USA Week 3

I have now completed 9 days in New York and Washington.  As I reported, I did very little the first day except washing, some food shopping and lazing around.  I took advantage of having a full apartment to myself with lounge, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. I had to use the communal laundry but a full wash was just $1.50 and it was just along the corridor.
I did go for a long walk in the early evening in the nearby Fort Tryon Park. I was at the very top of Manhattan island. The park was full of joggers and dog exercisers and there were views over the Hudson River and on the other side across to the Bronx.

On Wednesday I caught the subway to the Cathedral of St John the Divine. It is the largest Anglican (Episcopalian) church in the world and the 4th largest Christian church. It is still not finished and when I visited in 2007, it was still largely hoarded up after a fire in 2001.

This was my fourth visit to New York so I was not interested in seeing all the usual sites. I headed for the top of Central Park which was nearby and planned to walk the full length (4 km) but as the temperature rose to 88’F (32’C) I only completed about half. There were some nice gardens and lakes and I think it would be unbearable to live in Manhattan without the park.  After checking the specials in the delightfully cool Macy’s, I headed back home to rest before going out for the evening.
I ate out in an Italian restaurant then went to the Lincoln Centre and a performance by the New York Philharmonic. They played Beethoven’s 2nd and 3rd Piano concertos with Yefim Bronfman on the piano. It was excellent. I would have liked to go to the Met but there was no opera that week. Instead they had the ballet Giselle. I saw that in Dunedin last year and sadly ballet is not my taste.

On Thursday I went way downtown to the High Line. I had wanted to go there on my last visit in 2010. They have converted an old elevated railway into an urban park which stretches for 1.6km.

It was a great walk in the now much cooler (but some light showers) weather and I found a good cappuchino. Finding good coffee in the USA is a challenge. I know I am spoilt in Dunedin which must have more little coffee shops for its population than any other city I know.  The High Line is a copy of  a similar project in Paris which I must visit next year. Yes I have already made one booking for a return to Paris in April 2015.

I had lunch in a Pret a Manger (ready to eat) store. I had eaten at one of  these in the UK . They have natural fresh sandwiches and fruit juices.
Then I visited Grand Central Station which is very impressive before queuing at Half Tix in Times Square. An hour and a half later I had a ticket for that evening’s performance of ‘Pippin” and I decided to catch the bus home. That was a big mistake. The guide book said it was a great way to see the city rather than the usual underground trip in the subway. The subway takes less than half an hour, the bus took just on 2 hours so the sightseeing wore a little thin. I had just time to eat and freshen up before returning (on the subway) to Times Square and the theatre. Pippin was bright and lively and at the end I quickly passed through the noise, crowds  and bright lights of Times Square( I now feel my age) and back by subway arriving at the apartment at 11.30pm.
On my first visit in 1980 I was too scared to go out after dark. New York is a great improvement these day and I have gone to musicals on each of my visits in 2007 and 2010.

Friday I went right down town to the recently opened National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The Memorial 

 opened in September 2011 but the Museum was only opened in May. Two pools with the largest man made waterfalls in the United States cascading down their sides are located within the footprints of the Twin Towers. Each pool is 1-acre, and together they are intended to symbolize the loss of life and the physical void left by the terrorist attacks.
I queued for half an hour for a ticket to the museum and the time allocated was 1.30. It was then 11.30 so I walked down to Battery park and bought a coffee then sat on the water front looking over at the Statue of Liberty. On the way back I photographed the new building.

The museum is big. There are many memorial items such as a destroyed fire engine, parts of the building and a memorial rug.

Most moving is a room which goes through the names, portrays photos and records memories by relatives or close friends.  There is the story of the original building of the towers and I was interested to see they were the first to be built by kangaroo cranes which are named  both due to the way they climb or jump as the building goes up and after the country where they were invented.

You could spend hours learning of the history of that day, air traffic control recordings and the few days after but I think most of us have watched it over and over already so I left after about 2 hours.
Again I returned to my apartment before heading downtown again. I certainly made use of my 7 day transport pass. This time it was to have dinner with 2 internet friends. I met Chuck when he visited Sydney in 2009 and on my visit to NYC in 2010 when I also met Cindy and was invited to her apartment. It was good to have dinner with company and  afterwards we strolled along part of the High Line again which was nearby.

