mike's blog

Over the years, there have been many rifts and divisions over important issues such as Revolution, Slavery, War, who could administer the Sacraments, Race Relations, and Women's rights to be ministers. And now the issue of equal treatment of all God's children. All have been debated at this very pulpit from various sides of the issue.

Still Supporting LGBTQAI! Despite Methodist Division

(Reprinted from the Washington Blade)

By Michael Doan

The damage done by the United Methodist Church General Conference finally sank in for me when I saw two women renewing their wedding vows on their 15^th anniversary last Sunday (March 3).  Not only were Jennifer Stapleton and Amy Stapleton expressing their love, they were nurturing their two small children, who were all dressed up for the ceremony.

I recently saw The Post movie and it brought back all the strong feelings and concerns about our democracy that led to organizing the eastern towns and villages of Westchester Co, NY in 1971 to support publishing of the Pentagon Papers and to oppose the Viet Nam war that was still taking the lives of 300 US soldiers and countless other lives every day. What worries me is that I started with a one paragraph notice in the local paper about a meeting at my house and 17 journalists, academics and other amazing leaders showed up.

By Mary Kay Totty

Tatting.

I love to tat.

Tatting brings me joy and delight.

Tatting centers and grounds me.

And by tatting, I mean lace-making, not anything to do with tattoos.

Tatting is a form of lace-making using one basic double stitch to create patterns of rings and chain for edgings, doilies, jewelry. The world needs more lace.

By the Rev. Mary Kay Totty

This has been a year of great weddings! I love these joyous occasions when friends and family gather from far and wide to celebrate the love and loyalty of two people. I have officiated or attended at least eight of these wonderful events this year. I want to share with you about four of these weddings.

By Mary Kay Totty    It was supposed to be my day off, but instead I brought communion to the steps of the Supreme Court. On June 26, most expected that the court's decision on marriage equality would not come until the following Monday.

In my early years at Dumbarton, I got the impression that modern, enlightened parishioners had replaced narrow-minded,  intolerant church goers in the 1960s and 1970s. My work on Dumbarton’s history project in 1992 convinced me that things weren’t that simple.