I'm having this wickedly healthy dinner tonight, mostly due to the fact I have not been shopping in a while and the cupboards have dwindling options, and then I felt creative.

I had some butternut squash soup, brown rice, and garbanzo beans.  I cooked the rice and beans, and added them to the soup.  Its actually very very good tasting, and I suppose filling.  I could have even had vegans over to dinner tonight.  Not sure I know any vegans, but all the same, its vegan dinner tonight.

Sometimes simple meals are the best.

I had a really good Thanksgiving Day.  True I had to work, but working night shift staring at 6pm, and mom had dinner at 4.  Had to get up and get to mom's and all the family had gathered, grandma, uncles, aunts, cousins, my brothers, sister, niece, and some friends.  It was casual and relaxed. 

It was the happy gathering of happy and fun people.  Not that our lives are perfect or we are perfect.  But for the day, we were happy and together, and enjoying that.  Thats worth a lot, a lot to be thankful for.

And back at home watching the news, about dinners at shelters, or no dinners at all.  Makes me think I probably have more than I realize. I can go to bed warm and secure, at least today. 

I'm looking forward to, but not entirely ready for Christmas.

But, guess that is what Advent is for, to prepare, to focus, and to begin the celebration.

I'm warming back up to the Christmas music, and I walked through Christmas in the Park, though its still in the dark ,as the tree lighting is on Friday night.

On the news they were interviewing random travelers and one guy said something to the effect, "I know there is lots to worry about, with the economy, or other world events, but right now, I need to focus on having a holiday, and being happy." 

I liked it.  I know there is lots going on to get bogged down in, but there is good and celebration to be had as well, and sometimes you have to let yourself celebrate, just one day out of life, it could be, it could be so nice, if we took a holiday.....

I always liked that song, there is some truth there.

Not only am I Reverend with the Universal Life Church Monastery, I have decided my calling and title to be Minister of Peace.

Here is the thing. I do realize that while I have been legally ordained with an online church, a dubious title to many I'm sure.  I personally find it to be my ultimate expression of Protestantism, I have grown up in the United Methodist Church, having been through many Sunday Schools, Confirmation, and other study and fellowship classes.  I have mentored youth, and have fed and clothed those in need, spent weeks of summer vacation on work missions fixing houses.  I have done, and continue to do much work in the church community.  And though I have not attended formal seminary, neither had the fisherman Jesus called from their boats.

This leads me to my protest; The UMC, should I have even bothered to attend seminary, would not ordain me, or anyone like me.  They do not ordain gay and lesbian clergy, nor are the UMC Clergy allowed to marry or bless gay and lesbian couples.  To this, I protest, in fact I protest any denomination or group that would exclude LGBT persons.  I must step beyond the boundary of oppressive church rule, as Martin Luther did with Rome. This calls me to be ordained with the ULC Monastery, for I am called to make sure that ALL people can offer, and receive blessings and recognition.  Now, I still attend my UMC, but I have been increasingly involved and connected with the Reconciling Ministries Network, a movement within, but not recognized, by the UMC to be fully inclusive to all LGBT persons. 

Obviously people are free to have thier religious views that are quite contrary to mine, being as ridged and exlusive as they like.  That is their right.  I however, have the right, and I feel, the calling, to be a Minister of Peace, spreading inclusivity, especially to the LBGT persons so often marginalized even today in this 21st Century America.

I'm writing this post not as much to defend my position to others, but to clearly understand for myself, why I am moving in the direction I am heading. 

How did the No on 8 Protest go? In San Jose, it went very well.
And since pictures are worth 1,000 words.....

I had a wonderful experience yesterday at the candle light vigil / protest against Prop 8.

It was a peaceful demonstration of many people from the progressive churches in the area, standing on the side of love, and standing for equality.  I'm not sure what that effort will do for the legal efforts to defeat Prop 8, but in small ways it may prompt one person to see things differently, or start a conversation in a car passing in the traffic, or perhaps be the topic of discussion at the dinner table for others.  People thinking and talking is what perhaps it does, and thats a start.

On a larger side for me, the conversation I wonder in my own mind, is my church even progressive enough for me?
I'm not sure.  In the United Methodist Church you cannot be married or blessed as a gay couple, and gay people are not qualified for ordination.  Both of these offend me deeply.  While there are people who certainly do fight against this, and my own church stands fairly well in support of the LGBT community (who was I with at the vigil?)

