Welcome to Our Kampmeeting Edition page 3 California Passes
Transcripción
Welcome to Our Kampmeeting Edition page 3 California Passes
Welcome to Our Kampmeeting Edition page 3 Some Civil Thoughts About Marriage page 6 California Passes Transgender Non-discrimination Bill page 5 Episcopalians OK First Openly Gay Bishop page 10 Witness Our Welcome page 12 Andrea Talks About HAD’s Beginning page 14 KINSHIP BOARD President: Bob Bouchard Vice President: Taylor Ruhl Secretary: Bruce Harlow Treasurer: Karen Lee Connection Editor: Catherine Taylor Marketing & PR/Webmaster: Robb Crouch/Dave Gilsdorf Church Liaison: Leif Lind Womyn’s Coordinator: Yolanda Elliott Kampmeeting 2004 Coordinator: Fred Casey BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE IMRU: Eric Gilleo KinNet Coordinator: Floyd Poenitz Office Manager/Member Services: Fred Casey Michelle Cornwell Fund-raising: Mark Driskill Finance: Karen Wetherell International Coordinator: Obed Vazquez EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Bob Bouchard, Samuel Pang, Sherri Babcock CONNECTION STAFF Circulation: Fred Casey European editor: Ruud Kieboom Photography: Bruce Harlow, Wendy Rickwalt, Denise Proulz REGIONAL COORDINATORS - USA Region 1 (PA, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME) Eric Gilleo 617-524-8210 [email protected] Region 2 (WV, VA, NC, DE, MD, DC) Yolanda Elliot 410-531-5382 [email protected] Region 3 (TN, AL, MS, GA, SC, FL) Rick Shadix 770-489-4184 [email protected] Region 4 (MN, IA, MO, IL, MI, IN, KY,OH) Fred Casey 866-732-5677 [email protected] Region 5 (TX, OK, AR, LA) Floyd Poenitz 972-416-1358 fl [email protected] Region 6 (ND, SD, KS, CO, NE, WY, UT, NM) Robb Crouch 402-466-9476 [email protected] Region 7 (AK, WA, OR ID, MT) Dennis Grau 253-503-8363 [email protected] Region 8 (No. CA, NV HI) Harry Wilmoth 510-523-3461 [email protected] Region 9 (So. CA, AZ) Jason Edwards 562-983-5662 [email protected] AFFILIATED INTERNATIONAL REGION CONTACTS Australia Noel Thorpe [email protected] Brazil Itamar Matos de Souza [email protected] Canada Brent Lehmann [email protected] Europe Ruud Kieboom [email protected] Germany Roy Ratzer [email protected] Mexico & Spanish speaking Alexander Gomez Pasco [email protected] Philippines Jonathan Coo [email protected] 2 Who we are... Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International, Inc. (Kinship) is a nonprofit support organization which ministers to the spiritual, emotional, social, intersex and physical well-being of Seventh-day Adventist lesbian, gay men, bisexual, and transgendered individuals and their families and friends. Kinship facilitates and promotes the understanding and affirmation of LGBT Adventists among themselves and within the Seventh-day Adventist community through education, advocacy, and reconciliation. Kinship is an organization which supports the advance of human rights for all people. Founded in 1976, the organization was incorporated in 1981 and is recognized as a 501a(3) non-profi t organization in the US. Kinship has a board of up to 15 offi cers and 13 regional coordinators. The current list of members and friends includes several thousand people in 20 countries. SDA Kinship believes the Bible does not condemn, or even mention, homosexuality as a sexual orientation. Ellen G. White does not parallel any of the Bible texts, which are often used to condemn homosexuals. Most of the anguish imposed upon God’s children who grow up as LGBT has its roots in a misunderstanding of what the Bible says. Support Kinship Kinship operates solely on contributions from its members and friends. Help us reach out to more LGBT Adventists by making a tax-deductible donation to SDA Kinship International. Please send your check or money order to the address below. SDA Kinship, P.O. Box 49357, Sarasota, FL 34230-6375 — 866-732-5677 Visit SDA Kinship’s Web Site at: www.sdakinship.org Production: Gerry Fox INFORMATION The Connection is published by Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International, Inc. Principal office: P.O. Box 49357, Sarasota, FL 34230-6375; 866-732-5677. Submissions of letters, articles, pictures, art work, and graphics are welcome. Include your name as you want it published, address and telephone number. If an item is to be acknowledged or returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Some connection contributors have chosen to remain anonymous. Pseudonyms, if used, appear at the bottom of this page. The connection reserves the right to edit manuscripts for length, syntax, grammar, and clarity. Address all submissions to the Connection, P.O. Box 49357, Sarasota, FL 34230-6375. Inquiries and article submissions may also be e-mailed to [email protected]. The mention or appearance of any names, organizations or photographs in this publication is not meant to imply a fact or statement about their sexual orientation or activity. Subscription requests or address changes may be sent to: Subscriptions, P.O. Box 49357, Sarasota, FL 34230- 6375, or call 866-732-5677. The Kinship mailing list is confi dential and used only by Kinship offi cers. The mailing list is not sold, rented, or exchanged for any purpose. © 2003 Connection. