West Park Presbyterian Church, and he has served as National MLP Board Member, editor and publisher of our *More Light Update* for more than two decades. This national, grassroots movement is now filled with persons, families, churches and chapters in cities and on Presbyterian college and seminary campuses all across the country because of the vision, leadership and service of persons like Jim.

This summer's General Assembly in Denver marked my fifth one as your National Field Organizer. I continue to delight in this sacred work and ministry that brings my faith and activism together in profound ways. There is no doubt in my heart and mind in our journey to become the Church God would have us be.

Why not have this kind of Church now, rather than later? Our newest More Light-affiliated church, First Presbyterian Church, San Rafael, CA decided it was time. And, Presbyterians in Nashville decided it was time and came together to create the MLP Chapter in Middle Tennessee. Students, faculty and staff on the campus of United Theological Seminary decided it was time to have a MLP Chapter on their campus in St. Paul, MN.

Hundreds of women came to our LGBT-focused educational booth "Can We Talk?" at the Presbyterian Women's Triennial Gathering in Louisville in July. Those of us from The Shower of Stoles Project, That All May Freely Serve, and More Light Presbyterians gratefully welcomed the steady stream of women, older and younger, to our booth. They wanted educational resources to take back to their churches, to share with members of their families, for themselves. They came with their stories, love for their families, care for their churches. .

More than 120 Presbyterians joined the over 800 persons in Philadelphia in August for Witness Our Welcome 2003, the Welcoming Church Movement Conference for LGBT persons of faith and our allies, friends and families. More than two dozen faith traditions were represented at this international gathering. Marco Grimaldo, MLP Board member and representative to the National Religious Leadership Roundtable, was Co-Chair of the conference. Remarkable worship, educational opportunities and a joyful sense of community and solidarity were highlights. And, like any Gay Pride event, the anti-gay religious protesters showed up with placards and bull-horns spewing hate and exclusion from a peculiarly pious disposition.

Theologies and practices of exclusion, arrogance and hate persist, as do theologies and practices of inclusion, modesty of faith and belief, and love.

Such was portrayed in the French village in "Chocolat," in Denver and in Philadelphia. Presbyterians have a choice, now is the time and it is my prayer that we will let go of our personal pieties to seek, discern, trust and experience God's Spirit taking us into places where our goodness, life and faith will be measured by what we embrace, what we create and who we include.

-- With hope and grace, Michael.

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BOOKS

**Body and Soul: Rethinking Sexuality as Justice-Love.** Marvin M. Ellison and Sylvia Thorson-Smith, editors. Berea, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8298-1561-9, Paper $30.00.

Long-time MLPers Marvin Ellison and Sylvia Thorson-Smith have co-edited a collection of essays in collaboration with two dozen prominent theologians that plays off the controversial 1991 Presbyterian study they co-authored entitled *Keeping Body and Soul Together: Sexuality, Spirituality, and Social Justice*. It takes stock of sexuality, religion, and ethics at the beginning of the new millennium. The cutting-edge analyses address the possibilities and demands of a justice-love ethic for individuals, church, and society.

Outstanding features of the book include: the use of a wide justice lens to explore religion, sexuality, and ethics; analyses of the intersections of sexuality with race, gender, sexual orientation, ecology, economics, and other dynamics; rich insight into the history and complexity of religious debates over sexuality; and constructive guidance for resolution of conflict based on biblical and ethical principles of love and justice.

Marvin M. Ellison is professor of Christian ethics at Bangor Theological Seminary in Portland, Maine and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He received his Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and is the author of *Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality* (1996). He lives in Portland, Maine.

Sylvia Thorson-Smith is lecturer in religious studies and sociology at Grinnell College in Iowa. A former consultant and writer of several studies for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she is the author of *Pornography: Far From the Song of Songs* (1988) and *Reconciling the Broken Silence* (1993), and co-editor of *Called Out With: Stories of Solidarity* (1997). Thorson-Smith lives in Grinnell, Iowa.

Table of Contents

Foreword: John Carey;

Introduction: Keeping Body and Soul Together, Again for the First Time: Marvin M. Ellison and Sylvia Thorson-Smith.

Part One: Authority, Sources, and Norms

1. Christianity's Indecent Decency: Why a Holistic Vision of Justice Eludes Us: Beverly Harrison; 2. Authority, Resistance, and Transformation: Jewish Feminist Reflections on Good Sex: Judith Plaskow; 3. How to Read What We Read: Discerning Good News about Sexuality in Scripture: Johanna H. van Wijk-Bos; 4. We're Here, We're Queer: Teaching Sex in Seminary: Carter Heyward.

Part Two: Sexualities

5. Black Body/White Soul: The Unsettling Intersection of Race, Sexuality, and Christianity: Kelly Brown Douglas; 6. Bisexuality: Variations on a Theme: Susan Halcomb Craig; 7. Sexuality and Aging: "Young Love" and "Old Love": Chris Glaser; 8. Teens and Sex: Just Say ... What?: Debra Haffner; 9. Embracing God as Goddess: Exploring Connections between Female Sexuality, Naming the Divine, and Struggling for Justice: Rebecca Todd Peters; 10. Men, Male Myths, and Metanoia: Daniel C. Maguire; 11. Crossing Gender Borders: Toward a New Paradigm: Virginia Ramey Mollenkott.

Part Three: Pleasure and Health

12. Gay Erotic Spirituality and the Recovery of Sexual Pleasure: Robert E. Goss; 13. Receptivity and Revelation: A Spirituality of Gay Male Sex: Scott Haldeman; 14. Becoming "Possessed": Toward Sexual Health and Well-Being: Sylvia Thorson-Smith; 15. AIDS in a Globalized Economy: A Religious Reality Check: Mary E. Hunt

Part Four: Pain and Violence

16. How Can We Sing Our Song, and Who Will Hear? Violence against Asian American/Immigrant Women: Thelma B. Burgonio-Watson; 17. Setting the Captives Free: Same-Sex Domestic Violence and the Justice-Loving Church: Marvin M. Ellison; 18. Clergy Sexual Misconduct: A Justice Issue: Anne Underwood.

Part Five: Struggle and Hope

19. Keeping Body, Soul, and Earth Together: Revisioning JusticeLove as an Ecological Ethic of Right Relation: Daniel T. Spencer; 20. Coming to Our Senses: Erotic and Economic Discipleship and the Transformation of Gender: Mary E. Hobgood; 21. Marriage Troubles: Rita Nakashima Brock; 22. No More Second-Class Members: Rethinking the Church's Continuing Debate over the Ordination of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons: Virginia West Davidson, Michael D. Smith, and Jane Adams Spahr.

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**Gay and Lesbian Theologies: Repetitions with Critical Difference**, by Elizabeth Stuart. (Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2003, 125 p. ISBN 0-7546-1658-4 Hbk, 0-7546- 1661-4 Pbk). Reviewed by Gene Huff.

Here is a book not all our readers will be able or want to delve into but all should know about because it lays out a very useful theological position that can be extremely valuable for our debates over LGBT involvement in church life.