On Saturday I had to pack up again and make my way to Penn Station and the train to Washington. The trip was just 3 hours  but the train was 50 minutes late departing and an hour late into Washington Union Station. I made my way on the metro to another apartment this time on the ground floor of a terrace with the owners upstairs. This even had its own washing machine and drier and the owners provided fruit, nibbles and coffee.

On Sunday I attended the National Episcopal Cathedral and was pleasantly surprised to find Bishop Gene Robinson was presiding. I met him about 6 years ago and he was kind enough to say he remembered. In the evening I went to the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts to see a performance of “The Lion King”. I enjoyed it very much and the centre is also an amazing building with great views over the river.

I saw all the memorials, White House, Arlington Cemetery, Library of Congress etc. back in 2007 but wanted to see some of the Smithsonian Museums.
I began on Tuesday with the National Gallery of Art (which I have only just discovered is not a Smithsonian museum but on the Mall with the others) The amount and variety of art is immense. After 2 hours I moved over to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden which displays contemporary art and photography. I do not think I stayed much more than 15 minutes. I then went to the National Museum of Natural History for its cafeteria but then spent time in the section on Oceans and Genome Science, both were interesting.
With very sore feet I decided that the National Museum of the American Indian would be most different for me to finish and it is a very unusual building

 with interesting exhibits and a movie.

On my travels, several people had advised me to visit George Washington’s Mansion at Mount Vernon. Therefore today I took a boat trip up the Potomac River (one and half hours each way) and spent 3 hours there with a tour of the house

 and wandering around the farm, slave quarters and gardens as well as Washington’s tomb. Besides being the founder of the Nation, I have learnt that he was very innovative in his farming practices.

I am now ready to head west on a train trip right across to the West Coast again. Tomorrow I will begin with about 23 hours on the Cardinal to Chicago.

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A Wonderful Day

I am completely overwhelmed.

I planned my visit to Washington at least 9 months ago and wanted to attend Eucharist in the National Cathedral. I went there as a tourist on a weekday with my sister in 2007.
Last night I checked the website for the times and was floored to find it was a special service for Gay Pride Month.
The preacher was Rev Dr Cameron Partridge the first out trasngender priest to preach at the Cathedral.
And the presider was Bishop Gene Robinson the first openly gay man to become a bishop in the Anglican communion.
I met Bishop Robinson in Sydney probably 6 years ago when he came to St James, King Street and sat in the congregation. Of course he could not be officially welcomed , the jensenites would have been appalled.  However he came to a meeting afterwards and I met him and told him some of my story. He gave me a big hug.

At the end of today's service I introduced myself and he said he remembered which was nice of him
I cannot believe that I should have gone to the cathedral today of all days.

My photo of +Gene Robinson was taken while he was being interviewed.

USA Adventures Week 2

I finished my first report when I arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota.
I joined a group of 43 to tour across some of the Western states by coach. Except for a couple from the UK who were originally from the Ukraine and were travelling with their sister from California, everyone else was from the States.
On Monday we did a tour of the Black Hills. I remember singing about them and Deadwood City which is nearby when I acted in “Calamity Jane” many years ago.
Our first stop was at the Mountain carving of Crazy Horse.

The task of carving the mountain is immense mainly done by one man and now his sons without any government finance  and they say it will take another 6 generations to complete.  It is the Indian response to the well known carvings of Presidents at Mount Rushmore which we visited in the afternoon. I took the opportunity there to do some bush walking under the faces.
We returned to Rapid City and I walked around the town looking at all the life size statues of the Presidents. They are all there except Obama. I was told the statue is installed several years after the President leaves office.

The next day we drove into Wyoming and, after lunch in the town of Sheridan, we drove into Montana and spent several hours at the Little Bighorn National Monument.