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF SDA KINSHIP. Member of the Gay and Lesbian Press Association. Printed in the U.S. using 100% recyclable paper. September 2003 Vermont Hosts Kampmeeting 2003 Welcome to Our Kampmeeting Edition Breaking the first rule of speaking and writing, we begin by apologizing for the fact that we cannot bring you the true flavor, all the tales, or the absolute ambiance of the week of adventures we call Kampmeeting. Due to confidentiality we can't share every story. For lack of space we cannot describe adequately the comfort of the dorm or the delicate flavors of the cuisine we consumed. But we will attempt to give you a quick overview, as well as some pictures and reactions of the participants who arrived by plane, car, train, and.... Well, it was Vermont; who knows what conveyance was utilized. For 23 women the retreat began at Lake George on Friday evening. Yolanda coordinated a lodge, a tour of the lake and 48 hours of relaxation. Thanks to Sheri, who researched some of the local color. We wanted to eat dinner where people registering could find us so decided to dine at the lodge commissary. Our order was taken one hour and forty minutes after we sat down. The salad arrived twenty minutes after that. We began to get the giggles and realized we had been unwittingly snagged into a scenario that even the Funt family could not have envisioned. The dining may not have been fabulous but the humor was memorable. We call it "The Evening at the Bates Restaurant". Sabbath morning the tour of Lake George was much less eventful and much more relaxing. We had time to recover from dinner the night before, connect with friends we hadn't seen for a while or hadn't met yet. We found some ultra-violet rays that had been missing. Several restaurants, one miracle (ask Sheri), some swimming and ping pong later we packed up and headed for Poultney and Green Mountain College. SDA Kinship Connection Fred met us on the front lawn. He had already organized the keys (which he never dropped the entire rest of the week..but you'll have to ask him about that). Dinner was great and opened the door to the plenary meeting where John Edwards introduced us to the ins and outs of the week's activities. One of our clergy shared visions and Heidi broke the ice by figuring out 100 ways for us to introduce ourselves. Then participants ambled off to their sumptuous quarters. Monday was packed with a workshop on forgiveness, our own stories and the clergy presentation on acceptance. Bob ran business meetings. Tuesday we got a lot of forgiveness, more business, a vision of Spectrum and then Kinship took over a local bowling alley. You really had to be there to appreciate Grace, gutter balls and a variety of styles under the strobe lights. Wednesday we wandered off on adventures that can only be told in person. Your new editor spent the entire scintillating afternoon in Home Depot getting fixtures for a new house. Others toured shops in Burlington, visited the William Miller Estate, tried to go the horse races, and toured what West Coast folk call the tiny state of Vermont. John Edwards, along with spending countless hours trying to make this week as illuminating and pleasant as possible had made a list of local options. Joyce continued to spend much of the entire week organizing the shuttle service that got us from airport to Kamp. Thursday we learned about affirmations and the Golden Rule, heard more about the story of Adventism…and indulged in games, videos and Ellen Degeneres. Continued on Page 4 3 Continured from page 3 Kampmeeting One of the unscheduled surprises of the week was that two of our members decided to have a wedding. We ordered hors d' oeuvres, a Ben and Jerry's Wedding Cake and flowers. Leif was kind enough to officiate. Music appeared and dancing even occurred. It was a wonderful lead into our communion service. Both reminded us of the ways community touches our lives. Elections brought back some hardworking people who have served us before. Bob Bouchard will continue as President. Taylor Rhul will creatively fulfill a variety of functions as Vice President. Robb Crouch was willing to build more Public Relations advertisements and designs. Leif Lind, as church liaison 4 will organize speakers and mediate our relationship with the church administration. Karen Lee was re-elected as our treasurer. Yolanda Elliot will continue to do a great job at providing events, newsletters and a website for women. Though it's not an elected position Fred will continue to manage the office and truly organize us all. Floyd Pöenitz is willing to do more yeoman's work as Kinnet Coordinator. Eric Gilleo will drop down to one paid job so he can do more unpaid work as our IMRU coordinator for younger Kinship members. Karen Wetherell will be Chair of our