Elizabeth Stuart teaches at King Alfred's College at Winchester England and the book deals primarily with British theologians' work, presenting a critical review of theology relating to homosexuality over the past forty years or so. She traces the development of gay and lesbian theology primarily in Britain. But she does include references to the work of American writers including John Boswell, John McNeill, Norman Pittenger, Virginia Mollenkott and also our own Chris Glaser.

As helpful as the review chapters are, however, the chief value of Stuart's writing is her presentation of Queer Theology and its relation to gay and lesbian liberal theology. The learning for me was that they are not the same. The word Queer is used now to name a theological framework which moves beyond what she believes is the typical approach of gay and lesbian theology. Stuart challenges the church to take a whole different approach to sexual and gender identities -- essentially to ignore them.

Gay and lesbian theology is seen by Stuart as dealing primarily with the battle over the Biblical material used in the debate and the related theme of creating inclusiveness in the church's life. She insists that the important thing about our debates regarding homosexuality is not so much the grounds of difference between the participants as it is their unquestioned shared assumptions based on the modern discourses of sexuality. Both sides in the debate share the notion that everyone has a sexual identity and that identity for good or ill is a fundamental statusdeterminative reality about us. That is the assumption Queer theology challenges. Stuart says, "This debate has congealed around homosexuality as an 'issue' where lesbian and gay people, their supporters but also their opponents currently slump exhausted, having gone too many brutal rounds with one another, barely able now to muster the energy to raise two fingers at each other -- never mind exchange a loving kiss." Her critique of typical gay and lesbian theology and at the same time its opponents is that both are dealing with the contemporary modern judgments regarding homosexuality although of course from entirely different angles.

Stuart moves toward her purpose for writing by reminding us that no theology emerges from a vacuum. The development of gay and lesbian theology has to be seen against two backgrounds: the developments of Christian theology in the West in the latter part of the twentieth century and gay and lesbian studies during the same time. She feels that many of the weaknesses of our current debates are weaknesses inherited from those two sources.

Scholars will recognize that we are moving here in the areas of social constructionism. One of Stuart's most telling insights is how sexual orientation is dependent on culture and historically conditioned. Some say you can discover the moment when the homosexual appeared in modern history. Others maintain that like the category of the witch in the seventeenth century there really are no homosexuals or heterosexuals for that matter. While there have always been persons engaging in various kind of sexual practice, their sexual preference did not tell a truth about who they were as persons in the way familiar in our times. Sexual orientation may well be a social construction but one which truly needs a serious critique at this time.

For Stuart the essence of Queer Theology is that there is no essential sexuality or gender. She refers to theologian Robert Goss's insistence that Queer is not actually another identity alongside lesbian and gay, although as a word it is often used to convey a radical coalition of LGBT persons. Queer is a radical destabilizing of identities and resistance to considering any sexual identity as a norm. What gay and lesbian theologians have feared about this approach is that it appears to require a surrendering of LGBT identity. Much of the book seeks to show how that fear is ungrounded. John McNeill's view is shared, that sexual orientation is a way of thinking, feeling and responding that goes to a person's essence. Drawing on Boswell, McNeill suggests that gays have always shown natural spiritual leadership and now God has raised up the gay Christian community to work toward changing the church.

The essence of Stuart's argument is in her final chapter entitled "Christianity is a Queer Thing." She sees Queer Theology as a form of divine illumination coming just as it is clearly needed in the church today -- "a solution to the impasse of the wrestling saints by pulling the rug out from under both of them." It subverts the rules of the game by questioning the notion of gender and sexual identity, and their use in making ecclesiastical decisions.

Stuart insists there is a community charged to be Queer, and this is the whole church as it is called by God to prepare for the kingdom of heaven. It is not sexual identity that requires the attention of the church's life and polity at all, it is baptism. Thus we in the church who are so bitterly divided over sexuality issues are here invited to recognize that we have all put our faith in the wrong place -- in sexuality rather than in God.

One cannot help but see here a theological argument which could be very useful to the churches involved in debate over issues related to homosexuality.

An excellent Bibliography, a full set of useful notes and a very helpful index are provided.

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A Gay Bishop in the Church of England?

Commentary by Elizabeth Stuart Author of *Gay and Lesbian Theologies: Repetitions with Critical Difference*

The recent furor in the Church of England over the attempted appointment of Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading reveals the degree of stalemate in the debate around homosexuality and the Christian tradition. It is easy to focus on the matters of dispute but there is less focus on what all sides hold in common, namely the belief that, theologically speaking, a person's sexual orientation is central to their personhood. I believe that it is this common assumption that locks Christians into an unending battle, a battle that neither side can win because this common assumption has no grounding in the Christian tradition -- it is not a theological concept.

In the 1970s gay and lesbian Christians began to reflect theologically upon the gay liberation movement. The result has been the creation of a corpus of work known as gay and lesbian theology. It is hard to overestimate the importance of this work. Gay theologians took a dominant discourse that constructed 'homosexuals' as a species of person, sick, perverse and dangerous and transformed it into something positive. In the early days, accepting the designation of themselves as a sub- species, a different type of person because of their sexual desires, gay theologians reversed the discourse, claiming that they were therefore in possession of a full selfhood, a selfhood that gave them greater authority than the experts who had 'invented' them to speak about same-sex desire. This selfhood was the point of contact between the gay person and the divine, and gay relationships were valorized as manifesting the Christian virtues of freedom, mutuality, reciprocity and equality more effectively than heterosexual marriage. Though subsequent generations of gay and lesbian theologians tended to take a more social constructionist approach to sexual orientation and focused on the gay and lesbian experience of oppression rather than the universal experience of the gay self, nevertheless all assumed that homosexuality is still stable enough a concept upon which to do theology and through which to be saved. The focus on the ultimate authority of gay and lesbian experience led to the creation of a number of orthodoxies simply absorbed into gay and lesbian theology, to be endlessly repeated but never challenged. Chief among these is the identification of the divine with erotic power and the assertion that only a radically immanent God is of use to gay and lesbian people. As a result, the theological aspect of gay and lesbian theology sometimes recedes, to be replaced by ethical reflection.

In a sense AIDS pulled the rug out from under gay theology by exposing its inability to deal with gay experience when that experience involved death and questions of what lies beyond it. AIDS also challenged western notions of sexual identity and destabilized the modern subject. It was AIDS that paved the way for queer theory.

Queer theory questions the 'natural' connection between sex, gender and desire, arguing that gender and desire are unstable. It questions the very notion of sexual identity and therefore theological reflection upon queer theory is not an identity-based theology, indeed it is an anti-identity-based theology. Queer theologians tend to argue that the Christian tradition is interested in only one identity and that is the identity bestowed by God as sheer gift in baptism. Christians do not need the categories of gay and straight nor male and female because Christianity does not reproduce itself through biology but through baptism. There is a clear and consistent tradition within Christianity which has constructed the resurrected body as a non- gendered one and which has valorized the celibate as one who seeks to anticipate that state in this life. It is not that the baptized are called to live beyond culture, which is both impossible and undesirable because the Holy Spirit is active in human culture, but that they are called to transform it by living in it in such a way as to testify to the other world being born with it, a world in which culturally constructed identities are placed under erasure. Sexual orientation along with gender is not determinative in God's eyes. Official Church funeral liturgies are not interested in the sex or sexuality of the deceased, they focus on their identity as people baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. The churches need to learn the lessons of their funeral rites and embody in their own teaching and practices a refusal to regard gender and sexual orientation as ultimate. There are, of course, questions to be asked about the morality of sexual relating but these should be unrelated to sexual orientation. There may be questions to be asked about the nature of priesthood but these should not be focused on gender or sexuality. The Church needs to learn again its ancient belief that all desire has its ultimate end, not in sex or in marriage, but in God.

