Who is a minority?

 I was watching a short film today at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival website. The name of the film is "Four Short Films about Love". It's a really interesting film dealing mainly about coming of age. It's a really good film that I think people should watch. But as I watched it, something was said during it that has me wondering, "Who is a minority?" 

 Being Black, I have heard all of my life that I am a minority in this country. I accept that fact, and embrace it. I have no problem with it because in this country Blacks are just a minority in the number of people.

 Over the last few years I have heard about other groups of people referring themselves that minorities outside of racial minorities. in some cases I wonder what really makes them a minority? I have heard women referred to as being a minority, but yet in reality women are a majority of people in this country. How can a majority be a minority? The LGBT community shouts that they are a minority? In the film, one of the girls says that she is a minority because she is Jewish. I've seen where some of the conservative Anglicans in this country say that they are a minority. I've heard and seen others say that they are a minority and that they are being oppressed because of it.

 Now I can understand it when it comes to those of us who are not White, but I am wondering if the term is being thrown around to easily? Should we come up with other terms when it comes to different groups? With the way that the term is used, who in this country can't say that they aren't a minority?

 Well, this is just some "food for thought" for you to think about.

 Here is the film. I hope that you enjoy it.

Four Short Films about Love

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Our MultiCultural and Ethnicity is showing

 First I must wish Bishop Marc and his family my prayers, as they lost their beloved dog after 14 years. When Bishop Marc and Sheila made their first visit to my congregation a few years ago, they couldn't stay as long as they might have wanted to stay, for their dog wasn't doing well. Since that time, I have asked about the dog, which I think that they liked. Sadly today when I went onto Facebook, Bishop Marc had posted that his beloved dog has passed. So please keep him and his family in your prayers.

 I had to go to DioHouse yesterday for a meeting with Bishop Steven. After the meeting I headed to the bathroom, and suddenly I noticed on the walls a bunch of photographs and quotes from People of Color on the walls. It brought tears to my eyes. After years of going into that place and seeing only pictures of White males on the walls, it made me realize that the Diocese of California really does care about ALL of its people. The exhibit is up for a little while, but my hope is that the moral that I am in stays up. I don't want it to stay up because I am in it, but because it will be a reminder and will show all that this is a diocese that cares for all of its people.

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Rethinking the Pyramid

 I often here the term "Top of the pyramid" when it comes to levels of where people in job positions are. The people at the top are the CEOs, Presidents, Owners, etc. in a company. These are the people with power. In the church it's the same way. We have placed the Presiding Bishop at the top of the pyramid and the laity at the bottom. 

 After some things over the last few months, I am beginning to think that this pyramid thought is wrong in the church. The top of the pyramid in the church is really the Laity. Some of this thinking is from getting to know some of the Deacons in this diocese and the role of a Deacon. I really wish that the world really got to understand the role of a Deacon and gave it the true respect that it deserves.

 Here is my thinking. Now I could be wrong, but hear me out. The bottom of the Pyramid is really the Presiding Bishop. The PB puts together a staff and plans that help Bishops do their job. like a house, the base/foundation helps to lift up the Bishops. Part of the role of a Bishop is to be one that is visible to the world, and the ones that are out in the world spreading the word are the Deacons.  Even though most people would think that it should be the Priest in that position of being lifted up by the Bishops, in many ways it is the Deacons that Bishops are lifting up. Now the Deacons are not only out in the world spreading the Good News, but they are also inside the church in some ways putting things together to help raise up the Priest do that they can do their job. Now much of the work that the Priest does is administrative and helping to support and raise the Laity. This puts the Laity at the top of the pyramid. 

 Now if you look at a pyramid, you can remove the levels below the Laity and the church will still survive, but if one removes the Laity from the pyramid (church) no longer exist. Think about it. As much as the claim is that only the other position can do certain things, do you really think that the Holy Trinity is going to get mad if a Layperson were to bless and administer the communion if it brings someone into a closer life with Christ? 