Finance Committee. Obed will be working on our muli-language memberships. Steve Pline is taking a Sabbatical from his amazing work as Connection Editor and Catherine Taylor was elected to attempt to fill his shoes this year. Bruce Harlow only way you can truly experience all the wonders we've tried to describe is to beginning planning now for Kampmeeting in Mecucha, August 16, 2004. News Roundup Fred in the Kinship office got an email note from Bonnie Dwyer, editor of Spectrum Magazine. She spent several days during Kampmeeting with us and was a delight to get to know. Please check out the link below to read the story she posted on the online version of Spectrum. My hat goes off to her and her support. (Floyd's ad plug: if you aren't already subscribed to Spectrum, I'd like to invite you to consider doing so. It is a great and supportive magazine for the more progressive SDA!) http://www.spectrummagazine.org Larry Hallock writes “You may recall 5 years ago I hit up my friends and family for $5 donations (a couple of you gave as much as $150) to help repair the birth defects of two Ethiopian children, including Abdou, who had a cleft palate. This is a Thank-you. Details are at http://www.turtletours.com/twill.htm will be our Secretary. Fred and Nelio will coordinate our 25th Anniversary Kampmeeting. Sabbath…ah, the music. We have reports that even watching the signer do her job was an amazing blessing. We had a great sermon, the annual group photo op, more field trips to the William Miller Estate, good-bys...and then Saturday night was the inimical talent show...and there really is no way we can describe that. But we've left out the amazing way people took turns to make sure there were translators and typists for hearing impaired participants, the camaraderie in any given moment, the laugher, the romance, ...the “Mr. Russelldevotes an enormous amount of his retirement time, and lots of money, to carrying on projects like this in Ethiopia, through his foundation, ‘Int'l Children's Outreach Network (ICON).’” September 2003 Next Edition: I want to focus on Marriage, Civil Unions, and Other Commitments. I would love to hear your stories and ideas. Some of you I know already and will call, write and generally harass to get copy. Some of you I haven't met or don't know that you want to write. I've already got some scholarly ideas so will include them, but it's our stories and our ideas that make this place in writing our home. Please feel free to ship your thoughts on this topic, or any other, over to me. I'm also looking for devotionals, news items, recipes, regional reports, local activities or any other news that you would like to see in our Connection. Thanks for making us a conversation in writing. Catherine Stanley writes: “Below are URLs for a brand new book by the Vice Provost of NYU, Linda Mills; re-examining policies on domestic violence http://www.batteredmen.com/insulti nj.htm http://pup.princeton.edu/titles/7574. html Nation's Largest State Passes Transgender Non-discrimination Bill California Becomes Fourth State to Outlaw Discrimination Against Transgender Individuals Kudos to Equality California for its Extraordinary Work On Saturday August 2, California Governor Gray Davis signed Assembly Bill 196, making it illegal in California to discriminate against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in housing and employment practices. California now becomes the fourth state to offer such protections with explicit wording in its law, joining New Mexico, Rhode Island and Minnesota. “That a second state this year has enacted this type of law is more evidence that enacting non-discrimination protections for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals is supported by our public officials,” said Matt Foreman, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) Executive Director. “Congratulations to our friends at Equality California for their hard work in getting this bill passed — this is a fantastic win for the entire gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.” The law, which will take effect on January 1, 2004, was introduced by Assembly Member Mark Leno. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 23-11 on July 24 and passed the Assembly with a vote of 42-34 on April 21. “By enacting this law, California builds on the national trend to ensure fairness for transgender and gender non-conforming people in the workplace,” said Lisa Mottet legislative lawyer for the Task Force Transgender Civil Rights Project. “State-level non-discrimination laws are important because transgender individuals often face fierce discrimination; yet, unfortunately, there is no explicit federal law offering protection when people are discriminated against.” When the California law goes into effect, a total of 68 million Americans (24% of the U.S. population) will live in a jurisdiction with explicit language prohibiting anti-transgender discrimination. Many other jurisdictions have non-explicit coverage, either through court interpretations or administrative agency determinations of existing anti-discrimination provisions, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. So far in 2003, one other state (New Mexico) and eight local jurisdictions have also passed explicit laws prohibiting anti-transgender discrimination: Covington, KY; El Paso, TX; Ithaca, NY; Key West. FL; Monroe County, FL; Peoria, IL; San Diego, CA; Springfield, IL. In 2002, protections doubled from 18 million to 36 million people living in a U.S. jurisdiction with an explicitly transgender-inclusive non-discrimination law. