Glenn's Gleanings

It's something that I have struggled with for years--the concept of taking back Christmas. I know lots of folks promote such a thing, but with the economy hitting so hard this year, I wonder ...

One of the issues I have always sort of dreamed about is having the US Supreme Court rule that the American culture celebrating Christmas violates the First Amendment and that Christmas can only be observed in the midst of religious settings; that days off from work or school can only be done for religious purposes, etc.

I have begun to be offended at Christmas being all about snow, and Santa Claus, and stockings, and consumer gifts, and parties, and decorations (in some neighborhoods I have recently seen the rapid transition from Halloween decorations to "Christmas" decorations--from orange lights to white lights almost overnight) and shopping, shopping, shopping. Yeah, as a kid, I loved Christmas morning with stockings and gifts and family meals--but we had been to church the night before, we had our Advent wreath family worship time, we heard the story of "The Kneeling Santa," we took our time opening gifts, we visited other families, etc.

But the commercialization of Christmas is hitting me hard this year. I know that many Christians want the legal efforts to remove the word Christmas from its use as describing this holiday time to be stopped, but I wonder if maybe, as Christians, we ought to be pushing harder for Christmas to only be a religious event. Let the culture have a winter holiday--seasons greetings, etc. Let's make Christmas a high holy day for Christians who understand the gift of Jesus to our world by a God who loves so much.

With all that in mind, I ran across a You-tube video that fascinated me. Take a look



I would love to know what you think about "taking back Christmas."

I recently came across the term Buy Nothing Day in contrast to "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" which is a theme for a day promoted by folks discouraging the excessive Christmas spending around Thanksgiving. In the USA, Buy Nothing Day is the Friday after Thanksgiving. In Canada and elsewhere in the world it is Saturday. I would love to know if others have ever heard of the "day." One of the suggestions for a visible protest is gathering about 10-12 of your friends, each grab a shopping cart, and make a conga line going throughout the store--certainly sounds like something the security folks would go ape over and likely get you kicked out of the store--anybody up for it? We could go to the stores where Jim and Nancy and Allison and Sarah go at 5:00 am on Friday??

Below is a video clip of a trailer for "Manufactured Landscapes." I am not familiar with the movie, (let me know if you are) but it refers to how humankind has altered our world with consumerism and production of "junk."

Now, I know that I am not one to have been very conscious of all the stuff I buy (and I still have hungers to buy more "stuff")... so maybe I am preaching to myself. Something to think about. I know that sometimes in the past, I have been anxious to get out on Black Friday, although many times, it is just to grab a hot "gift" or maybe a hot "cinnamon roll."

With the economy in dire straits, and our own personal finances fully committed for school and other kids expenses, we are certainly exploring different options for Christmas--share with me if you have any thoughtful ideas!!

In the excitement of Obama's historic victory, comes the pain of realizing that my birth state so badly wants to turn its back on folks who are just like so many others in wanting to gain the glory of a love relationship that is affirmed by others; denying that such a relationship is legal; denying that the covenant expressed in the public setting of a church is preferred over folks just having serial "living together" points in their lives (which is what our state will now declare).

As I feared that Florida might go 60% in making unconstitutional "Gay Marriages," I began to speculate on what my role might be as a UMC pastor--who is prohibited by our church rules from even conducting a ceremony that celebrates homosexual unions--whether I should even continue being an agent of the state in performing state-sanctioned marriages?

Gaye and I laid in bed several hours last night anquishing over the pain of such a state that relegates living, breathing, intelligient, productive, and caring persons who usually are living full lives thrust upon them by God's divine accumulation of genes and environment into sub-human folks, who, by some perspective of "what the bible teaches" places them outside the pale of God's love and grace. I can't believe that in our nation that such a religious perspective can legally be thrust into a state constitution. I pray that a US Supreme Court will one day honor that First Amendment right that says a religious belief dressed up to look non-religious will fail to pass the test.

In the interim, I plan to undertake a historical search for the role of clergy in becoming the agents of the state in sanctioning and performing state-licensed marriages, seriously consider the prostitution of my ordination in being such an agent of the state, and make a public statement of such inappropriateness. What I am contemplating is that what I do in church, through my action as an ordained minister is strictly a religious ceremony of marriage and that I refuse to do that part of a wedding that authorizes the licensing of a union as civilly authorized.

In other words, I am honored to be the pastor in my church conducting and celebrating the union of two persons in covenant with each other as fully married in the eyes of God and God's sacred church (currently my position as being a United Methodist pastor prohibits those two persons from being in a "homosexual" union) but I will not allow my church ordination status to be corrupted as an agent of the "state." I will do a religious marriage within the church; I will not do the civil licensing union that the state requires for the union of one man and one woman to be recognized as marriage. They will need an agent of the state to obtain that, not from me as a "called-out and ordained" follower and disciple of Jesus Christ.

I obviously need quite a bit of prayer and study prior to taking this step and I request your thoughts, prayers, and insights on these matters. I recently became aware of a UMC pastor who has taken a different step and so, I wanted to share with you her story as follows:


Activist Rev. Still Performing Gay Marriages
by Santa Monica Mirror


Reverend Janet McKeithen, the leader of the interfaith Church in Ocean Park, continues the Church’s activist tradition by her insistence on officiating at gay marriage ceremonies in defiance of the United Methodist Church’s official doctrine.

Reverend McKeithen cites her Church’s main focus as helping its congregants grow spiritually, while engaging in community activism. Sandy Richards, the Church’s former leader, was frequently seen on the picket lines during the Living Wage battles. The Church was also involved in the formation of Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) and the Ocean Park Community Center. The Mirror spoke at length with Reverend McKeithen, a kind and soft-spoken woman who prefers to be addressed as Janet, about the stand she has taken on gay marriage, and how that stand is, in her strong opinion, in line with Christ’s Biblical teachings on tolerance and compassion.

