26 March 2009

Wasn't it Joseph who interpreted dreams...?

Rev. Chris Shelton
Presbyterian Welcome Board President

A warning, gentle reader, the following blog post was written at 3:29am. It was written upon waking from a dream in which the writer, gentle reader, was literally flying back and forth between rooms of a waterfront party facility of some sort – his Texan family enjoying barbecue in one room, while protesters for marriage equality staged a fundraiser-slash-dance party-slash-dog show in the other. (My money was on the Welsh Corgi.) Nathan Lane was in the next room, waiting for a crowd to gather for a stand-up comedy routine, waiting. Ah. (Admonitio est nisus. Lego in pace. – The warning has ended, you may read on in peace.)



Across the hall from my office is a conference room. It has a TV in it. I had never known that the TV actually worked until today. Someone from the church was working down the hall, and their child went into the conference room. All of the sudden I hear a theme song blasting its way across the hall. “Da da da dee dee, dee dee, dee dee, dee doo, da da da dee dee, dee dee dee doo…”



The mother went in to quiet the noise, scolding the child gently as the volume went down. She poked her head in my office afterward, to apologize.



“All’s well,” I responded. “But tell me, what was that theme song – I haven’t heard it in a while.”



“Oh,” she laughed, “Quantum Leap. Quantum Leap is just getting started.”



Indeed. Complete with a catchy theme song that could be our own.



There is a quantum leap underway in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and this is not the time to turn the volume down, no matter what some may say.



As of this writing, 23 presbyteries have “flipped” their votes in favor of ordaining the full spectrum of persons who are called by God into service as Deacons, Elders, or Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. This is good news. Using the language of the newly proposed Ammendment B, these votes join 33 other repeat-defenders in affirming Jesus Christ as “the Head of the Church.” Sadly, 81 presbyteries have failed to join in this affirmation.



The New-B may fall short of the 87 votes it needs this year. But don’t let that lead you to think its time to turn the volume down…there’s a new theme that’s playing loud and clear. There are those who haven’t heard the song yet…and well, they’ll be tapping their toes here someday.



In Presbyterian Welcome, we’re cranking up the volume and learning how to leap again.



The Board recently spent time in retreat together – listening as God calls us to keep on educating, to keep on worshipping, to keep on sharing our stories of struggle and our stories of new life in Christ. With so many vote flips, with such a positive shift in per-person voting as well… with the old Authoritative Interpretations finally set aside, and a new one in place that cracks open the door… with a fresh hope stirring in our hearts even though the road ahead is still a long one… and with an urgency born of this hope, we are simply not going to listen we they tell us to turn down the volume.



“Da da da dee dee, dee dee, dee dee, dee doo, da da da dee dee, dee dee dee doo…”



I’d almost forgotten that song.



Care to dance?



(Or have some barbecue? Or pet the Welsh Corgi? Either way, it’s a dream and a party. Yes, gentle reader, there’s still some waiting to do. But waiting is easier with a good song to sing.)



God loves a good quantum leap now and again.

(Blogito est nisus. Tripudio en pace. The blog entry has ended. Dance in peace.)

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