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Transgender Civil Rights Project provides legislative and strategy assistance, including evaluation of legislative language, to activists and organizations working to pass trans-inclusive anti-discrimination bills or to add transgender protections to existing laws. “While the intro in the publisher's website focuses on men as abusers, the content of the book focuses on mainstream domestic violence programs and the judicial system as abusers and proposes solutions which examine the total dynamics of violent relationships. “Dr. Mills has done groundbreaking work in challenging mainstream policies on domestic violence, which she characterizes as coming from the perspective of privileged, white, heterosexual women. “At the upcoming 8th International Conference on Family Violence, next month in San Diego, Dr. Mills plans to use her scheduled appearance at a plenary session to challenge the battered women's movement's refusal to examine female aggression.” Thanks for Floyd for this one: “A local Kinship member sent me this link. It is for the CNN poll on gay marriage. His pastor sent it out to the members to cast their vote FOR Bush and AGAINST gay marriages. http://www.fvsai.org/FVSAI_confere nce.htm http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/30/bush.gay.marriage/ index.html SDA Kinship Connection 5 Some Civil Thoughts about Marriage In the midst of all the furor about and gay and lesbian rights we've been collecting articles from here and there that speak to the issue. Following are some excerpts we thought you might enjoy. Many thanks for Andrew D., Ren, Michelle, Will and others who have shipped them over to me. For lack of space I cannot reprint entire articles but these were grand and you might want to look them up in their entirety. From the Toronto Star: July 22, 2003 From the Canadian Globe Mail: August 2, 2003 OTTAWA—Gays and lesbians who fought and won the right to say, “I do” in Ontario and B.C. are among those already lining up to make their pitch on same-sex marriage to Canada's top court. “What is in their hearts is now that they've worked so hard to achieve their marriages and have experienced the joy of marriage, they want to make sure that access to marriage is available to all gays and lesbians,” said lawyer Joanna Radbord, who represented seven same-sex couples in Ontario. “That means being able to participate at the Supreme Court of Canada along with the government in advancing gay and lesbian equality rights.” Last week, the federal government unveiled a draft bill to rewrite the traditional definition of marriage and allow gays and lesbians to tie the knot. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon is referring the bill to the Supreme Court for an opinion on whether the proposed legislation is constitutional. It is also asking the court whether Ottawa has exclusive jurisdiction over defining marriage and for confirmation that religious freedom rights offer religious groups the right to refuse to marry couples of the same sex. Appeal courts in Ontario and B.C. have already ruled in favour of same-sex marriage. Radbord said the couples she represents, who live in Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor. Forget the preaching, gay marriage is a done deal Catholic bishops and other religious leaders can spit hellfire and brimstone against same-sex marriages. Liberal MPs, reflecting their own views or those of their constituents, can moan and threaten to vote against any bill authorizing it. Citizens can fire off all the letters and e-mails they like. They will lose the debate, because there is no debate. There is no debate in law, as opposed to politics, because the courts have spoken. And when courts speak, the debate is over. Valerie Lawton, Ottawa Bureau Hope is like a road in the country; there wasn’t ever a road but when many people walk on it, it comes into existence. –Lin Yutang 6 By Jeffrey Simpson Miami Herald: Aug. 04, 2003 By Leonard Pitts, Jr. Gays may be hope for marriage So what is it you have against gay marriage? I'm not talking to the guy next to you. He doesn't have a problem with it. No, I'm talking to you, who is fervently opposed. The number of folks who agree with you is up sharply since June, when the US Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws in Texas. As recently as May, 49 percent of us supported some form