 Now I could be wrong, and actually like the fact that we do things in the matter that we do, but we really do need to rethink the pyramid as to who is on top. I am sure that their are people who will tell me how wrong I am in my thinking, but another way to look at it is that the Laity is the Keystone of the church. Without the keystone (Laity) of a stone arch (the church) could not exist.

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The Spirit is working in DioCal

 It's been a bit since I wrote anything here, but let me catch you up on a couple of things.

 Several years ago, Bishop Marc asked me to be a guest blogger on his blog. I had asked him what he would like for me to write on, and he said anything that I desired, and he mentioned some ideas. I took one of his suggestions and wrote a blog on Being Black in the Episcopal Church. It was received well, and even part of it was put onto the Episcopal Cafe. People from all over kept telling me how much they enjoyed it. One of the things that I had put into it was a call for DioCal to come up with something visible to let people know that we are a multiracial church.

 About 8 months ago people began telling me that they say my picture in DioHouse. I was shocked, but whenever I would have to drop by there for something, I never saw this picture. When I would be there I would look, and all that I ever saw were the white faces that we always on the walls. The other day I had to go to DioHouse for a meeting. I came in through the door on the Plaza level with someone, then came down the steps. As we reached the bottom of the steps, we stopped and talked with one of the other people who was going to be in this meeting. I turned and looked at the door that I should of come in, and noticed a moral. Their it was. There was the picture that people had been seeing of me. I was shocked. I walked over and looked. My diocese does really care for those of us of color.

 I had been seriously thinking about leaving the congregation that I am in. I have grown tired of almost being a Lone Ranger in getting things done, and trying to get the congregation to grow. I've been trying to get the congregation to try and make the place look better. I have tried to get stewardship going, but have no help from the clergy person who will talk about stewardship as being everything but giving money, and in fact has said that stewardship has nothing to do with stewardship, and has come up with tons of reasons for not having people make pledges to help the church continue. The congregations is full of excuses for not doing something.

 But I have changed my mind on leaving. Our Bishop and the diocese has come up with an idea called Area Ministry. Now what Area Ministry is varies depending on who you talk to. Now Area Ministry has never been spoken about in my congregation except for a couple of times. I am lucky enough to be on the Commission on Ministry in this diocese. I love it, as I have gotten to meet some wonderful people and it has helped me to grow spiritually.I love being on this commission.

 One of the things that Bishop Marc desires is for all of us to become deeply involved in our local Area Ministry. My problem is that nobody in Oakland is really doing anything to get the congregations to even talk with one another about this ministry. I've been thinking lately that maybe I should contact a few people in other congregations just to sit and have a talk about it.

 As part of being on the Commission on Ministry, we interview the people that the Bishop feels should be considered to become clergy people. This is called Vocations Day. Vocations day happened last weekend. We on the CoM are paired into teams of 4, and split into twos. Depending on how many people their are, depends on how many people we have to interview. At this past one, with one of the people that my team had to interview, I was really unsure. Yes I could vision this person wearing a clergy collar, but I really didn't see this person really doing anything beyond just being an Asst Priest at a congregation.

 I had been attending a Lenten Series at another congregation that dealt with Prayer. Even though this person was doing some work at this congregation, this person wasn't at this event. I understand as they have a distance to drive, and young children. I had written the team report on this person, and even though the others saw more in her, I was still having a problem. I went to the other congregation today because the last of the series was being done after the service. I enjoyed the series, and had someone cover me at my congregation with the music. 

 What I was unaware of was that this person was going to give the Homily today. They did an incredible job. I was just blown away. We talked afterwards, and I let them know what a great job they did. They were able to take an event in their life, the lessons, and the description of Area Ministry on the diocesan website and make it work in a way that made my mouth just drop open. I wish that we had some of ordaining this person last year, as I see great things in the future for her and Christianity.

Well, let me end this here. I hope and pray that the Holy Trinity Blesses and Guides you always.

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Negro?

