2 Summer Photo Albums

I’m finally getting around to posting some summer photos. 

HERE is an album from our week-long pirate themed summer program at Trinity Cathedral that culminated with a pirate communion service (in pirate language of course.)

HERE is an album from my week with 4th through 9th graders at our diocesan camp at Tahoe.

Sermon: Cananite Woman – Year A, Proper 15

Jesus harshly refuses to heal a woman’s daughter by saying, “It’s not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”  To listen to the sermon, PRESS HERE.

My First Gay Wedding

Last week I got to officiate at the wedding of Steve and Nelson.  They have been together for 25 years.  They are very active at Trinity.  Unfortunatley I was not able to officiate as their priest in a Christian service.  I became liscensed by the County of Sacramento as a Deputy Marriage Comissioner (for a day) and was able to preside at their civil ceremony.  It was a great event.  I look forward to the day when I can do this as a representative of the Church.  Soon and very soon . . .

My Week at Camp

Buddies Max and Sheila w/ "crackberries"

Actually this was my 2nd week of “camp.”  The first week, which I didn’t get a chance to blog about, was as chaplain to 4th thru 9th graders at church camp at Tahoe. 

It started with a 3 hour bus ride where folks had their last chance to text and email.  (We would be out of contact for 6 days!!!!). 

We rode the bus to Gold Lake, which is about 50 miles north of Truckee.  We then got on boats that took us to our Fancy Camp on the other side.  This was in many ways like the church camp I was in earlier with cabins and a small dining hall.  Except Fancy Camp had real beds and warm comforters and a light bulb in each cabin.

 Day one was spent travelling, getting settled and talking about stuff. 

Day two was climbing day.  We did trust games in the morning  (since we needed to trust one-another with our lives as we were climbing.)  The afternoon was spent climbing.  Which was great.  Really great.  Some folks did things they never thought they could.  Everybody worked together. I had fun.

After dinner we gathered at the lakeside to talk about our experience climbing.  We were each given a carabineer and an opportunity to speak briefly something we got from the day.

kumbaya, but we did tell stories and laugh.  (And some of us snuck off for some cigars.)

Followed of course by more time playing at the lake.

Group 4

 

Once we got to Base Camp, we set up our tents.  The facilitators brought the cooking gear in a truck. 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a shot from Base Camp of Sierra Butte at dusk.  The Big Climb on Day 5 will take us to the top, which is the pointy peak you see in this picture. 

 

 

That night we relaxed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Day 5 we hiked to the top of Sierra Butte.  The hike was about 3 1/2 miles each way with significant elevation gain.  You can see the lookout station in this picture at the top of the peak.

 

 

 

We didn’t have to do any “climbing.”  There was a trail the entire way.  At the end, there was a stairway that took us to a fire lookout station.

There were a couple of people in our group who had significant physical challenges who were determined to make it to the top.  It took remarkable willpower and courage.  Here’s a picture of them putting one foot in front of the other. . .

 

 

 

At the beginning of the year, we were paired up with a “buddy” with whom we share a special connection for the entire year.   When one of the guys in our class made it to the top of the mountain with his hiking group, he turned around and hiked back down so he could support his buddy.  I was almost moved to tears when this determined group made it to the top.

 

 

  

Another moving moment occurred when we listened to a short reading while at the top of the mountain.  Two members of the class were only able to hike a short portion of the trail.  They both had significant physical limitations.  We did not want them to be left out of the experience.  We read a passage from a deceased man who is a friend of several people in the class.  The passage was reflecting on the September 11 attacks and was very poignant.  It was read into a walkie-talkie so it could be shared wiht our classmates who weren’t with us.  There were few dry eyes at the top of the mountain. 

After having lunch at the top of the mountain, we hiked back to Base Camp. 

On day 6, we hiked back to Fancy Camp.  The hardest part of the hike was the very end.  We were tired and hot, we didn’t have the excitement of thinking about The Big Climb, and we had to walk downhill and the last 1/2 mile was rocky and sandy.    

When we got back to Fancy Camp, some folks took showers.  Others just jumped in the lake. 

Then it was back across the lake an onto the busses where we got cell service and were able to see what happened during the 6 days we were out of contact.