Knowing little about it, I thought I would be bored with 2 hours but was pleasantly surprised. I had heard of Custer’s Last Stand but no details. That has now been changed as we had 2 excellent historians. One guided us up to the Indian memorial, only built in 2003

 which I found very moving. Then on to the much older memorial to the 268 casualties of the 7th Cavalry. This was followed by an excellent talk describing the actual battle. The Indians won the battle but lost the war.  During this talk, under cover, we experienced the only real rainfall, a thunderstorm, that I have so far experienced. Nearby was a military cemetery which reminded me of those I have seen in France and Belgium.

That night we stayed in Billings, Montana and the following day we travelled south back into Wyoming and to Yellowstone National Park. We stayed there 2 nights in the Old Faithful Inn. The interior of the lobby is 5 storeys tall.

It is the largest log hotel, possibly building, in the world.
Nearby the Old Faithful Geyser erupts roughly every 90 minutes.

Our drive through the park visited many geysers and hot pools and Lower Yellowstone Falls

 which is higher than Niagara. We saw Bison

 and Elk and a number of smaller animals but no bears. On the 2nd afternoon I walked several kilometres up the valley from the Inn to other geysers (none of which erupted for me) and hot pools.

Of course I was reminded of Rotorua where I have also seen geysers and some beautiful hot pools. Yellowstone just has so many, I have seen 10,000 mentioned.

On leaving Yellowstone we crossed the Continental Divide and I had my photo taken with my “adopted” family.

 Doris from New Jersey, with whom I sat in the coach, and her granddaughter Brenda and great granddaughter Savannah from Florida. They are now on my mailing list along with Bill and Pablo of Texas who I met on tour.

We visited the Grand Tetons National Park which I thought was the most impressive scenery of the tour.

  We were able to appreciate this scenery from rubber rafts which floated down the Snake River for nearly 2 hours. We saw at least one bald eagle along with many other birds and also saw the work of beavers in cutting down trees and building their lodges. Finally as we got out of the raft we saw a Moose quite close up. Still no bears.

That night was spent in Jackson, Wyoming, a real wild west town with a stage coach and a gun fight acted out in the streets.

Saturday was much cooler and we could see snow falling on the hills but just a light drizzle for us. We entered the state of Idaho and stopped at the National Oregon Trail Museum in Montpelier. They explained what was needed to undertake the gruelling 3,500 km journey by wagon from the Missouri to Oregon. We experienced travel in a wagon and saw various mockups of campsites.
Then it was into Utah and finally to Salt Lake City where we visited the Mormon Tabernacle and the gardens of Temple Square and had a final dinner together.

I am not convinced that long coach tours are my thing.  I certainly saw more than if I had just travelled to Yellowstone and taken a local tour as originally planned and it was nice to have company along the way but the early departures day after day and the severe leg cramp I developed, luckily on the final morning, will make me think carefully about such a trip in the future.

I spent Sunday by myself again although I arrived for breakfast at the same time as our tour guide Larry.  I then walked about 2 km, getting that leg muscle working, to an Episcopal church for Eucharist on Trinity Sunday.  Returning to the city I found it hard to find anything open where I could buy lunch but eventually found a sort of food court in a supermarket.  I would not advise visiting Salt Lake City on a Sunday.
I walked up to the State capitol for a view over the city before catching the shuttle out to the airport and a hotel nearby.
This was necessary as United had changed my original 7.40am flight to a 6.15 departure on Monday morning.

We were early arriving Houston after a 2 and a half hour flight where I sat in the airport for 4 hours. The next flight left 40 minutes late and took nearly 4 hours to reach New York.
I reached the apartment about 8pm.

I have an apartment with full kitchen, lounge etc. It is cheaper than hotels in Lower Manhattan but is situated in Hudson Heights about 20 minutes away in the subway.

I have spent Tuesday sleeping in, late breakfast and shower, washing clothes, shopping and lazing around although I did take an evening stroll in Fort Tryon Park nearby. It is in the 30’sC and very humid. However, as in Paris last year, I find it good to unwind before getting on the road again. I must get moving tomorrow. I have 5 nights here in New York and will report from Washington next week.