In the end gay is not good, straight is not good, no one is good but God alone and redemption comes not through gender or sexuality but through participation in the paschal mystery. Dr. John is a (another) casualty of the Church's uncritical absorption of modern notions of sexual orientation and its forgetting of its own tradition on identity and embodiment in the shadow of the resurrection. Perhaps a first step towards the recovery of that tradition might involve a reclaiming of the tradition of celibacy because the vowed celibate reminds us all that sexuality need not be the defining characteristic of personhood and that ultimately our desire must be for God.

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Our Cartoon Features Church History, Anglican Style

Our ethnic Presbyterian cartoonist has reached back into Anglican church history to critique current events in that honorable (well, at least most of the time) communion! In case you are not up on your church history, here is his explanation!

Jim, here's the cartoon for *More Light*. Hope you like it -- one of my more ambitious I think, and a chance to do some caricatures.

Strictly speaking, it's Anglican. The issue's the same, just in a different cloth. If you recall church history (as I hope you and the readers will), this time the Archbishop of Canterbury takes the role of Henry II instead of being his victim -- Jeffrey John, who was to have been Bishop of Reading, gets Thomas a` Becket's role.

I drew the three priests without swords, and resisted drawing them as thugs -- this isn't literal martyrdom.

I had some thoughts as to what Dr. John could be wearing under his robe in place of Thomas a` Becket's hair shirt, but that'd be out of place in *More Light!*

Then there's the chess cartoon idea: Gay politics is a chess game, but we've taken two bishops! (And we *know* the Queen's on our side!!) -- Best, Kurt Erichsen, Cartoonist & Illustrator. New website! Same address: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/KErichsen/

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Global Trend: World's Oldest Protestant ChurchesOrdain Gays and Lesbians

by Andy Lang

Reprinted with thanks to and permission from the UCC.

June 2002 -- The United Church of Christ was a minority of one 30 years ago when the Rev. William R. Johnson became the first openly gay man ordained to Christian ministry.

The ordination was controversial. Critics wondered if the UCC was taking a risk that endangered its relationship with other churches. Some feared the church would be drummed out of the ecumenical movement if it continued to ordain gays and lesbians. But that never happened. Instead, a number of Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic churches have moved in the same direction, including **nine of the UCC's partners in the World Alliance of Reformed churches (PCUSA partners as well!!! -- JDA)**.

The trend started with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Netherlands, which decided soon after Johnson's ordination that lesbians and gays could serve openly as pastors. Since then, the practice has spread to 25 other churches -- among them the oldest Protestant churches in Europe.

Sexual orientation is no longer a barrier to ordination in the Evangelical Church of the Union (EKU), the German ancestor of the UCC's Evangelical tradition. Its territory includes the capital city of the Protestant Reformation, Luther's Wittenberg. Homosexuals also can be ordained in the Reformed churches of Germany and Switzerland, the forebears of the UCC's Reformed tradition. The city once known as the "Reformed Rome" -- John Calvin's Geneva -- is no longer hostile territory for lesbians and gays called to Christian ministry.

Most of the historic Lutheran and Reformed churches in Germany and northern Europe now welcome homosexuals into ordained ministry.

Europe heads the list with 19 churches where homosexuals can be legally ordained. But several denominations in Africa, North America and the Pacific are also joining the trend, including the Anglican church in South Africa formerly led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the United Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church in the U.S. and the Uniting Church in Australia.

Besides these Protestant and Anglican churches, at least three of Europe's "Old Catholic" churches permit the ordination of gays and lesbians. These are churches in the Roman Catholic tradition that broke with the Vatican in the 19th century.

Many churches have adopted uniform policies that expressly permit homosexuals to serve as priests or ministers. In others, the policy is either neutral or implicit, leaving the decision to a regional or local authority.

Practices are not consistent from church to church, but in all of them church leaders have either ordained openly homosexual candidates for ministry or signaled their willingness to do so.

The issue deeply divides some of the churches where lesbians and gays have been ordained. Open conflict has broken out in the Anglican Communion. The church's international conference of bishops in 1998 rejected "homosexual practice" as "incompatible with Scripture," but defeated a resolution condemning bishops who "knowingly ordain" gays and lesbians. Some Anglican bishops in Asia and Africa, despairing at the trend towards greater acceptance of homosexuals in the Episcopal Church, have threatened to break relations with U.S. bishops. Other churches have lost members and even entire congregations who feel they cannot coexist with openly gay clergy.

But in most churches, the trend is to recognize a diversity of practice -- to "agree to disagree." In these churches there is continued debate, but homosexuality is no longer considered a church-dividing issue.Many Protestant churches are still sorting out unresolved issues, with the result that policies are sometimes ambiguous or contradictory. Celibacy, for example, is generally not required by those German churches that ordain homosexuals, but some forbid gay pastors to live with their life partners in parish housing. That policy, critics say, has the unintended effect of splitting monogamous couples from each other, and sends mixed messages to the gay community about the church's commitment to lifelong fidelity as the ideal for human relationships. While the trend is towards inclusion of lesbians and gays in the ordained ministry, acceptance of homosexual pastors in Germany is often a quiet affair, not a confident proclamation that a consensus exists on the morality of same-gender relationships.

The 26 churches have a total membership of nearly 57 million.

Andy Lang is managing editor of the United Church of Christ website.

Churches Where Homosexuals Can Legally Be Ordained

Anglican: Church of the Province of Southern Africa*, Episcopal Church (USA)*, Scottish Episcopal Church*; Baptist: Alliance of Baptists (USA)*; Christian: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)*; Lutheran: Church of Denmark*, Church of Norway, Church of Sweden*, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (Austria), Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland*, Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany*; Old Catholic: Old Catholic Church of Austria, Old Catholic Church in the Netherlands*, Old Catholic Diocese of Germany*; Reformed and United: Evangelical Church of the Helvetic Confession (Austria), Evangelical Church of the Union (Germany)*, Evangelical Reformed Church (Germany)*, Evangelical Reformed Churches of Switzerland*, Evangelical Waldensian Church (Italy)*, Netherlands Reformed Church, Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, Remonstrant Brotherhood (Netherlands), Uniting Church in Australia*, United Church of Canada, United Church of Christ (USA)*, United Protestant Church of Belgium*

* These churches have no explicit churchwide policy permitting or prohibiting ordination of gays and lesbians. The decision is left to regional or local bodies, some of which are willing to ordain homosexual candidates. In some churches this amounts to a churchwide practice, since no ordaining bodies discriminate against homosexual candidates for ministry. In Germany, a majority of Lutheran, United and Reformed Landeskirchen (regional churches) permit the ordination of homosexuals without requiring celibacy. In the United Protestant Church in Belgium, homosexuals generally can be ordained in Dutch, but not in French, congregations. The General Synod of the Church of Norway voted in 1997 to oppose the ordination of homosexuals living with a partner, but four of the eleven Norwegian bishops have declared that this policy is not binding in their dioceses. The issue is still in dispute. There is no churchwide policy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and at least one bishop has declared his willingness to ordain homosexuals. Other Finnish bishops have said they will do so only if the ordinand commits to lifelong celibacy.