of gay marriage, according to The Gallup Organization.The figure has since dropped to just 40 percent. That's a precipitous decline. So what's the problem? What is it that bothers you about gay people getting married? Don't read me that part in Leviticus where homosexuality is condemned. I mean, that same book of the Gospel mandates the death penalty for sassy kids and fortune tellers, by which standard the Osbourne children and Miss Cleo should have been iced a long time ago. I read The Book. I believe The Book. But I also know that it's impossible to take literally every passage in The Book, unless you want to wind up in prison or a mental ward. So don't hide behind the Bible.... I will, though, point out that once upon a time, the same gut-level sense of wrong -- and for that matter, the same Bible -- was used to keep Jews from swimming in the community pool, women from voting and black people from riding at the front of the bus. All those things once felt as profoundly offensive to some people as gay marriage does to you right now.... Anyway, the reasoning seems to be that gay people will damage or cheapen the sanctity of marriage and that this can't be allowed because marriage is the foundation of our society.I agree that marriage — and I mean legal, not common law — is an institution of vital importance. It stabilizes communities, socializes children, helps create wealth. It is, indeed, our civilization's bedrock. But you know something? That bedrock has been crumbling for years, without homosexual help. We don't attach so much importance to marriage anymore, do we? These days, we marry less, we marry later, we divorce more. And cohabitation, whether as a prelude to, or a substitute for, marriage, has gone from novelty to norm. I'm not trying to beat up cohabiters. A long time ago, I was September 2003 one. But it strikes me as intriguing, instructive and poignant that gay couples so determinedly seek what so many of us scorn, are so ready to take the risk many of us refuse, find such value in an institution we have essentially declared valueless. There's something oddly inspiring in their struggle to achieve the social sanction whose importance many of us long ago dismissed. So tell me again why it is you don't want them to have that. I mean, yeah, some people say they are a threat to the sanctity of marriage. But I'm thinking they might just be its salvation From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: August 13, 2003 By Samantha Bennett You live next door to a clean-cut, quiet guy. He never plays loud music or throws raucous parties. He doesn't gossip over the fence, just smiles politely and offers you some tomatoes. His lawn is cared-for, his house is neat as a pin and you get the feeling he doesn't always lock his front door. He wears Dockers. You hardly know he's there. And then one day you discover that he has pot in his basement, spends his weekends at peace marches and that guy you've seen mowing the yard is his spouse. Allow me to introduce Canada. The Canadians are so quiet that you may have forgotten they're up there, but they've been busy doing some surprising things. It's like discovering that the mice you are dimly aware of in your attic have been building an espresso machine...... Just last month, Canada decided to allow and recognize same-sex marriages. Merciful moose, what can they be thinking? Will there be married Mounties (they always get their man!)? Dudley Do-Right was sweet on Nell, not Mel! We must be the only ones who really care about families. Not enough to make sure they all have health insurance, of course, but more than those libertines up north. SDA Kinship Connection This sort of behaviour is a clear and present danger to all our stereotypes about Canada. It's supposed to be a cold, wholesome country of polite, beer-drinking hockey players, not founded by freedom fighters in a bloody revolution but quietly assembled by loyalists and royalists more interested in order and good government than liberty and independence. I wonder if America will ever be that cool. From the Post Star of Glenns Falls New York: August 10, 2003 by Mark Freeman Please explain how gay marriage hurts you personally. About 5 years ago we attended a wedding in Salem. It is the only wedding we have ever attended in Washington County, and it was one of the best weddings we've ever been to. The ceremony was outdoors, high on a hillside with a great view. We sat on hay bales. There was a kind of handmade floral bower that served as an altar, and we watched a very moving ceremony conducted by an Episcopal priest. The reception was under a big tent at the home of a friend of both young people. We drank wine and ate interesting food and danced. When we went home at 11, the party was still going on. Technically I guess it wasn't a wedding, because marriage between two people of the same sex is not yet legal in New York, but I've been to many weddings, before and since, at which I doubt that the two people were as committed