miked's blog

By Mary Kay Totty
    This afternoon as I read through my Facebook newsfeed, I saw red. post after post today was about friends changing their profile pictures to red – the logo from the Human Rights Campaign done in red, regular photos changed to red tint, solid colors of red. Friends changed their photos to red in support of Marriage Equality for LGBT people. Today the Supreme Court heard arguments about Prop 8 from California and tomorrow will hear arguments about the Defense of Marriage Act, LGBT persons and allies gathered in the early morning hours to pray for the court and then rallied on the court’s steps in support of Marriage Equality. Supporters were encouraged to wear red as a visible witness to love.

I’m fascinated with Lance Armstrong's televised confession that he took performance-enhancing drugs while winning seven Tours de France. Oprah Winfrey, in her interviews, brought out the human flaws that are not exclusive to Armstrong.

    June is one of the traditional months for weddings, and the topic of weddings pops up frequently in public discourse these days. Reality television has dived into the subject with a host of shows about weddings and brides and bridal gowns.

Well, another General Conference of the United Methodist Church has come and gone. It seems the best way to sum it up is as a stalemate. Hard-fought legislative battles occurred in committee and on the plenary floor. Votes were often close. In the end, the causes that are dear to Dumbartonian hearts did not make progress, but most did not lose ground either. It is disheartening to be grateful for a stalemate.
    Some of the highlights are listed below. Some are positive and some are negative:

    When the General Conference of the United Methodist Church met in Tampa several weeks ago, it once again denied full acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons in the life and ministry of the church. Hateful, harmful words were spoken by delegates. Silent witnesses for inclusion by delegates, volunteers, and guests surrounded the plenary floor.

By Harry C. Kiely

For those who re-discover their faith by taking seriously the vision offered in the second chapter of the book of Acts, the Occupy movement may appear to them as the New Pentecost. Note the similarities between the ancient story of the Resurrection and the contemporary movement:

• In Acts, the emergence of new power occurred when the gossip about the Resurrection became a life-empowering message that transcended all lingual differences: “each heard in his own language.” Likewise in Occupy Wall Street, in the development of a new means of communication, people of diverse backgrounds both spoke and heard in a common language because they shared a vision of new community.