Last night we went to a concert by the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus. The program was called One In Spirit and it featured music from many traditions and was spiritual, inspirational as well as beautiful and moving. And the performance by the Chorus was magnificent.
The theme behind the program was to celebrate the many faith-based communities around the Twin Cities that have gone out of their way to be inclusive of gay people in their congregations, often in opposition to their national governing bodies. It was so encouraging to see such a loving, all-encompassing congregation, both on stage and in the audience.
As part of the program there was a display of the Shower of Stoles Project, an exhibition of liturgical stoles of GLBT people who have been excluded from service because of their orientation or gender identity. Many of the Chorus members wore a selection of these stoles.
Our friend Tim Hodapp, who is a member of the Chorus (he has a lovely tenor voice) did a reading from 1 Corninthians as part of the program; Tim served for years as a Catholic priest, and in fact celebrated his last mass ten years ago last night. Tim wore a beautiful stole that he used in his priesthood. Other clergy from churches in the Twin Cities spoke, all affirming, welcoming messages. One of the best things I heard said last night was from one of these clergy: "We take the Bible seriously... not literally."
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