It was one of the most remarkable 6 days I have ever experienced.  In a short period of time strong friendships were built that I know will benefit our community for years to come.

To the Wilderness

I’m heading out for a six-day wilderness experience with the American Leadership Forum (ALF.)  ALF is an organization that strengthens communities by getting local business, non-profit and civic leaders togethehr for a intenive year-long team-building and leadership training program.   I’m in the 12th class of ALF for our region and there are about 35 folks in my class.  This wilderness experience is the centerpiece of the year.  It should be fun.  I’ll post when I get back next week.

Lambeth Conclusion

There are three items that I think will be used as references as we look back at Lambeth.  The first is the The Reflections Documentwhich is a lengthy description of the discussion of the indaba groups.  This is the official record of the event.  Also of significance are The Archbisop’s Final Address and The Archbishop’s Final Press Conference.

The conference was by design non-legislative.  The bishops made remarkable progress in strengthening the Communion by strengthening their relationships through prayer and discussion.  Unfortunately the Archbishop seems to have threatened some of that progress by making directive statements in his final address.  Here is something he said in his final press conference:

 I think if the north American churches don’t accept the need for moratoria then, to say the least, we are no further forward.  The idea of a covenant which includes as many of them as possible becomes more fragile and that means as a communion we continue to be in grave peril.

The moratoria he is specifically referring to are against blessing same-sex unions and ordaining gay or lesbian bishops.  After three remarkable weeks of building relationships, the Archbishop returns to a call for the problem child (The Episcopal Church) to stop making others uncomfortable.   He wants us to sacrifice our gay and lesbian members so the Communion can maintain its unity.  But what was modeled throughout the Conference was a unity that was based on mutual respect rather than agreement.

Presiding Bishop – Live Webcast on Lambeth

I got this from Anne Fontaine, http://seashellseller.blogspot.com.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will conduct a live webcast from the Chapel at the Church Center in NYC to talk about The Lambeth Conference on Thursday, August 7 at 2 pm Eeastern (1 pm Central, noon Mountain, 11 am Pacific). Access is available through the home page of the website:www.episcopalchurch.org.  Questions will be accepted via email: newsline@episcopalchurch.org.  The webcast will be available for on-demand viewing after its conclusion. For more information about the webcast contact Neva Rae Fox, program officer for public affairs,newsline@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermon: Feeding 5000+ – Year A, Proper 13

How can we respond to extreme need when our own resources are depleted.  Jesus models the answer in this sermon.  To listen to an mp3 recording, PRESS HERE.

My Journey in Faith

 I was not raised going to church.  I first attended a church when I was a cadet at West Point and my girlfriend — now my wife — sang in the choir.  I wasn’t very interested in church, I was interested in Andrea.  But after a while, a spiritual hunger began to grow within and I became very spiritually curious.  After my five year commitment to the Army was completed, I attended seminary.  Part of the reason I went was to discover if I could really be a Christian.  By that time I had fallen in love with Jesus and his teachings, but I wasn’t so sure about the Christian church.  I was skeptical of much of “organized” religion.  I had also heard teachings that I couldn’t abide, like if you weren’t a Christian, you would burn in Hell for all eternity.   I did not want to participate in a religion that had such a harsh view of God.  So I went to seminary to sort out, from all the static, what was essential as a follower of Jesus.  What exactly did one have to believe to be a Christian?

What I discovered, at least in the Episcopal seminary I attended, was that Christianity was more open and supple than I ever imagined.  If I was to take the teachings of Jesus seriously, I would be pushed to be more welcoming, more open, and more loving toward all of God’s creation. 

After ordination I became involved in working toward the full inclusion in the church and our society of people who are gay or lesbian.  I also began to refine my spiritual beliefs.  I realized that God’s only judgment is mercy and that God is actively striving to bring all of us to spiritual wholeness.  I’ve become involved in interfaith teaching and spiritual practice, particularly with Tibetan Buddhists. 

I came to Trinity Cathedral in 2006 and have found it to be a remarkable community that takes its own spiritual practices and its openness to the community very seriously.  They pray, study, and serve others  heartily.  They are also radically open to people of different beliefs. 

Bishop Beisner’s Final Lambeth Post

can be found HERE.