|
BLOODY KNUCKELS PETITION:
During the recent United Methodist clergywomen gathering held in Chicago to celebrate 50 years of full clergy rights for women at the 2006 International United Methodist Clergywomen's Consultation, retired Bishop Judith Craig preached to those gathered about Luke 18:1-8, a story about a widow who kept knocking on a judge's door until justice was given her. Bishop Craig likened the early pioneers in the women's ordination movement to the widow, as they kept knocking on the doors of the church until women were given full ordination rights in 1956. She noted that persons sometimes knock until their knuckles are bloody to finally bring about change.
One cannot hear this sermon and fail to make the comparison with those who are still knocking at the doors, specifically Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender persons of the United Methodist Church and the greater society.
As consultation participants gathered for this morning's session, clergywomen entered the session walking past doors, knocking on them symbolically. Several hundred clergywomen also signed the "Bloody Knuckle Petition" which asked signers to covenant to take the following actions and knock open the doors for: FULL membership, marriage equality, ordination and funding rights for LGBT PERSONS.
Actions Included:
- Educate ourselves and our congregations about the issues affecting LGBT persons.
- Pray communally and privately for LGBT people who are wounded and excluded by the church’s sin of homophobia.
- Offer tangible and vocal support (like cookies and Kleenex) to your LGBT friends and family.
- Help to elect General Conference delegates who will do all in their power to ensure the full inclusion of LGBT persons in church and society.
- Communicate with General Conference delegates about the critical importance of electing fair-minded, faithful Judicial Council members.
- Become familiar with and involved in justice ministries that are working for the full inclusion of LGBT persons (e.g. Reconciling Ministries Network www.rmnetwork.org and Methodist Federation for Social Action www.mfsaweb.org)
|