 Well it has been a while since I wrote anything here, but I figured it was time after what happened today.

 The day before now President Obama was sworn into office, one of the neighbors in my building died. He was a great guy, and it was to bad that he didn't live another 36 hours. After his funeral, I went to the wake which was held at a building where a theater is that I used to go to all of the time. As I sat their with a couple of other people, and a woman came around passing out postcards of an upcoming play that she was going to be in at the theater. It looked interesting, so I decided that since it had been years since I had been to a play, that I would go.

 I got up and went to church this morning, and had a feeling during the Spanish service that it wasn't going to be a good day, because we only had about 12 people for that service. At the next service, I had a feeling that I really shouldn't go to this play, since the only people were me and the pastor. 

 I go home, watch some stuff on the Internet, then get changed. As I come out of my building, I see the bus just a few blocks away. Why didn't I just go back into the apartment. I jump on the bus, and the Translink machine isn't working. Luckily for me, the bus driver tells me not to worry and to have a seat.

 I arrived at the theater and bought a ticket. Still something in me told me not to.

 The play was about Harriet Tubman. I figured that it would be a good play to see, and had even thought about calling Divine Angel a call to see if her and her son would be interested in seeing it, but I hadn't talked to her in several years, and she was pretty pissed with me the last time that we even spoke. I'm glad that I didn't, as she would of beat the crap out of me afterwards.

 This play had to be the worse play that I have never seen in my life. I have seen school plays which were far better. By the time that it was over, I was wondering if I should refer to myself as being a Negro to avoid being associated racially with the people who put this play on. It was really sad.

 Now don't get me wrong, the play did have a couple of great actors in it, in fact the woman who played Harriet Tubman did a great job, and this was her very first play. The person who did the best played Frederick Douglas. But a couple of the people kept forgetting their lines, and it was obvious. The play was very disjointed and parts of it just shouldn't of been in it. One character was a white slave catcher, who had one seen that lasted maybe 3 minutes. He came on just before intermission, and I figured that he would be in the second part, but he wasn't. 

 I had started to leave during the intermission, but figured that I needed to be punished even further for my stupidity. The second half was better than the first, thanks to the guy who played Frederick Douglas. All that I know is that I think that it will be a while before I head off to see another play.

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Giving up on the Youth Group

 It is sad, the my diocese is holding and event this weekend for the youth of the diocese, and none of the youth from my congregation are coming. The thing is that it is something that they want to do, but because the pastor of the congregation isn't happy that things aren't going to be done his way when it comes to youth and Young Adults in the diocese, he is not going to try and get any of the youth from coming, and will most likely in fact do his best to stop them from coming. He has his mind so determined on how things should be, he is not willing to listen to others, or open his mind at other possibilities. 

 I am throwing up my hands and am going to stand back with the youth of the congregation. This person has no real desire to do things that the youth want to do, which is sad and why the youth group never really grew and in fact no longer has any kids. It's about him and the things that he wants for the kids to do, not about the youth. For him it is more important to rely on what people who have pieces of paper say that youth should be doing than to listen to the youth want to do. 

 Nightwatch is a wonderful event, and I am hoping that several hundred youth from throughout not just the Episcopal Diocese, but from other denominations come for this wonderful event. I am hoping that the diocese takes advantage and gets these youth involved in other things.

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Going to fight a little longer

After writing my last views here on the congregation that I am in, I think that I'm going to try to stick it out a little longer, but I am seriously thinking about leaving. The congregation does have some good in it, which are hard to think of at the moment, but I am going to do my best to get people into it that will get it to live. But what I am not going to do is to be worn out by the congregation. I am going to stick with the stuff that I enjoy doing, but the members will have to go about doing their own thing in getting stuff done that they want do. I am no longer going to do their "dirty work".

I am also glad that I am involved committees and commission in the diocese, as I have really enjoyed meeting new people, getting to see the work of other congregations, and it keeps my following the right path of doing the work of the Holy Triune. It is just the congregation that I am in that is driving me crazy.

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