to each other as these two. I know heterosexual couples who have been married for more than 50 years, as we have, and I know other such couples whose marriage lasted a couple of years or less. I've known homosexuals who have been in a committed relationship for many years, and I've known gay men and women who flitted from one partner to another, as I've known straight men who cheated on their wives and straight women who cheated on their husbands. So what's all the fuss about gay marriage? I don't want to marry a guy. Never have. But I can't see how, if two guys get married, it hurts me. If you think you can show me how you, personally, will be harmed if gay marriage is legal in New York, by all means send me an E-mail or a letter care of the Post-Star explaining that. Recipe of the month: Blueberry Rice Salad 2 Cups cooked cold basmati brown rice 2 Cups fresh blueberries 1/2 Cup unsweetened fresh coconut 1 Cup roasted pecan halves 1/4 Cup maple syrup (or honey if you don’t live in the proper part of the planet) 1/2 Cup soy flour some optional salt if you insist 2/3 Cup cold canola oil 2 Tablespoons orange or lemon juice Wheat germ to taste In a serving bowl, combine rice, berries, coconut, nuts, and sweetener of choice. Put dry soy flour, optional salt and 1 tablespoon sweetener in blender. While blending, add oil slowly until mixture becomes thick. Stir in juice of choice. Fold dressing into rice mixture. Sprinkle with Wheat germ. Yield: Four servings. 7 KinNet Thrives Floyd reports: There are currently 736 folks with access to KinNet. KinNetTalk is the discussion board where one can choose between going online and reading messages, or having the posted messages sent to them via email. After logging on to KinNet you can go to the Kinship OnLine website with all the latest member news about upcoming events within Kinship. There are online versions of the Connection (please remember to send me a PDF copy of the Connection after it is done so I can post it online), chat room, pictures of past events, listings of Kinship officers, current member birthdays, member directory, personals section, and a whole lot more. KinNet is doing fine. Fred now has the job of getting the requests to join. Here's how it works. When someone applies for KinNet, they fill out the form on the external Kinship webpage. The form is sent to both Fred and to me. When I get it, I sent the person a welcome note and tell them that they will be hearing from Fred in the near future with their user name and password and instructions on how to use KinNetTalk. They should save this email for future reference. Fred adds them to the KinNet participants and sends them an email to let them know and to welcome them. Normally the initial setting is to get the postings via email. They need to log in to their kinnet account and if they would rather read the posts on the web, they can change that in their profile. They can also from there have access to KOL (Kinship OnLine) the internal website with info on what's new with Kinship, upcoming events, chats, polls, birthdays, member directory, personals and a whole lot more. I am in the process of updating the members listing and I encourage members to send me 8 pictures of themselves so I can add that to their listing. I'll try to write more and maybe tips and hints for KinNet as the months and issues continue. Just let me know what you'd like from me. Cookies Passed along for us by Bruce and Eddie A woman was waiting At an airport one night With several long hours Before her flight. She hunted for a book In the airport shop, Bought a bag of cookies And found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book But happened to see, That the man sitting beside her, As bold as could be, Grabbed a cookie or two From the bag in between, Which she tried to ignore To avoid a scene. So she munched the cookies And watched the clock, As the gutsy cookie thief Diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated As the minutes ticked by, Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye." With each cookie she took, He took one too, When only one was left, She wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, And a nervous laugh, He took the last cookie And broke it in half. He offered her half, As he ate the other, She snatched it from him And thought... ooh, brother! This guy has some nerve And he's also rude, Why he didn't even show Any gratitude! She had never known When she had been so galled, And sighed with relief When her flight was called. She gathered her belongings And headed to the gate, Refusing to look back At the thieving ingrate. She boarded the plane, And sank in her seat, Then she sought her book, Which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, She gasped with surprise, There was her bag of cookies, In front of her eyes. If mine are here, She moaned in despair, The others were his, And he tried to share. Too late to apologize, She realized with grief, That she was the rude one, The