|
 Honoring
St. Aelred
Today we honor St. Aelred, a medieval
English monk who now serves as the patron saint of Integrity, the
preeminent LGBT organization in the Episcopal Church. Since I serve as
president of Oasis, our diocesan LGBT ministry, it seems providential
for me to be here today.
We remember Aelred principally for his
teachings on friendship, teachings that showed us how “we, clasping each
the other's hand, may share the joy of friendship, human and divine,”
and draw many to God’s community of love.”
On this St. Aelred’s Day, I wonder how
are we can create a “community of love” here in the Bay Area? I wonder
if, since Aelred is the patron of Integrity, we can focus on how we draw
LGBT into God’s “community of love.” We’ve done a great deal already:
for 30 years our diocese has had an LGBT ministry. What began with the
parsonage in the Castro has continued with Oasis California. Many of
yesterday’s demands for inclusion of LGBT people in our church are
today’s reality. Now our doors are open to LGBT people their families
and their allies. You might think we could disband Oasis California and
celebrate a job well done.
We could, but Prop 8 passed, shattering
the myth we have fully accepted LGBT people. We could, but transgender
people today face as much fear and hate as gay people did 30 years ago.
We could, but the suicide rate among young gay men is unacceptably high.
We could, but just this week a televangelist gained a moment of fame by
claiming the recent series of dead birds falling from the sky are really
God’s punishment of America for repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Here’s a reality check: when meeting
with LGBT students and the Episcopal-Lutheran Chaplain at UC Davis, one
of the students said: “It is harder for me to come out as a Christian to
my gay friends than it is for me to come out as gay to my Christian
Friends.”
So on this St. Aelred’s Day, I wonder if
it is time to refocus our work and Oasis California. I wonder if it is
time to examine how we minister to the LGBT people. I wonder if we could
help Integrity serve as the activist organization and build our new
ministry on how we minister to LGBT people as full members of our
“community of love?”
We can work to answer questions like:
·
Are our Sunday schools,
youth groups and church affiliated schools safe places of LGBT youth?
·
Are church affiliated
senior care facilities accepting places for LGBT seniors to live?
·
Are our college and
university chaplaincies receiving all the support they need to oppose
bias against LGBT students and staff?
·
What kind of pastoral care
is appropriate for same gender couples – if in fact their needs are in
any way different from those of a straight couple?
·
Do we offer parents the
resources and counsel they need if their child is LGBT?
These are but a few of the questions
Oasis California could explore if we refocus on ministry that creates a
“community of love” within this region.
St. Aelred writes of how the gift of
Christian friendship can lead us in the way of holiness. Based on his
teaching, we can now see the church as a “community of love” open to all
the baptized. And we can work to find how to better minister to LGBT
people within our “community of love.”
May we have the courage to hold each
other’s hands; the joy of love given and returned; and the grace to form
a beloved community that stands as a shining city upon the hill to give
hope to all who see. And may many be drawn together in Aelred’s
community of love.
May the people say Amen.
|
|
About the
Good Saint Today,
January 12th, we celebrate the feast of Aelred of Rievaulx, patron saint
of Integrity. Below is some basic information about this holy man.
Who was Aelred?
Aelred was one of three sons of Eilaf, priest of St Andrew's at Hexham
and himself a son of Eilaf, treasurer of Durham.
Aelred was born in Hexham, Northumbria, in 1110. He spent several years
at the court of King David I of Scotland, rising to be Master of the
Household before leaving the court to enter the Cistercian abbey of
Rievaulx, in Yorkshire, in 1134, at the age of twenty-four. He may have
been partially educated by Lawrence of Durham, who sent him a
hagiography of Saint Brigid.
Aelred became the abbot of a new house of his order at Revesby in
Lincolnshire in 1142, and later, abbot of Rievaulx itself in 1147. He
spent the remainder of his life in the monastery. Under his
administration the size of the abbey is said to have risen to some
hundred monks and four hundred lay brothers. He made annual visitations
to Rievaulx's daughterhouses in England and Scotland and to the French
abbeys of Citeaux and Clairvaux. He is recorded as suffering from an
unspecified and very painful disease in his later years.
Aelred wrote several influential books on spirituality, among them
Speculum caritatis ("The Mirror of Charity", reportedly written at the
request of Bernard of Clairvaux) and De spiritali amicitia ("On
Spiritual Friendship"). He also wrote seven works of history, addressing
two of them to Henry II of England, advising him how to be a good king,
and declaring him to be the true descendent of Anglo-Saxon kings. Until
the twentieth century Aelred was generally known as a historian rather
than a spiritual writer; for many centuries his most famous work was his
"Life of Saint Edward, King and Confessor." Aelred died on January 12,
1167, at Rievaulx.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailred_of_Rievaulx
How did Aelred become the patron saint of Integrity?
At the 1985 General Convention in Anaheim, CA, at the suggestion of
Howard Galley, Integrity/New York, the Standing Liturgical Commission
recommended Aelred, along with a number of others, for inclusion in
Lesser Feasts and Fasts. When this resolution came before the House of
Bishops, the preconversion Rt. Rev. John Shelby Spong informed the house
that, according to John Boswell, Aelred of Rievaulx had been
gay--implying this might disqualify his inclusion. With little
discussion the House of Bishops approved the others on the list but sent
Aelred back to the commission which sent him back to the House of
Bishops where, in spite of his being gay, and with the bishops' full
knowledge that he was, he was admitted to the calendar.
During the 1987 national convention of Integrity, in St. Louis, the
following resolution was submitted by the Rev. Paul Woodrum and was
passed: "Whereas the Episcopal Church USA meeting in General
Convention in Anaheim, California, in 1985, with full knowledge, thanks
to the vigilance of the bishop of Newark, of St. Aelred's homoerotic
orientation, did approve for annual commemoration in her liturgical
calendar the Feast of St. Aelred on 12 January and did provide propers
for the same, Therefore be it resolved that Integrity Inc. place itself
under the protection and patronage of St. Aelred of Rievaulx and, be it
further resolved that Integrity, Inc. dedicate itself to regularly
observe his feast, promote his veneration and seek before the heavenly
throne of grace the support of his prayers on behalf of justice and
acceptance for lesbians and gay men."
Source: Archived material on Integrity website written by Paul Woodrum.
What are the propers for St. Aelred's feast day?
Collect: Almighty God, you endowed the abbot Aelred with the gift of
Christian friendship and the wisdom to lead others in the way of
holiness: Grant to your people that same spirit of mutual affection,
that, in loving one another, we may know the love of Christ and rejoice
in the gift of your eternal goodness; through the same Jesus Christ our
Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever. Amen.
Lessons: Ruth 1:15-18, Psalm 36:5-10, Philippians 2:1-4, Mark 12:28-34
Source: "Holy Women, Holy Men" [which replaced “Lesser Feasts and Fasts”
in 2009]
Whose is celebrating St. Aelred's feast day?
At least three local groups are holding special events in honor of honor
of St. Aelred--Integrity/Portland, Oasis
California, andIntegrity/Connecticut.
If your group is also holding a St. Aelred celebration, please share
details [before or after the event] at http://www.facebook.com/IntegrityUSA.
Where can I get an icon of St. Aelred?
Robert Lentz has created an excellent icon of St. Aelred that
is available from Trinity
Stores on a wide variety of media. |