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The United Church of Canada Commends Ottawa's Action on Same-Sex Unions

Toronto, 20 June, 2003. -- In a statement released today, The United Church of Canada has commended the Prime Minister and the Liberal Cabinet on the announcement this week that the Federal Government will soon draft legislation that will legally recognize same-sex civil marriages.

"The responsible leadership and courage that the Chretien government has demonstrated in making this announcement, is most encouraging," comments the Moderator, the Right Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy.

The United Church has long supported the civil recognition of same-sex partnerships. In 2000, the 37th General Council affirmed that human sexual orientations, whether heterosexual or homosexual, are a gift from God and part of the marvelous diversity of creation. The Council further resolved to advocate for the civil recognition of same-sex partnerships.

In a presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in February 2003, the United Church recommended that the federal government adopt a legislative framework that provides the same civil recognition for heterosexual and homosexual couples.

"The federal government, in proposing this approach to same-sex unions, has essentially adopted a position that mirrors that of The United Church of Canada," explains Choice Okoro, Program Officer for Human Rights. "We rejoice in anticipation of Parliament finally adopting legislation that will recognize the fundamental right of gay and lesbian couples to be legally married."

The Rev. Jackie Harper, Program Officer for Family Ministries, explains that although the United Church does not consider marriage a sacrament, "It does place an extremely high value on the seriousness of vows taken before God and in the presence of witnesses."

Harper adds that from the United Church's point of view, "Expanding the definition of marriage to include gay and lesbian couples, doesn't denigrate or diminish the traditional institution of heterosexual marriage, but rather enhances it."

"In 1988, the 32nd General Council affirmed that God's intention for all human relationships is that they be faithful, responsible, just, loving, health giving, healing, and sustaining of community and self," explains Harper. "The implication is that these standards apply to both heterosexual and homosexual couples."

Harper adds that the United Church has also found that many of the alleged benchmarks for confining marriage to opposite-sex couples do not, in fact, bar same-sex couples. She explains, for instance, that procreation can no longer be cited as a defining dynamic of marriage in Western society and that extending the rights and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples will in no way undermine society's understanding of family.

"The United Church seeks to support the diversity of families who uphold a secure environment for nurture, growth, and development and that will contribute to the spiritual, social, psychological, sexual, physical, and economic wholeness of the members," explains Harper. "It is the experience of the United Church that

non-traditional family forms equally advance these family values."

Harper also comments that including same-sex couples within the definition of marriage will not threaten the religious freedom of those who understand marriage to be an opposite-sex institution only. She is also not concerned that the proposed legislation will potentially force some clergy to compromise their faith and marry a same-sex couple.

"Nothing will change," says Harper. "In Canada clergy are not required to marry couples when it would be contrary to the faith community's religious beliefs." Within the context of the United Church, it is the decision of the local congregation, in consultation with the minister(s) to set policies about whom they will marry.

Harper acknowledges that while some people within the United Church will find the concept of same-sex marriage a challenge to their understanding of the Bible, she says it is important for people of faith to explore scripture within the overarching theme of "a God who seeks people to live in loving, just relationships, and who longs for all God's people to know life in all its fullness" (John 10:10b).

For further information, please contact: Mary-Frances Denis, Communications Officer, 416-231-7680 ext. 2016.

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REMEMBERING GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Dance

by Luke M. Williams, YAD from Presbytery of San Jose

I had a fabulous time attending the General Assembly as a youth advisory delegate (YAD). I had a chance to work, meet people, worship, laugh, dance, deepen friendships, and above all enjoy myself. It was an honor and a joy to serve the PCUSA in a new and exciting way.

Instead of focusing on business or More Light Issues for my reflection on the General Assembly, I would like to share my interaction with the moderator, Susan Andrews. I truly believe she is a wonderful moderator; she is full of energy, optimism, and excitement. It was a pleasure to serve with her on our highest governing body.

Though I had met her a couple of times early in the week, my personal involvement with The Moderator began on Tuesday night at the Witherspoon Society's party. The Moderator made an appearance, and I made it my primary goal for the evening to dance with the Moderator. After about an hour of fast songs, the DJ began to play a slow song, and I caught her as she was stepping off the dance floor. I went over to her and said, "Madame Moderator, I would be honored if you would have this dance with me," but she responded by saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go." I asked, "Just one more dance?" She looked at her watch and replied, "I'm sorry, I really have to go." I was saddened, so, being the stubborn Presbyterian I am, I made it my goal for the week to dance with the Moderator.

On Friday night my goal still had not been met. After the plenary session, I was one of the last people leaving the plenary hall, and I was walking through the lobby of the convention center with our presbytery's banner, looking for the room with the boxes to put it away. The Moderator was also walking through the lobby, and stopped to give me her support because I came out on the floor of the assembly. After we talked for a few minutes, I asked her if she could do me a favor, and she said, "sure." Then I explained that after our encounter at the Witherspoon party my goal for the week was to dance with her. She was flattered, but thought it was too late, being that there weren't any more parties. So I suggested that we dance right there in the convention center lobby. She said, "okay." I confessed that I really suck at dancing and offered to let her lead, but she replied, "don't worry, I suck too." So we began dancing there in silence, with maybe a dozen people left in the whole building. I admit this is all weird, only to get weirder. After about another five to ten seconds another bystander asked us to pose so she could take our picture, which she said she would send to me. As freaky as the situation sounds, I accomplished my goal for the week of dancing with the Moderator.

It is my prayer that the coming year will be like my dance with the moderator. A joyful season between our denomination and Susan -- giving, taking, growing, but above all enjoying ourselves in the process.

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Bill Moss's G.A. Prayer

Following the defeat of the Des Moines overture on the floor of G.A., Moderator Susan Andrews invited our co-moderator Bill Moss to give the closing prayer.

Here it is:

Denver, CO, May 30, 2003 –

O Holy One -- our Father and Mother of us all -- we bring you thanks and celebrate being the church of Jesus Christ. We lift up the words of the prophet Isaiah that have been placed before this Assembly: "Make them joyful in my house of prayer -- for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Is. 56:7). It is in this house that we, as your people, reverently enter -- not only to offer you prayer, but also to struggle to discern what it means to be a house for all people.

We thank you, O Holy One, for the opportunity to serve you in this Assembly. Although we spend much time debating and voting 'yes' and 'no' on issues affecting your Church, help us to understand that we are not judged by our perceived successes regarding the outcome of each vote, but what is important is our faithfulness: Our faithfulness to seek your will; our faithfulness to justice, to the truth; our faithfulness to the Gospel; our faithfulness to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ; our faithfulness to your call in our lives and to your ministry.