ingrate, the thief How many times have we absolutely known that something was a certain way, only to discover later that what we believed to be true...was not? "Always, Keep An Open Mind And An Open Heart, Because You Just Never Know..." September 2003 CAMPER QUOTES being in an environment where I can freely integrate by spirituality and my sexuality. –Jerry I like meeting new people and watching them realize that Kinship is something about which we can be excited. I love the singing. –Taylor We asked people to give us their reaction to being at Kampmeeting. I like this place. Registration was kind. Kinship has been good to me. I'm working on getting more people of color here. I like the spirituality. I didn't think Kinship was going to be spiritual. –JB F.A.M.I.L.Y safe, warm, loving, accepting, It could to on and on. That's the same thing I'm not finding everywhere these days and I need it.. –Cathy Even the bad is good here. I like that this is small. This is a good week in a bad year. I like being on the east coast. With all this rain it's quite green. Nice people here; a good unique blend. I like meeting new people. –Obed. I liked talking with our visiting clergy because at this moment I have difficulty dealing with the administration of the church. He showed me another face. –Marcos I like our conversations. I like getting to know people better. I like meeting mew people and I like catching up on the news. –Hedi The acceptance is memorable. It's great to have a week to be comfortable to relax and to be free. –Natalie I love how comfortable I am in spite of all the fears I had. This has been a relaxing week. I didn't come with expectations. I've really enjoyed talking to and hearing the stories from different people. –A most wondrous anonymous woman I liked traveling all over Vermont. I like being in a small state. I like being able to have answers to questions I've had for years. To me it is delightful to see so many people go to the piano and see them all play. There is such creativity here. Everyone is so different. –Ed Top of the list is connecting with friends that we don't see on a regular basis. There is the joy of I like reconnecting with people that seem like family whenever I am around them. I pick up where I left off. This is such fun. I'm always encouraged whenever I hear the clergy speak. I get hope for the church when I know there are people like we meet here who work in places of power. I'm grateful to know there is sanity. I love the sound of this incredible musical group of people. I don't go to church often and I miss this aspect. –Bruce I loved our famous Friday night meal at the “Bates Restaurant” in Lake George I loved the bowling brigade. I loved being able to worship God, being honest with who I am and being accepted. I like putting faces to the names I see on Kinnet. I like hearing the stories. –Karen I'm impressed with the friendliness and acceptance. I'm still exploring how I identify myself. I appreciate and understand the spectrum of gender and sexuality. –Bradley I like the fellowship and family that exists here. I like the sense of belonging. There's a sense of community and diversity. –Terry I like being with the people. It was fantastic to meet and talk with Marcos. I like hearing the stories. I like sharing our journey. I like being able to socialize again. This reconfirms for me that it's okay to be gay. It was nice to be able to come here with my partner. SDA Kinship Connection 9 Episcopalians OK First Openly Gay Bishop By Rachell Zoll, AP Religion Writer MINNEAPOLIS - Episcopal leaders confirmed the election Tuesday of their first openly gay bishop, leaving some delegates in tears as conservatives warned that the decision could destroy the church. The Episcopal General Convention on Tuesday took the final vote needed to confirm the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. The vote had been scheduled Monday, but was delayed after last-minute misconduct allegations emerged. Robinson was cleared just before Tuesday's vote. With his daughter, Ella, and his partner of 13 years, Mark Andrew, standing nearby, Robinson expressed his love for the church. "God has once again brought an Easter out of Good Friday," he said. Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold said the bishops voted 62-45 to confirm Robinson's election. Two bishops abstained from voting, but their ballots under church rules were counted as "no" votes. Immediately after the results were announced, more than a dozen conservative bishops walked to the podium of the House of Bishops, surrounding Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan as he read a statement saying he and the others were "filled with sorrow." "This body willfully confirming the election of a person sexually active outside of holy matrimony has departed from the historic faith and order of the Church of Jesus Christ," Duncan said. "This body has divided itself from millions of Anglican Christians around the world." The Episcopal Church, with 