USA Adventure Week 1

For those I have not recently contacted, I have begun a 6 week tour through the USA. The first week has mainly been travelling. I left Dunedin at 4pm last Monday and about 17 hours later was in my hotel in Los Angeles but it was still 4pm on Monday.

It was the first time I had visited downtown LA. I stayed there in order to be near the Union Station as I began the first of many rail journeys. However I spent Tuesday wandering in the area, mainly to recover from the flight and jetlag.

I visited the very modern Catholic Cathedral then found the Walt Disney Concert Hall which was built just 10 years ago and is very modern. I was pleased to find free entry and audioguide. It is futuristic in design which is difficult to photograph and there is a roof top garden.

 I was lucky that the main auditorium was open and a young woman was practising on the organ but photos were not allowed in there. I then wandered further through the city.

On Wednesday I boarded the Coast Starlight for 12 hours by train to San Francisco. I booked a roomette aalthough I was not travelling overnight but it was well worth it especially with free meals and coffee thrown in. I was a llittle disappointed in the coastal scenery.

 I guess I am spoilt with the coastlines of both NZ and Australia. I am told the US coastline is more dramatic further north but not in view from the train.

After just 9 hours in a hotel I was back on the California Zephyr for 32 hours to Denver. This did provide dramatic scenery with the deserts of Nevada and the Colorado Gorge.

I was surprised at some accents I heard and discovered that among my fellow passengers was a tour group from New Zealand. There were 14 Kiwis and 3 Aussies doing a rail journey right around the USA.

I spent 2 nights in Denver and Saturday I walked the long 16th Street Mall, discovered a People's Fair where I bought lunch, and in the afternoon visited the Denver Art Gallery. It was free for the first Saturday of the month but I paid to also see the exhibtion of Modern Masters, both European and American, which was very good and closing the following day. It is also a modern design

 



and I saw the first of what I believe will be a lot of American Indian Art. 

Sunday was back in the air, this time just over an hour flight to Rapid City in South Dakota. I am glad the shuttle insisted on picking me up at the hotel at 11.15am for a 2pm flight. The flight was delayed by thunderstorms. For a short while all outside ground staff were withdrawn due to lightning and there was a tornado watch in place. Our plane finally landed from Texas about an hour late but after boarding we were told we were overweight and 2 people had to be removed. When there were no volunteers, the last 2 to check-in were selected. Thankfully I stayed aboard and arrived Rapid City 90 minutes late.

I have joined a 7 night Coach tour here and have now completed 2 days 1 but will leave that until next time.

Maya Angelou

In November 1999 I attended a conference organised by the International Association of School Librarians in Birmingham, Alabama. I had already attended a previous conference in Vancouver in 1997 and was later to attend one in Auckland in 2001. They were the stimulus for the renewal of my interest in overseas travel.

In Birmingham I heard Maya Angelou speak and I was astounded. I knew nothing about her before entering the lecture theatre. I laughed, I cried, I was inspired.
Since then I have bought all 6 of her autobiographical books (I have just learnt the 7th was published last year and have put it on my wish list). I also own "Even the stars look lonesome". They are in my main bookcase in the loungeroom with all books I consider important.  Sadly I have not read any of them since moving to New Zealand. I will remedy that this year.

After the conference ended I flew to Detroit and made my way to Chicago where I boarded the California Zephyr to San Francisco.  By coincidence my plans next Thursday are to again board the California Zephyr in San Francisco and travel as far as Denver.

There are lots of tributes on Youtube. I managed to find this small example of her inspiration which so affected me back in 1999.

May Maya Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory. 

Blue Mountains

Between Easter and Anzac Day my sister drove me up to the Blue Mountains where I lived for 28 years. We stayed 2 nights in Katoomba. Although all the places were well known to me, a few I had not visited for quite a few years before I left just over 4 years ago.

Of course the Three Sisters are the most well known view seen from Echo Point.

Mount Solitary. I have hiked out to there but quite a long time ago now.

I had to walk down at least part of the Giant Staircase to the Honeymoon Bridge. Being school holidays the crowds were offputting. Many times I have continued way further down another 1,000 feet to the bottom but not today.

