At the beginning of the Eucharistic prayers, different groups of people were called to the altar, particularly people who have been marginalized and not invited to the altar - like families including families with gay or lesbian parents, people who have worked for gay rights or have preached messages of inclusion to the gay community, etc. After all of the groups were called up, they laid hands on each other and prayed.
The real highlight of the night, though, was Barbara Harris's sermon. She had the room rocking and laughing, and was blunt in her assertions. One of the best quotes in my mind was the following:
"If you don't want GLBT folks as bishops, don't ordain them as deacons. Better yet, be honest and say, 'We don't want you, you don't belong here.' and don't bestow on them the sacrement of baptism to begin with. How can you initiate someone and treat them like they are half-assed baptized?"
Obviously, not everyone would agree with that statement, but to me it was a blunt, succinct way of explaining exactly how I feel about inclusion in the church. That there should not be anyone who by their very nature should be excluded, and certainly if they can be included in certain parts of church life, they should be included in all parts.
The shocking thing was that I heard from the senior deputy in our group that Bishop Harris herself was spit on and bit when she would give people communion because they hated the idea of her being a bishop. The fact that she could live through that and still be a faithful member of the church was amazing to me, and it is no wonder that she is speaking out for this decade's marginalized group.
Bishop Barbara Harris preaching at the Integrity Eucharist on July 10.
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