O God, we pray for the peace, unity and purity of your Church. Help us to remember that there is no peace without justice, truth and faithfulness. Help us to understand that there is no unity without accepting the diversity that is the Church of Jesus Christ. Help us to comprehend that there is no purity without integrity. We find that purity in our ability to accept and love each individual in your church without reservation. It is a purity based on acceptance and wholeness, not judgment and conformity.

O God help us to remember the words of the Apostle Paul as we continue the work of this Assembly. "Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (I Cor. 12:12 & 13). It is this love that you have shown us in your son Jesus. We pray that we may fully love each other and live our lives in the light of that love.

Now give us faith, give us hope, and most importantly enrich our lives with love. Be with us as we break for dinner. Bless us as we join together in meal. We pray this in the name of the Christ -- your faithful servant. Amen.

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Reflections on the 215th General Assembly: Hangin' Out with the Sisters

John Shuck, Pastor First Presbyterian Church

Billings, Montana

Denver, Colorado, likely will be the closest the General Assembly will ever come to my stomping grounds. A nine-hour drive from Billings through the lush green Wyoming prairie brought me to the mile high city. I managed to find the Adams Mark Hotel on the 16th Street Plaza, park my car and locate my room. I registered as an "observer" to this assembly. My personal goal was to learn what I could about the politics of Presbyterianism.

Before leaving Billings, one of my faithful parishioners made me cross my heart that I wouldn't have my picture put in the Billings Gazette before I got home. I kept my promise although my mug did find its way onto a web site (http://www.tamfsmichigan.org/ga5-24.htm). Rooming with Paul Peterson of TAMFSMichigan will probably be cause for indictment at some point in the future.

Discovering My Inner Gay Nature

Rooming with Paul gave me the opportunity to meet some cool people. One of the first folks we ran into on Friday was Rev. Don Stroud of Baltimore Presbytery and TAMFS-Baltimore. Don was a proud winner of the Paul Rolf Jensen Award for Meritorious Service on Behalf of the Gospel (thanks Bruce Hahne for the naming of that award!) For those of you in the dark, Paul Rolf Jensen is the saint who has been filing heresy charges willynilly throughout the country on behalf of the inquisition. "If you're gay, you're busted. If you don't really, really, really, really love Jesus the way I really, really, really, really love Jesus, you're busted." You get the idea.

On Saturday I met many of the three sisters crowd at the MLP reception and dinner -- Michael Adee, Lisa Larges, Mary Rees, Virginia Davidson, Hal Porter, Ralph Carter, Erin Swenson, Mitzi Henderson, Bear Ride. (I can't name them all but I wanted to give you a flavor of the star power!) The Sisters family is made

up of More Light Presbyterians (www.mlp.org), That All May Freely Serve (www.tamfs.org), and the Shower of Stoles Project (www.showerofstoles.com), united in the common goal of justice for all of God's people regardless of race, class, gender, sexual orientation (or whether or not you enjoy watching Hee Haw when no one can see you). What most impressed me about these folks was that they were not limited to one justice issue but were passionate about justice in all areas of life.

Several hundred TBLG (Transgender, Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay) persons and allies attended the dinner. Jim Rigby, pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, of Austin, TX, challenged all of us to take the risks necessary for justice. We unveiled the Cloud of Witnesses Banner with over 800 signatures. (Have you signed, dear reader? www.cloud-of-witnesses.org.)

Surrounding the diners was the true cloud of witnesses -- showers of stoles -- each one a story of a person who for no other reason than prejudice and ignorance is denied the opportunity to serve Christ in an ordained capacity. Martha Juillerat (you need to check out her story at www.showerofstoles.com/history.htm) allowed Paul and me the honor of helping to put up the display of stoles. Martha, who is a trip and a half, told us to discover "our inner gay nature" and to "fuss over the stoles" so that they would be even and set correctly. I know it is a stereotype, but it is still pretty funny. I found my inner gay nature. I fussed. In the end, those stoles looked damn good. I also took the time to read the story on each stole. Through that process I felt heartbroken, pissed off, hopeful and honored to be in the presence of witnesses to Christ and to Christ's church.

God Save the Moderates: Election of the Moderator

Susan Andrews is a nice person. She is smooth and she knows how to run a meeting with charm and style. It was pretty obvious from the start that she would be elected. Sadly, even though she is a Covenant Network liberal, her election platform was "Not now" in regards to justice for sexual and gender minorities in the church. I can't help but think of the Indigo Girls and their song, "Become You:"

The center holds so they say;

it never held too well for me.

I won't stop short for common ground,

that vilifies the trodden down.

CovNet stopped short -- far short -- and TBLG's have been vilified once again. Rev. Andrews said, "Not now, but hopefully in my lifetime" our ordination proscriptions will change. She is a young woman, maybe 50, 55? She has a good 40-50 years left in her. How many more teenagers will need to commit suicide before the time is right? How many more gay-bashings until the wellmeaning moderates say, "Gosh, maybe this is a justice issue?" How many more doors will need to close on God's children before "not now" becomes "now?" In Susan Andrew's lifetime, we will have handed over the denomination to the fundies on a platter.

That election was a clarifying point for me. I made some realizations Saturday night. I certainly am not waiting for CovNet to come around and certainly not waiting for them to lead. I have thrown in my ordination with the sisters, come what may. Now that I have that out of my system, you take an ally wherever you can get 'em and I hope Susan and the CovNet folks are true to their word that they truly will work and risk for "a church as generous as God's grace."

"Justice Cannot Wait"

On Sunday morning, The Sisters found a good spot outside the entrance to the Convention Center to hold worship as commissioners and observers filed into the opening worship for the 215th G.A. We sang some good tunes ("We are straight and gay together"), heard some powerful scripture, prayed like Peter, preached like Paul and invited the PCUSA to be the church. Erin Swenson, an incredibly caring pastor and wonderful person who also happens to be one of the "T"s in TBLG led the worship. Check out pics here: www.tamfs-michigan.org/ga5-25.htm. (Read an important address from Erin here: www.mlp.org/resources/swenson_sf.html (also in the Spring 2003 *More Light Update*, p. 20-21) and a resource from MLP here: http://www.mlp.org/resources/MLonIS.pdf ("More Light on Intersex," also in this *Update*).

Hearings for the Des Moines Overture

On Monday afternoon, the Committee on Church Orders and Ministry held a hearing for those wishing to speak to the Des Moines overture regarding ordination standards. The Des Moines overture with concurrence from Baltimore would have sent back to the presbyteries a vote on removing G-6.0106b and zapped the old Authoritative Interpretation, putting ordination standards where they should be -- under the authority of governing bodies. The hearing ended up being a powerful witness as over 30 people spoke from various points of view as to why "B" needs to go and why it needs to go now. I am hoping these 90-second testimonies will be available on a web site, but even if they are, the experience of reading them won't be as powerful as having heard them. The committee must have felt the same as they passed the overture onto the floor of G.A. despite the overwhelming pressure to "wait."

The testimonies which were the most powerful were those from pastors and seminarians who are denied ordination or whose lives are put on hold while the church waits and waits. I even drummed up the courage to testify myself. For the record, here is my speech to the committee:

My name is John Shuck and I am the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Billings, Montana, Yellowstone Presbytery. I am speaking in favor of the Des Moines Overture.