The sandstone weathering is dramatic and some trees put up a struggle to survive.

Driving west past Narrow Neck. Often in winter school holidays  I would drive up here, buy lunch and eat it along the clifff looking over this view.

I have always preferred the view from Govetts Leap near the town of Blackheath.

And the Govetts Leap Falls

and the picnic area

Then to Mount York where the first explorers, Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson discovered they had found the way across the Mountains.

Finally to Wentworth Falls, the view, the falls and the lake.

Anzac Day in Sydney

I again spent Anzac day in Sydney. This has become a tradition for me. I accompany my sister to the Dawn Service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place. We need to catch one of the special trains that are provided. It means leaving her home about 3am. As usual the service was packed. I am always proud of the uniting of my country of birth and my country of choice and am proud to sing both anthems.

I have found this excerpt on Youtube. About 6 mins 35 secs the camera pans across the crowd with a clear view of my sister in red top.  I am only slightly in view behind her.
It begins just after the Governor has laid the first wreath. People are looking back at the large screen behind us. Only the very fortunate are able to sit.
This is followed by the most important part of the service - the reciting of the Ode, the sounding of the Last Post, a minute silence and the sounding of Reveille.


This year I was very pleased to discover the Sydney Maori Choir had been invited to sing as well as the Sydney Male Choir who have sung continuously at this service since 1930.
The Maori Choir sang Tama Ngakau Marie

Tama ngākau mārie Tama a te Atua Tēnei tonu mātou Arohaina mai Murua rā ngā hara Wetekina mai Ēnei here kino Wakararu nei. Takahia ki raro Tau e kino ai Kei pā kaha tonu Ko nga mahi hē. Hōmai he aroha Mōu i mate nei Tēnei ra e Ihu Tākina e koe Tēnei arahina A tutuki noa Puta i te pōuri Whiwhi hari nui.

Son of peace Son of God here we are always. Show us compassion. Wipe away our sins, and unshackle these evil ties that are so troublesome. Trample down things evil to you lest they gather strength, all evil deeds. Grant that we may have love for You who died May this be so Jesus, that you lead us. This is where we wish to be led to a good end, overcoming darkness and attaining paradise.

This was the last time we will see the Hon Professor Marie Bashir as Governor of NSW at the Dawn service and later leading the march through the city streets.

She has been a marvellous Governor since 2001. The first woman in that role and I note she is patron of the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service.

As in the past we returned home to watch on TV the March through the city streets which takes about 3 hours. This was followed by the Dawn Service at Gallipoli which I attended in 2002. And following that, the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Villers Bretonneux, France.  I have already booked to be at that service in 2015.  I have visited the Memorial twice in 2002 and 2007 and my uncle who died on the Somme in 2016 is buried about 25 km away.

Thank God I live in a Post-Christian Country

Church people, including my own vicar, wring their hands that the church no longer has the influence it had in the past.  I am very thankful.

The Church has always opposed any move to make life easier for LGBT people. The Liberalisation of consenting sex between males in the 80’s and same-sex marriage last year were passed in parliament despite the opposition of the churches.
I know that not all church members were involved but very few had the guts to stand up and say so.

Back in 2006 the then Bishop of Dunedin, George Connor, was willing to ordain a gay partnered man, Juan Kinnear, despite opposition from both within and without the diocese.  I never met him but congratulate him.  He did not wait for the Province to be of one mind and despite a few protestors, the world did not fall in.  He was not even taken to church courts.  The present bishop, at that time archdeacon,  believed it was right in principle but also believed it should not go ahead until the Province allowed it.  That is still his view today.  He continues to license Juan, and others in similar circumstances but no names no pack drill, but will not ordain such a person.

He says he shed tears of joy at the bill passed by the General Synod of Aotearoa/New Zealand this week, I do not know why.  Any tears I had were of frustration.

The discussion of the Me Whea report was put down for Monday.  It was extended to Tuesday and then a small (9, 3 from each house) committee was chosen to fine tune the bill to which all agreed on Wednesday.  The discussions were all in private but I had some hope that there might be something worthwhile, better than Option J which is what I expected all along.

