Here's a thing that will be strange to some of my RevGal friends: I have never had a female priest as "my" priest. At my church, I mean. I've been a member of churches that HAVE had them, but not while I was there. Many other denominations have been ordaining women for much longer than the Episcopal Church has.
I remember reading with delight Reverend Mommy's story (from back in January) about a service at her church where ALL of the major participants were women. The celebrant/preacher (RM), the assisting clergy, acolytes, and musicians. It blew me away! That was like a peek at a whole different world...what it COULD and CAN and WILL be like in TEC someday. (Someday soon! Most of our seminarians are women now.)
Well, today our preacher was Amy H., one of our seminarians-in-residence, a female one. I said, "All RIGHT!" when I saw that she was preaching. I seem to have only heard her preach one other time, and I LOVE it.
It's as if she speaks directly to me. I don't know how else to say it. I sit way up and back in the choir loft, and I find it can be quite difficult to understand and follow the preacher from up there. Not her, though! She has a fresh message, she speaks clearly, I GET her.
There have been some recent improvements to the PA system (to the eternal gratitude of us poor choristers), and I wear my glasses so I can watch lips. But even so, it's sometimes as if the regular (male) preachers are going "blahblahblahblah...." * Please, please don't tell them I said so! I'm sure it's actually a failure of mine, not theirs...I need to listen better, or something.
OR. Maybe I can hear her better because she is a woman, as am I? Or perhaps because she is a younger person (I'm guessing she is in her mid to late 30's, a bit younger than me?). That's blasphemy, right, I know it. It's not supposed to make a difference!
But I just wonder if there is some way in which I am better able to hear the Word from her (or listen better) because SHE IS LIKE ME. She's an RN who's following her next call in life in attending seminary and pursuing ordination. She has a family at home and the same sorts of daily concerns and issues I do.
Here's the point. I never realized before today how much of a difference this might make for me. And what if I were lesbian or gay? If I were that much different AGAIN from the preacher? Who might actually be hostile to me? Would I be able to relate to the preacher and his or her message if there were no people who spoke from MY vantage point in the pulpit? If there were no GLBT bishops in my church because it wasn't allowed? It's not that the message might be so different, but how well can we see ourselves as part of Christ's body, if those who serve as bishops, priests, deacons, etc. are determinedly OTHER?
I know that not everyone agrees about these issues. (In fact, that's the understatement of the year!!!) But I feel somehow that my mind has been liberated. And I can't wait for Amy to be ordained, so that I can see her celebrate Eucharist, and receive Christ's body and blood from her hands.
________________________
* One time our priest told us (I think it was in an Alpha talk) that the items in the Hymnal 1982 are there because they are good music (that's an opinion thing, depending upon the piece!) and also are theologically sound, and he said if he ever preached a boring sermon, we should grab our Hymnals and do some reading. I read the Hymnal about once a month... :)
Recent Comments