Earlier this Spring I wrote a letter to the Billings Gazette in support of a bill before the Montana legislature. The bill would have added "sexual orientation" to the existing hate crime statute. Sadly, the bill didn't make it out of committee, this time.

We will introduce it again next session along with other bills to ensure basic human rights for sexual minorities. We must keep justice before the people of Montana.

In the letter to the Gazette I wrote that I was a minister of the Gospel and as such it was essential for me to publicly voice my support for sexual minorities since it is the misuse of the Gospel and the Christian tradition that has fostered misunderstanding, oppression and pain to so many people within and without the church.

I included my e-mail address so individuals could contact me with questions as to how a minister deals with these issues.

Within a few days I received an e-mail from a gay couple who were grateful for my letter and who wanted to visit with me.

They had been in a relationship for 17 years and had both been alienated from the church yet longed for a spiritual home -- a place where they would be accepted for who they were and a place where they could use their gifts to serve Christ.

Over the course of the next couple of months, they attended worship, the new members' class and joined our fellowship on Easter Sunday. They are the first openly gay couple to join the First Presbyterian Church of Billings, Montana, but they won't be the last.

How many other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons are out there waiting to hear the Gospel of Christ? Far too often the PCUSA has reacted out of fear about what we might lose if we act justly on behalf of sexual and gender minorities. Let us think instead of what we might gain.

Justice in 2004?

After the high point of the testimonies before the committee, the rest of the week seemed to wane. As you know, G.A. did not pass the Des Moines overture. One more year of justice denied. The G.A. (save many bright and courageous commissioners) seemed to wimp out on all kinds of things too depressing to go into at this point. The opposition quoted Susan Andrews more than once that now is not the time.

So, now what? What time is it? General Assembly will be meeting biennially beginning in 2004. That means, after next year's meeting in Richmond, the G.A. won't meet until 2006. Would it not be awesome if the presbyteries were called to discuss the potential removal of G-6.0106b for two years? Yeah, between June 2004 and whenever 2006, we could get rid of this nasty "bee in our bonnet" as well as the Authoritative Interpretation if we play our cards right. 2004 could be the year when -- and the capital of the confederacy could be the place where -- justice flows down like waters. We need to start working now.

But it ain't up to me to set strategy. Sisters, you show me the star and I'll follow. -- Peace with Justice, John

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MLP at WOW

WOW 2003, August 14-17, Philadelphia

Over 800 people from the U.S. and Canada came together for the international conference of the Welcoming Church Movement, Witness Our Welcome 2003, in Philadelphia this past weekend. And, over 100 of them were Presbyterian. Presbyterians made up the largest number among youth and young adults as well.

The theme was "God's Deliverance is for All." Extraordinary worship, educational workshops, live theater, celebrations of who we are as LGBT persons of faith, and organizing sessions for doing ecumenical work in our own communities were highlights of the conference. A plenary on racism, and explorations into understanding LGBT interfaith experiences added to the depth of the experience and learning for participants.

The Presbyterian presence was strong not only in terms of participation, but also in leadership and service: Marco Grimaldo, Conference Co-Chair; Susie Smith, Program Coordinator; Patrick Evans, Music Coordinator; Curran Reichart, Worship Coordinator; and John Mayes, Resource Room Coordinator. Workshop leaders, preachers or study leaders included: Jennifer Rock, Brian Cave; Erin Swenson; Chris Purdom; Sylvia Thorson-Smith; Marvin Ellison; Katie Morrison; Chris Glaser; Janie Spahr; LaDonna Sanders; Eily Marlow; Scott Halderman and Michael Adee.

The conference began with a SRO Welcoming Reception for Presbyterians hosted by More Light Presbyterians and That All May Freely Serve. Major displays of The Shower of Stoles Project were provided by Martha Juillerat and Lucille Godwin in the worship spaces and the resource room.

The MLP Table in the Resource Room offered new educational materials on how to respond to the false claims and risks of "exgay" ministry and resources for study of same-sex civil marriage in addition to the "more light on" topical educational series. Go to www.mlp.org for MLP educational resources.

Denominational meetings were held and over 100 persons gathered for our Presbyterian meeting from MLP, TAMFS, The Shower of Stoles Project and the Covenant Network. As part of the annual business meeting of National MLP, Mitzi Henderson and Bill Moss offered an organizational update, an analysis of GA 2003 and a financial report. Ralph Carter presented the nominating report and a new class of MLP Board Members were elected. Michael Adee offered the MLP field report with a listing of new more lightaffiliated churches, new MLP Chapters and reflections on the movement.

Gerald Gafford of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Austin, a More Light Presbyterian-affiliated church and with TAMFS-Texas, served as MC. Bear Ride, Mike Smith and Don Stroud offered a legislative/judicial update with plans for GA 2004. Mieke Vandersall, Nanette Sawyer, Helen Bailey, Lisa Larges and Janie Spahr offered reports from TAMFS. Jennifer Rock and Brian Cave offered a report on Youth and Young Adult work. Eily Marlow and LaDonna Sanders reported on the National Religious Leadership Roundtable, NGLTF.

Martha Juillerat offered a report on The Shower of Stoles Project as a collection now of 1,000 stoles in the project from 21 faith traditions. Special recognition was offered to our heterosexual allies, parents, families and friends, particularly of Mitzi Henderson, outgoing Co-Moderator, National MLP Board for her six years of service.

Thanks to a special gift from Rutgers Presbyterian Church, NYC, a More Light Presbyterian-affiliated church, and the designation by the National MLP Board of the mission offering from the 2002 National MLP Conference in Durham, NC, MLP was able to offer ten scholarships to college and seminary students to assist them in attending WOW.

Tabernacle United Church, a More Light Presbyterian-affiliated church, and First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia provided local support and hospitality; and MLP, TAMFS, and The Shower of Stoles Project were major sponsors of WOW 2003. As the conference ended on Sunday afternoon with a resounding chorus of the South African hymn "We are Marching in the Light of God" led by Patrick Evans, we were filled with joy, hope and confidence in the work God is doing in our midst and within our Church and world. -- With greetings to you from Philadelphia, Michael, MLP National Field Organizer.

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More Light on Intersex

Intersex is a medical condition of birth where the individual is born with mixed or indeterminate biological sex. It has traditionally been called hermaphroditism or pseudohermaphroditism and may occur in approximately two in every 100 births.

It is likely that you have never heard a minister preach on Matthew 19:11a-12:

Jesus said unto them ... "For there are some *eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb*; and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men; and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake" (emphasis added).

For people in the church who are born with conditions that make their genetic or anatomical sex unclear, these words of Jesus are filled with grace. Intersex is defined as a condition of birth where the individual is born with mixed or indeterminate biological sex. Few people have heard of it, and yet it is more prevalent than Muscular Dystrophy. There are dozens of specific medical reasons why babies are born without clarity about their anatomical sex, and there are numerous different ways that this lack of clarity manifests itself.