I was mistaken. They have apologised for the past but changed nothing. They might as well have said: "Sorry you have had to sit down the back of the bus in the past but just stay there 2 or 4 or more years and we might possibly find a seat a bit nearer the front".

A committee will be formed to develop a liturgy for blessing of same-sex partnerships which will be discussed in 2016 and sent to diocesan synods to come back in 2018 and then something MIGHT be achieved.

I do not expect marriages to be performed. I do not actually believe churches should be in the marriage business. As in France, marriages should be done by the state then those who wish can have a church blessing. I think the last wedding I attended was in the late 1970’s. I have never really appreciated flaunting of heterosexuality.

We all know some churches, not in Dunedin to my knowledge, have carried out same-sex blessings. There is already a liturgy, of course not official.

This bill says same sex marriages cannot be blessed but can be acknowledged if the local vicar wants as long as it is authorised by the bishop and the vestry.

I like what Bro David wrote in a comment on Liturgy.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today among the announcements to recognize that so-and-so and this other so-and-so were united in state sanctioned civil matrimony the other day in the presence of family, friends and just about everyone here, at the local rental hall around the corner and down the street. A good time was had by all!”

We have to find some humour in the whole tragic situation.

As I expected, and despite the measly concessions, the main comments have come from the conservatives, those Apostles of Hate.  They will never be happy unless the State reimposes jail sentences, perhaps even a flogging or 2.  I know from experience they preferred I went somewhere else or, even if I stayed, removed me from the reader list.

Rev Zane Elliott commented on Bishop Kelvin’s blog.  He has long been a major apostle of Hate.  He astounded many in the diocese with his vitriol a year or so ago,  At the time he was an assistant priest at St Matthew’s Dunedin. I have discovered he is now an army chaplain in the Diocese of Christchurch. Poor army. I wonder how he lives with the fact that the NZ Army has topped a new global index ranking armed forces for inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender soldiers.
That vile creature probably wants to change this.

By chance I saw the vicar of St Matthews, Archdeacon Stu Crosson, in the same coffee shop as me on Thursday. I felt like pouring my cappuchino over him but that would have been a waste of good coffee.

I knew about St Matthews  before I moved here, they staged a protest at the ordination of Juan Kinnear.  I have since learnt about St Mark’s Balclutha and St Luke’s Mosgiel.  I have heard them called the unholy trinity.

Unlike in Sydney where I had to travel 80 km to find a welcoming Anglican church, the good people of St Matthews can go an extra km or so. Our parish register lists 9 families from Mosgiel although it is 16 km away. I use to wonder why.  Even the poor people of Balclutha can go 25 km to Milton.

Bishop Kelvin let slip "our church was headed for a split, no question about it. I am told that some in our province have already been eyeing up new real estate."

I would be pretty sure it would be one or more of the unholy trinity. At least they do not want to take the silver like those in the USA.
Of course his view has to be different to mine which is “Go and Good riddance”.
The Episcopal Church seems to have weathered the storm and now attracts many from Roman Catholic and other illiberal churches.

In reply to my comment Kelvin wrote:

You are a child of God with an absolutely equal right to your place in the church. If that place involves marriage or ordination, sadly, it will be some time before we can shift the church to where we believe the Holy Spirit will eventually move it. Yes, that time may be too late for you. It will be probably too late for me, also, but it is coming, and it is coming as fast as we can possibly make it.

After much struggle, I came to the belief in the early 80’s that God loved me as he created me.  I do not even need to go to church to know that.  For some unexplainable reasoning I feel the need for regular attendance at communion so will not follow my gut feeling to steer clear of church altogether. My concern is for unchurched LGBT people today. I would never encourage a young person to go to church today. If they are gay that way lies misery.  I do not support church evangelisation but do support social welfare.

I find much more support amongst the other social groups with whom I mix.  They are straight, mostly over 60, but completely accepting.  Of course, most of them never go near church so are not tainted.

I am going to leave my local parish but attend Eucharist at another church which is far more open in acceptance of LGBT people. It is 3 km further but that is hardly here nor there.