Special Focus: The Rev. Janet McKeithen Story

In the photo on the right, Rev. Janet McKeithen of the Church in Ocean Park signs the marriage license for Jennifer Seat and Stacy Stoldt, a couple who traveled from Chicago to be married in her church.

I have not always been a part of the United Methodist Church or any church. I have sampled many spiritual traditions during my life, and have now been a United Methodist minister for 24 years. My choice to become a United Methodist minister was very intentional. While serving as a staff member of the Sierra Service Project in its early days, I was a part of an aspect of the church that I could relate to. We were allowing God to work through us to make a difference in people’s lives. We didn’t preach to them. We didn’t expect them to become Christian, yet we were the hands and feet of God in working with Native American families to make their homes a little more comfortable. The words of Tex Evans, founder of the Sierra Service Project, were pivotal in my faith journey, when he said, “We go to people right where they are, just the way they are, with no strings attached!!” That means unconditionally loving people, not loving them into becoming something other than they are. It means loving all of who they are, and providing hospitality to all people. This United Methodist Church made sense to me.

The United Methodist Church has a history of standing in solidarity with the oppressed and working to set them free. The United Methodist Church is a place of healing and nurture and discovery. Through UMCOR, it was the first one to take care of people in many disaster situations. It was out in front during much of the Civil Rights movement and the 100 year old Social Creed is incredible. The United Methodist Church understands that Jesus was always fair-minded and would never impose a different set of standards on one particular group. He repeatedly chose to be with the religious outcasts of his time. The people he heartily criticized were the self-righteous religious leaders who excluded lepers, women, people with disabilities and others from the community. The focus of Jesus' life and death was on the marginalized, those on the edges of society.

Many compassionate and dedicated Christians who are gay face intense pain and internal hatred because they have been told by the church that something is wrong with them. Most of these people are not in the church. They will not be in the church. We will not reach them with God’s love or anything else. They are staying away in droves because instead of offering love and a place of hospitality we have created a very frightening and unwelcome place.

Jesus focused on bringing Good News to people, not bad news. And it is bad news when you tell people that the creator who created them as they are despises who they are! I can tell you, that kind of God does not exist. I am sure of it.

I attended part of General Conference this year for the first time. I witnessed painful decisions and hurtful language from the floor. Although I realized that this is what has happened at General Conference for many years, I had never experienced it first-hand. I was sickened. This is the church that I know stands for justice and love and compassion. This is the church that I know and love speaking and acting in incredibly unloving ways. This is a church that seemed to me to not understand the pain it was causing.

One of the hopeful things about the UMC is that it discerns God’s call through scripture, tradition, reason and experience, and can change when its errors are brought to light. It has happened before and it can happen again. And we have made incredible progress and are on our way. But, we cannot wait four more years, and four more years after that. There are people whose lives are at stake. There are people who believe that God despises who they are. There are parts of the church that condemn the GLBT community loudly and clearly. Those of us who experience Jesus in a more inclusive way are so silent as to not even be on their wavelength. That is not okay. God does not despise what God created! There are lives at stake. We cannot continue to be silent!

This is from the senior pastor of one of the largest UM churches in our country and who is also African American:

The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, a Methodist pastor from Texas and longtime supporter of President Bush who has endorsed Obama, said Tuesday he belongs to a group of religious leaders who, working independently of Obama's campaign, launched a Web site to counter Dobson at http://www.jamesdobsondoesntspeakforme.com. The site highlights statements from Obama and Dobson and asks visitors to compare them.

Caldwell said he has great respect for Dobson's advocacy for families, but said the criticism of Obama was "a bit over the top" and "crossed the line."

Arden, Robyn (and friend John), and Glenn went to the Tampa Bay Rays game tonight and once again, they won in the bottom of the ninth--what an exciting game. It poured rain all the way to the game, so we're not sure about building an outdoor stadium, but it would be within walking distance from our St. Pete house.

Dayna's interview with local weekly newspaper in Tampa Bay area

read more | digg story

[part of a post from a blog by "CrazyAuntPurl"]

The correct spelling of yawl is, I think, y'all, seeing as it's a contraction of "you all." But where I'm from we still read "litterchure" and say things like "I need to get some brisket out of the freezer to unthaw." (Unthawing is what you do when you want it to not be frozen. Ya'll'd know this if you read your litterchure.)

So, I spell it ya'll. Because in my mind, I hear "yawl" and it just seems right to write it that way. It's wrong, of course, but the word itself isn't exactly the Queen's English, so I have dealt with my spelling idiosyncracy and moved on.

Where I'm from, the plural of ya'll is "all ya'll." Where you're from it may be "ya'll all." Or "Your mama 'n them." I do not know.

Yeah! No more slowing the dvr/tivo down to watch the Mac commericals!

Wow, what a Father's Day gift--a brand new Mac--I'm in Apple Heaven. Now, if I can just find some personal time to do all I want to do with it ... sounds like it's time for vacation.

Dayna Elected Once Again as Florida At-Large Delegate to DNC

Dayna was elected (again) as one of the 14 at-large Obama delegates in a bit of a fiasco in Fort Lauderdale's gathering of all the Florida democratic national convention delegates (although 7 of the 14 got bumped). In fact, one of the news reporters for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel blogged about Dayna and the email that Gaye sent to Obama folks as a plea not to kill a young, rising political star's dream.

Something I found on the Internet:

What You Need To Believe To Be A Republican:

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is a impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity).

Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.