A unique wedding

Saturday started out a normal day for me. Then at 10.00 AM the telephone rang and I was reminded that I was to play for a wedding. That reminder ruined my day. It had been overcast and I was looking forward to doing nothing but reading a new book and glancing out the window periodically to watch the drizzle.

I pulled myself together and went to play for the wedding. As the wedding progressed, I thought, "how ironic that I'm participating in this wedding when the state is on the verge of voting on who can have the basic right to marry." When the wedding was over, I remarked to the minister that I found the experience very odd, and very ironic. When he asked, why, I told him. His reply startled me. He said, "particularly this wedding." Well folks, this is why the wedding was so odd.

The groom's father is married to a man. The bride's mother married her female lover last last Saturday. The groom's brother is gay and will marry his partner on Tuesday. The bride's sister is a lesbian. The maid of honour is a lesbian. The bride and groom are heterosexual.

As it turns out, everyone in the wedding party except the bride and groom are either gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

This young couple had searched several months for a church where they felt welcomed and knew they could bring their family for important events and the holy days.

They found that although the Episcopal Church said it was welcoming, the actions of Lambeth and our local bishop belied that statement. So, they settled on the United Church of Christ. This congregation has three same-gender couples. I didn't know that until today.

How sad that our beloved church cannot get its act together and walk the talk. People can spot hypocrites a mile away, as this young couple did.

The latest polls show that "no" is winning by about five points. Let's pray that that gap widens.

But let justice roll down as waters,
and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Amos 5.24