I am also looking forward to worshipping in the USA over the next 2 months.  I will have Sundays in Denver, Salt Lake City, Washington (the National Cathedral). On the other 3 Sundays I will be in national parks or travelling.

I wish we had a gutsy Episcopal church in New Zealand.

Comments (something happened and the post was deleted)
Leonardo Ricardo commented
"After much struggle, I came to the belief in the early 80’s that God loved me as he created me. I do not even need to go to church to know that. For some unexplainable reasoning I feel the need for regular attendance at communion so will not follow my gut feeling to steer clear of church altogether. My concern is for unchurched LGBT people today. I would never encourage a young person to go to church today. If they are gay that way lies misery. I do not support church evangelisation but do support social welfare." = Noble Wolf
Powerful, yes, it's true. Imagine ANYONE deciding anything about OUR morals (after all we have been through to sort our character and conduct out over the years and SURVIVE). The haters have just begun the path that leads to soul-self-searching then forgiveness (themselves and from others)...at 70 years old I no longer have patience for the yammerings and the silly press interviews of Justin Welby, ABC, or the cowardly posturing of the ARchbishop of York...both are caught in the confusion/time-warp of the continued exclusion of LGBTI at Church (no matter how rescrambled to look *welcoming* to ¨Gays¨). Tiresome lot...where have they been for lifetimes? (and what is with +Victoria Matthews?) 

Anonymous commented
I read your comments about St, Matthew's, St Mark's and St. Lukes with some interest, being that I'm a member of St. Mark's. If you really want to find out what we think, come down and meet us. It's really easy to demonise those who don't agree with you when you base your view on assumptions formed from a distance. The ball's in your court.

Cheers - Chris

My reply
I am hardly likely to drive an hour to Balclutha to worship. Friends who know more about the diocese have given me an idea of waht it is like. I moved 3000 km from Sydney to escape evangelical Anglicans. All Saints will suit me much better thank you.

Homophobia

I watched this video several months ago and was impressed.  Kelvin Holdsworth has just posted it on his blog for the International Day Against Homophobia.  I did not even know it was that day.
It is so true that we are all a little bit homophobic because of the way we are brought up. Yet, when I called another commenter on Anglicandownunder a homophobe, Rev Peter Carrell criticised me. I have not commented there since and only occasionally visit.  As a high school teacher for over 40 years I know what it is like to hide one's sexuality.  I was not very successful.  Recently, in a conversation over coffee with a lady I had only just met, I said I was gay and her reply was "that's obvious dear." Sadly I tried to analyse why.  To my shame I have always felt a little uncomfortable with drag queens. I should admire them for their courage.
Recently I was chatting with a gay man who is in his early 30's.  I said "I do not go into a room and announce I am gay".   His reply "I do".  Sadly, despite my best efforts, I am still the product of  70 years of homophobia.
Anyway try to find 10 minutes to watch the video.

General Synod & Ma Whea Report

The Bi-annual General Synod of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa/New Zealand is commencing this weekend. Although I know 2 people in attendance my local Bishop and my local Vicar (as Vicar-general of the diocese), I will probably learn less than I could about the synods every 6 months in England.
Kelvin Wright is blogging but his blogs are more about his feelings than any specific details. My own Vicar has cut down on use of the internet so not much will be revealed there.
I can learn more from Liturgy although Rev Bosco Peters is not attending.

The Ma Whea report disappointed me as it just gave 10 options for synod to choose without any recommendations.
The options are:
Option A: Affirming Traditional Understanding
Option B: Preserving Present Circumstances
Option C: Bishops to Determine What Equals Right Relationships
Option D: Delegate to Diocesan Synods/Te Runanganui Power to Determine Right Relationships
Option E: Adopt a New Understanding
Option F: The Anglican Church Having Two Views
Option G: Dual Episcopacy
Option H: Planned Dismembering
Option I: Anglican Church to Add a New Rite of Blessing by Priests of Those in a Same Sex Relationship.
Option J: Adopt a Two Year Period of Focussed Discussion within Church Communities with a View to Making a Decision in (say) 2016

 If I was a betting man (which I am not) I would place bets on Option J. As some have said the matter has been discussed for nearly 60 years. No wonder that the main response I hear in my church is laughter. These are people who are not directly affected. I however have reached the end of my tether.

