Inauguration Preachers

So I already dished a little about Rick Warren, but here's some more interesting information - other preachers will be doing other preaching, etc., during the weekend of the festivities. Two in particular are of interest to me: Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal church, and the General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ. Here's the Slate article on it.

One thing I disagree with in the article is that Gene Robinson's take on gay sexuality goes against the beliefs of the Episcopal church. That might be true for the international Anglican church, which the Episcopal church is part of. But the conservative groups that are getting ready to leave the Episcopal church because of Robinson's election as bishop are much smaller than the main body of the American church -- about 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 million. That doesn't mean that the people who are staying are necessarily on board, but it does mean they don't see it as important enough to make a break with their church.

One of the quotes in the Slate article is that Bishop Robinson felt called to come out of the closet by God. I'd agree with that sentiment in my own life. Coming out requires courage and serves justice and truth. I hope we'll get coverage of what he has to say Sunday.

OMG Can We Please Get Over Rick Warren?

(And, while we're at it, Jeremiah Wright, too...)

I know that Rick Warren supported Proposition 8. And there is a little bit of extra annoyance about his being the inauguration pray-er because he's a pastor from California. That part does feel a little bit like salt in the wound.

HOWEVER, the truth is that the overwhelming witness of the Bible puts poverty at the top of the list of God's big concerns. This debate over the gays is peanuts, really, and mostly a fund raising and distraction tactic for at least some of these Pat Robertson types. Abortion has been similarly exploited, and is similarly, biblically, peanuts.

What's refreshing about Warren is that while he may hold these views, he puts them in the proper position on his list of priorities - near the bottom.

Jeremiah Wright comes into this for me because (Press Club weirdness aside, although maybe that's the actual problem) his pro-African American stance, and his honest confrontation of American hubris and imperialism got turned into a caricature in the national media.

Rick Warren already has a book out and a much bigger church, so I don't expect the outcry, so to speak, to hurt him nearly as much as the feeding frenzy hurt Jeremiah Wright. But still, at this point I'm amazed at how little time gets spent paying attention to the core of peoples' ministries. Thanks, sensationalizing newsmedia.

One last thought - it's interesting how the vehement editorializers never manage to suggest somebody else. I'm free that day, if Pastor Rick needs to bow out....

PS Thanks to H for this commentary by Melissa Etheridge