The lack of church attention to the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 19 reflects the church's intense ambivalence about sex and gender. Eunuchs are described in both the Hebrew and Greek Testaments. Early in history they were men who had been emasculated either as the result of conquest, or to create slaves who could safely guard the ruler's harem. Later the term eunuch became associated with those entrusted with the royal household and treasure. While some of these people may not have been physically marked like their forebears, they continued to carry the stigma of being sexually marginalized. Jewish law, with its emphasis on purity and freedom from blemish, forbade access to the holy places to the clearly imperfect eunuchs. In Matthew, Jesus not only recognized the presence of infants born with unclear genitalia, he claimed them for the kingdom of heaven. Clearly the church has a responsibility to recognize and welcome such as these!

Causes of Intersex Conditions

There are many causes of intersex conditions in infants. They can be roughly divided into prenatal (before birth) and postnatal (immediately following birth). Perhaps the most frequent and disturbing of postnatal causes are circumcision accidents that result in the permanent loss of an infant boy's penis.

Prenatal causes of intersex conditions include many genetic and chromosomal conditions. The results of these conditions range from individuals who have both male and female gonads to individuals who appear to have normal sexual development until later in life when it is discovered that they are gonadally and chromosomally opposite to their apparent sex. Some of the medical terms associated with prenatal intersex conditions include:

Hypospadias;

Chromosomal mosaicism;

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) or testicular feminization;

Klinefelter Syndrome;

Turner Syndrome;

Winged labia;

AND *many* others

Whatever the causes, at some point in life the discovery of an intersex condition can be very disturbing. It is clear that all faith communities bear a responsibility to care for these individuals and their families.

Understanding Sexual Differentiation

Intersex conditions arise because of an abnormality along the male pathway that interferes with complete masculinization or, in the case of a genetic female, some virilizing influence that acts on the developing embryo. Before about 6 weeks' gestation, male and female embryos develop undifferentiated gonadal tissue and have primordial structures with the potential to produce either male or female genitalia. The genital appearance of the newborn is largely determined by the presence or absence of genetic and hormonal influences responsible for the active process of male differentiation. The fetus tends to develop as a female in the absence of these male influences.

The SRY gene on the short arm of the Y chromosome initiates male sexual differentiation. In the absence of SRY, female sexual differentiation occurs. Under the influence of SRY, the undifferentiated gonad forms a testis, which produces the hormonal milieu that results in male sexual differentiation: testosterone stimulates the wolffian structures (epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles), and anti-Mu*"llerian hormone suppresses the development of the Mu*"llerian structures (fallopian tubes, uterus, and upper vagina). The conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone occurs in the skin of the external genitalia and masculinizes the external genital structures. Most of this male differentiation takes place by about 12 weeks, after which the penis grows and the testes descend into the scrotum. An error in genital formation may occur at any step in this developmental pathway. -- American Academy of Pediatrics.

Ministry with Families and Infants

The tendency of hospitals and physicians has been to treat the birth of an intersex infant as a medical and social emergency. This creates an atmosphere that is not conducive to caring and informed decision making on the part of the family, and tends to place primary decision-making responsibility on medical professionals. Unnecessary, unwanted, and sexually damaging surgery may result. There are several important things that pastors and congregations can do to help:

Prepare by educating their communities ahead of time about prenatal sexual development. The pastor can easily use Matthew 19 as the basis of a sermon addressing these issues. Most communities have individuals capable of providing a class or lecture on prenatal sexual development and intersex.
Providing education for pastors and other caring members on issues faced by families when an intersex birth occurs.
Making educational material and other resources on intersex available to members and the larger community.
Creating an atmosphere of openness and acceptance to a wide diversity of gender expressions in their communities. This will help discourage fear-based decisions and premature surgery.

Ministry with Adults Whose Lives Are Impacted by Intersex Conditions

Pastors and congregations should become aware of the potential presence of this silent/hidden group within their churches, and provide resources and care where appropriate. Sexuality is a major issue for adults with intersex conditions, and personal relationships are fraught with fear and shame. While some intersex folks identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual, others describe themselves as asexual, eschewing sexual relationships altogether. Occasionally intersex adults become dissatisfied with the gender of their rearing and elect to transition to the opposite gender. These people may or may not want to describe themselves as transgender.

Resources

Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), www.isna.org;

Bodies Like Ours, www.bodieslikeours.org;

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group (AISSG), www.medhelp.org/www/ais;

Fausto-Sterling, Anne. *Myths of Gender: Biological Theories About Women and Men*. Basic Books, 1992;

More Light Liaison for Intersex Concerns: Contact Erin Swenson, erin@erinswen.com.

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New Transgender Resource

Dear MLP friends,

Being a transgender minister, I am often approached by others about this transgender thing, especially how in the world it has anything to do with faith or church. These may well be concerns you share about the tenuous "T" at the end of LGBT, or you may be in a church community that is clueless about transgender issues. Well, our Methodist sisters and brothers at Dumbarten United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. have provided a way to begin talking about it: *Made in God's Image: A Resource for Dialogue about the Church and Gender Differences*, written by the able Ann Thompson Cook (author of the well-received, *And God Loves Each One*, on gay and lesbian issues in the church). Please take a moment, visit the website, www.madeinimage.org, and consider how you might use this powerful resource for your personal edification and/or to help your church begin to discuss this important issue. And remember that Sara Herwig and I, as MLP transgender liaisons, are ready to assist you in the dialogue.

For more information, or to order on-line, go to www.madeinimage.org.

24 pages. $5.95 each, $3.50 each for orders of ten or more. Published by Dumbarton United Methodist Church and co-distributed by the Reconciling Ministries Network. Blessings! -- Erin Swenson, More Light Presbyterians, Co-Liaison for Transgender Concerns, 404-315-1057, erin@erinswen.com.

Michael J. Adee, M.Div., Ph.D., 369 Montezuma Ave., PMB #447, Santa Fe, NM 87501-2626, 505-820-7082, fax 505-820-2540, MichaelAdee@aol.com

MLP OFFICERS

Officers are also MLP Board Members. The dates following each name indicate the end of current board terms; an "I" indicates board members representing individual members; a "G" indicates board members representing governing body members.

CO-MODERATORS: Mitzi Henderson (2004-G), 16 Sunset Lane, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6732, 650-854-2598, fax 650-854-4177, mitzigh@aol.com; William H. Moss (Bill, 2004-I), 535 Steiner St., San Francisco, CA 94117, 415-864-0477, WHMoss@yahoo.com

RECORDING SECRETARY: Pat Rickey (2003-I), 13114 Holston Hills, Houston, TX 77069, 281-440-0353, 281-440-1902 fax, RickeyMLP@aol.com

COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY: Donna Riley (2005-G), 155 Prospect St., Northampton, MA 01060, 413-584-7935, dmriley@alumni.princeton.edu

TREASURER: Dick Lundy (2004-I), 5525 Timber Ln., Excelsior, MN 55331, 952-470-0093, dlundy@mchsi.com

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MLP Board of Directors

Charles Booker-Hirsch (2005-G), 601 Howley Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1613, 734-663-5503 work, 734-665-9006 home, morelight@comcast.net

Ralph Carter (2003-G), 111 Milburn St., Rochester, NY 14607-2918, 585-271-7649, rcarter2@rochester.rr.com, faxes: 1-530-380-9722.