If the pastor would want to marry or bless a same sex couple, the pastor could lose their job and be defrocked.  So, even as we welcome the gay community to worship, the welcome is limited to a certain extent by the laws of the higher church body.  What to do.  Fight it, teach and educate, wait for change, sure.

BUT, I dont know if I care to much longer.  I want to start exploring other churches that are already beyond this issue.  I think it may be a good spiritual growth exercise to see what other churches in other denominations are doing. I'm hoping to meet with a group from a local Episcopal church on Thursday evening, purely to see just who they are. 

Dont know if its all because of Prop 8, but of late my spiritual roots seem to want to be re potted or watered or fertilized, something.  I'm angry at churches that have taken a proactive stance for discrimination with Prop 8, I'm also angry at those churches that stood in indifference to the issue, and then there is my church, standing against Prop 8, but crippled by denominational rules against larger inclusion.  I guess its one of the things that prompted me to seek ordination with the Universal Life Church, they don't hold out on anyone, and thereby, I would be free to extend a blessing or a wedding to anyone my church locked out.  The ULC does not hold much theology on its own, so I'm still kinda rooted in my protestant background, but needing to open more doors than the UMC has so far.  Its a journey of spirit I guess.

I'm going to the protest on Monday! No respect for a vote that does not respect equal rights.  We will be marching till we have equal rights. Even if it takes 10 years or more.  We've been fighting all of our lives, we can keep going. AND
 WE WILL!

I'm sharing an email from Equlity California, in response to the passage of Prop 8

"Sadly, fueled by misinformation, distortions and lies, millions of voters went to the polls yesterday and said YES to bigotry, YES to discrimination, YES to second-class status for same-sex couples.
And while the election was close, and millions of votes still remain uncounted, it has become apparent that we lost.

There is no question this defeat is hard.

Thousands of people have poured their talents, their time, their resources and their hearts into this struggle for freedom and this fight to have their relationships treated equally. Much has been sacrificed in this struggle.

While we knew the odds for success were not with us, we believed Californians could be the first in the nation to defeat the injustice of discriminatory measures like Proposition 8.

And while victory is not ours this day, we know that because of the work done here, freedom, fairness and equality will be ours someday. Just look at how far we have come in a few decades.

Up until 1974 same-sex intimacy was a crime in California. There wasn’t a single law recognizing the relationships of same-sex couples until 1984 — passed by the Berkeley School District. San Francisco did not pass domestic-partner protections until 1990; the state of California followed in 2005. And in 2000, Proposition 22 passed with a 23% majority.

Today, we fought to retain our right to marry and millions of Californians stood with us. Over the course of this campaign everyday Californians and their friends, neighbors and families built a civil rights campaign unequalled in California history.

You raised more money than anyone believed possible for an LGBT civil rights campaign.

You reached out to family and friends in record numbers—helping hundreds of thousands of Californians understand what the LGBT civil rights struggle is really about.
You built the largest grassroots and volunteer network that has ever been built – a coalition that will continue to fight until all people are equal.

And you made the case to the people of California and to the rest of the world that discrimination — in any form — is unfair and wrong.

We are humbled by the courage, dignity and commitment displayed by all who fought this historic battle.

Victory was not ours today. But the struggle for equality is not over.

Because of the struggle fought here in California — fought so incredibly well by the people in this state who love freedom and justice — our fight for full civil rights will continue.

Activist and writer Anne Lamott writes, “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.”

We stand together, knowing… our dawn will come."

www.eqca.org

The election is finally behind us.  I am overjoyed at the election of Barack Obama to be our next President. Its been some time since I've had a President I could like.  Seeing the nation in celebration of Obama, I think how different this feels from 2000 and 2004.  Bush was not worth of dancing in the streets for. Obama is.

On the other side, I feel defeated. Prop 8 has passed it seems. So California will now add a ban on Same Sex Marriage to the State Constitution.  Now, I dont have a boyfriend, let along a fiancé, or even a current husband. But its a real slap in the face to the gay and lesbian population of our state.  That half of the voters dont think we deserve the privilege to have a legal marriage. But, almost half the voters did, so perhaps in time this will change.

The yes on 8 folks really seemed to focus on gay marriage being forced in the face of children in schools.  Which quite frankly is a poor argument, for on one side gay couples still exist, gay marriages exists in our state now, and in other states and nations. Children will hear of their classmates with 2 moms or 2 dads, with or without 8. I suppose Prop 8 supporters think that these families should in some way be censored from the world.  They dont want us to be visible; well we are going to be. And now, even more. We just have to fight on.

And if anything, Obama has shown us, YES WE CAN!