I moved from homophobic Sydney to a diocese where an openly gay partnered man had been ordained.  He is Priest-in-charge of one of our small parishes. he was ordained by the previous bishop but the present bishop would not agree, not for personal beliefs,  but because a moratorium has been declared within the province.  However I have met personally with another partnered LGBT priest and hear of yet a third. I cannot give details but their relationship is known to the bishop and they continue to be licensed.

The wink-wink, nudge-nudge situation is intolerable. I have openly stated that the only official area where I face discrimination in New Zealand is in my church.
I am suppose to be a full member yet if I was to be married it would not be recognised and if I was to ask for ordination it would not be possible (openly).
I am unlikely to want either but I would not recommend any young LGBT person become a member of the church today.
If Option J ( or A or B) is the winner, I plan to withdraw my membership of the church. I believe in the Grace bestowed in the Eucharist so will continue to attend in various churches but I do not want to be officially linked with an officially homophobic institution whatever might be occurring unofficially in  Don't Ask Don't Tell.
I have signed the petition at
http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/members-of-general-synod-te-hinota-whanui-2014-become-a-church-that-welcomes-all-in-christ?recruiter=9397499&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petitionhttp://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/members-of-general-synod-te-hinota-whanui-2014-become-a-church-that-welcomes-all-in-christ?recruiter=9397499&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

There are many moving comments on the petition but one I want to post by Warwick

I was Christened at All Saints Ponsonby and Confirmed at St Lukes Mt Albert.
After 39 years of marriage, the inner struggle was tearing me apart: with a devoted wife, 3 adult children, 9 grandchildren, how could I break out of the societal expectations and test my innermost feelings?
Antidepressants for 20 years went someway to calming me and yet I knew there was a conflict I could no longer deny.
I am now in a same sex relationship of 5 years; we have shown our commitment to each other and our family by Civil Union, but we are denyed open acceptance by our Church governing body.
Surely, God knows who we are, how we feel, accepts us for our difference from a societal dictated majority norm.
We are best friends to each other, we share emotions, family, love of each other and of others.
We plead with the Anglican Church to fight the good fight for multicultural and sexual differences to be recognised as part of God's plan.
Recently I asked the hard question of a clergy in my local area, what should or could be my home church:
"are you an accepting church?"
Response: If you mean accepting of the word of God, then we follow the word of God absolutely: if you mean are we accepting of homosexuals, then again, we follow the word of God."
The result is that my partner and I will not return to St Stephens at Whangaparaoa!
This type of openly practiced judgement and discrimination is out of step with the knowing world; it is a continuation of the old testament dark age fable thinking.
Please Anglican Synod open your eyes, your eras and your hearts and spread the word of a modern loving and forgiving God whom we all want to believ in.
I am sorry that I do no know how to sign this below not being one who has that degree of computer literacy. This is a genuine and sincere, heartfelt response which I would still want to stand up and have recorded.

I have looked up  St Stephen's at Whangaparaoa on the web and there is plenty of evidence that it is an Evangelical church of the Sydney type although in the much more inclusive diocese of Auckland.
 The assistant bishop of Auckland, Jim White is particularly open (for a bishop) on his blog.

I can live with the existence of these type of parishes such as St Matthew's here in Dunedin as long as I never go into them but  I can no longer live with them imposing their narrow hateful beliefs on the rest of the Anglican church.  The attempts of many to accommodate them means LGBT people have no place in the church as it exists.
Added
My comment on the petition
I am sad that the only official area in Aotearoa/New Zeland today where I face discrimination is in the church. In my youth, friends committed suicide as the church taught them they were sinful for what they could not control. Today young people just leave the church. I want to see the church openly welcoming LGBT people both into ministry and blessing their relationships

The comments are well worth reading, some are sad. At last view there were 713 signatures and (from reading the comments) most are in New Zealand.