Marco Antonio Grimaldo (2003-I), 221 Ridgemede, #109, Baltimore, MD 21210, 202-669-2153, mgrimaldo@earthlink.net

Deborah Mullen (2004-I), 5050 South East End Ave. Apt 14C, Chicago IL 60615, 727-947-6271 DMullen@McCormick.edu

Eunice Poethig (2003-I), 1000 E. 53rd St., #613, Chicago, IL 60615, 773-324-8624, ebpoethig@earthlink.net

Katie Ricks (2004-I), 2504 State St., Durham, NC 27704, 919-2200255, recassoc@mindspring.com

Bear Ride (2005-G), 1680 N. Holliston Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104, 626-398-9936, bears@usc.edu

Mike Smith (2005-I), 1211 West St., Grinnell IA 50112, 641-2367955, michael.d.smith@pcusa.org

Erin K. Swenson (2003-G), 1071 Delaware Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30316-2469, 404-627-4825, erin@erinswen.com

Lindsay T. Thompson (2005-I), 200 W. Mercer St., Suite 207, Seattle, WA 98119-3994, 206-285-4130 work, 206-328-3177 home, fax 206-285-4610, tradelaw@thompson-law.com

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MLP National Liaisons

MORE LIGHT UPDATE, James D. Anderson, Editor, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038, 732-249-1016, 732-932-7500 ex 8210 (Rutgers Univ.), FAX 732-932-6916 (Rutgers Univ.), JDA@scils.rutgers.edu

WEBSITE: Donna Riley, 155 Prospect St., Northampton, MA 01060, 413-584-7935, dmriley@alumni.princeton.edu

SPOTLIGHT (MLP's Quarterly Outreach Newsletter): Gail Rickey, editor, 13114 Holston Hills, Houston, TX 77069m 281-440-0353, patrickey@aol.com

MLP DATABASE: Dick Lundy, 5525 Timber Ln., Excelsior, MN 55331, 952-470-0093, dlundy@mchsi.com

CHAPTERS & LIAISONS: Michael J. Adee, 369 Montezuma Ave., PMB #447, Santa Fe, NM 87501-2626, 505-820-7082, fax 505-820-2540, MichaelAdee@aol.com

SEMINARY & CAMPUS GROUPS: Johanna Bos, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1044 Alta Visa Rd., Louisville, KY 402051798, jbos@lpts.edu

STRATEGY: Bear Ride, 1680 N. Holliston Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104, CA 91104, 626-398-9936, bears@usc.edu; Tony De La Rosa, 3114 Glenmanor Place, Los Angeles, CA 90039, 323-664-2787 (home), tonydlr@earthlink.net

JUDICIAL ISSUES: Bear Ride, 1680 N. Holliston Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104, 626-398-9936, bears@usc.edu; Tony De La Rosa, 3114 Glenmanor Place, Los Angeles, CA 90039, 323-664-2787 (home), tonydlr@earthlink.net; Peter Oddleifson, c/o Harris, Beach and Wilcox, 130 E. Main St., Rochester, NY 14604, 716-232-4440 w., 716-232-1573 fax.

PRISON MINISTRIES: Jud van Gorder, 915 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3440, 831-423-3829, jvangorder@mindspring.com

SHOWER OF STOLES PROJECT: Martha G. Juillerat, Director, 57 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55405, 612-377-8792, StoleProj@aol.com, www.showerofstoles.com.

THAT ALL MAY FREELY SERVE: Jane Adams Spahr, P.O. Box 3707, San Rafael, CA 94912-3707, 415-457-8004, 415-454-2564 fax, JanieSpahr@tamfs.org, http://www.tamfs.org

BISEXUAL CONCERNS: The Rev. Susan Halcomb Craig, c/o United University Church, 817 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007, 213748-0209 ext. 12, fax 213-748-5531, scraig@usc.edu

TRANSGENDER CONCERNS: Erin K. Swenson, 1071 Delaware Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30316-2469, 404-627-4825, erin@erinswen.com; Sa`ra J. Herwig, P.O, Box 474, Arlington, MA 02476, sjherwig@earthlink.net

YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT CONCERNS: Brian Cave, BrianMLP@aol.com

NRLR (National Religious Leadership Roundtable): Marco Antonio Grimaldo, 221 Ridgemede, #109, Baltimore, MD 21210, 202-669-2153, mgrimaldo@earthlink.net

ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association): The Rev. Tom Hanks, Lavalle 376-2D, 1047 Buenos Aires, Argentina, thanks@thanks.wamani.apc.org

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MLP Presbytery Liaisons (See: www.mlp.org/liaison.html)

MLP Chapters (See: www.mlp.org/chapters.html)

MLP chapters provide an opportunity for local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians and their straight allies to come together regularly to carry out a variety of functions and tasks which are seen to be important and appropriate for a particular area. Some are large; others are small. Most meet monthly, some less often but are always on call for taking on strategic tasks. All are able to provide strong personal support to their members for the individual journeys they travel at this point in their lives and in the life of the Presbyterian Church. Chapters themselves decide what specific tasks and roles they wish to take on, based on the stated mission of MLP.

For information about organizing a chapter, please refer to our brief statement called "Tips for Organizing a MLP Chapter." It is found on our web page (http://www.mlp.org) or can be secured along with other advice from our national field organizer Michael Adee (369 Montezuma Ave., PMB #447, Santa Fe, NM 87501-2626, 505820-7082, fax 505-820-2540, MichaelAdee@aol.com). Corrections and other changes in the chapter information listings should be sent to Michael.

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MASTHEAD (Publication Information)

MORE LIGHT UPDATE, Volume 23, Number 4, Fall 2003. ISSN 08893985. Published quarterly by More Light Presbyterians (for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns), an organization of Ministers, Elders, Deacons, Members, Congregations and other Governing Bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Elder James D. Anderson, Editor, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 089030038, 732-249-1016, 732-932-7500 ex 8210 (Rutgers University), fax 732-932-6916 (Rutgers University), Internet: JDA@mariner.rutgers.edu (or JDA@scils.rutgers.edu), DeWitt House 206, 185 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Editorial Assistant: Dick Wunder; Printer: Ken Barta, Brunswick Typographic. Mailer: Associated Mailing Services Inc. Electronic version available via email.

Email Discussion List: MoreLightPresbyterians@yahoogroups.com (To join, send email to: MoreLightPresbyteriansSubscribe@yahoogroups.com; to leave, send email to: MoreLightPresbyterians-Unubscribe@yahoogroups.com).

MLP home page: http://www.mlp.org

Send materials marked "For publication" to the editor.

PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Mar. 1, June 1, Sept. 1, Dec. 1. Most material appearing in MORE LIGHT UPDATE is placed in the public domain. With the exception of individual articles that carry their own copyright notice, articles may be freely copied or reprinted. We ask only that MORE LIGHT UPDATE be credited and its address be given for those who might wish to contact us. Suggested annual membership contribution to MLP: $50.00. Annual subscription (included in membership) to MORE LIGHT UPDATE: $20.00.

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corrected version 10-5-2003.