2.3 million members, is the U.S. branch of the 77 million-member global Anglican Communion. American conservatives and like-minded overseas bishops who represent 10 millions of parishioners have said confirming Robinson would force them to consider breaking away from the denomination. The American Anglican Council, which represents conservative Episcopalians, planned a meeting in Plano, Texas, in October to decide their next move. The leader of the Anglican Church of West Malaysia, Bishop Lim Cheng Ean, issued a statement affirming its opposition to homosexuality despite Robinson's confirmation. But the head of Australia's Anglican Church, Primate Peter Carnley, considered a liberal, said he didn't think it would be "a communion-breaking issue." Duncan called on the bishops of the Anglican Communion and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, head of the communion, "to intervene in the pastoral emergency that has overtaken us." "May God have mercy on his church," Duncan said. Eighteen other bishops signed his statement. Robinson acknowledged that many in the church would be upset by the decision, saying, "That is the only thing that makes this not a completely joyous day for me." Williams issued a statement saying it was too soon to gauge the impact of the vote on the church. "It is my hope that the church in America and the rest of the Anglican Communion will have the opportunity to consider this development before significant and irrevocable decisions are made in response," he said. The church has been debating the role of gays for decades. A win by Robinson was expected to build momentum for other policy changes favorable to homosexuals. Griswold said he voted for Robinson out of respect for the decision made by the Diocese of New Hampshire, not as an endorsement of homosexuality. It is rare for the General Convention to reject a diocese's choice of bishop. The denomination has no official rules ó either for or against ó ordaining gays. Some Episcopal parishes already allow homosexual clergy to serve and gays who did not reveal their sexual orientation have served as bishops. But Robinson is the first clergyman in the Anglican Communion to live openly as a gay man before he was elected. In 1998, Anglican leaders approved a resolution calling gay sex "incompatible with Scripture." Bishops who hold that view believe that allowing Robinson to serve would be a tacit endorsement of ordaining homosexuals. Robinson, a 56-year-old divorced father of two, has been living with Andrew for 13 years and serving as an assistant to the current New Hampshire bishop, who is retiring. Parishioners there said they chose Robinson simply because he was the best candidate. Under church rules, a majority of convention delegates had to ratify Robinson's election. On Sunday, the House of Deputies, a legislative body comprised of clergy and lay people from dioceses nationwide, approved Robinson by a 2-to-1 margin; a committee endorsed him by secret ballot Friday. Robinson will be consecrated in the New Hampshire Diocese in November. The allegations that nearly derailed his vote were that he inappropriately touched another man and was affiliated with a Web site that indirectly linked users to porn. Bishop Gordon Scruton of Western Massachusetts, who investigated the claims, said the touching incident "was in public September 2003 view and was brief" and happened at a church meeting where Robinson put his hand on the man's back and arm while engaged in a conversation. It was also determined that Robinson had no involvement with the Web site.Scruton determined Tuesday that there was no need for a full-blown inquiry, allowing the vote on Robinson to proceed. The claim of inappropriate touching was e-mailed to Vermont Bishop Thomas Ely and other bishops by David Lewis of Manchester, Vt. A family friend said Tuesday that Lewis never intended the allegations to be made public. Scruton said Lewis told him he did not want to file a formal complaint. The other concern was an indirect pornographic link from the Web site of Outright, a secular outreach program for gay and bisexual youth. Robinson helped found the Concord, N.H., chapter of the group, but Scruton said the clergyman ended his association with the organization in 1998 and "was not aware that the organization has a Web site until this convention." If conservatives do decide to break away, it was unclear what that would mean for the Episcopal Church. Some parishes could split from their dioceses and refuse to recognize clergy who support homosexuality, but stop short of a complete separation. A full schism would trigger, among other things, bitter fights over parish assets and undercut the global influence of the U.S. church. Liberals note that among the bishops threatening to leave are some who pledged to walk away before over issues such as ordaining women ó then did not follow through. But many Episcopalians believe the debate over homosexuality has been more divisive. Bishops from Africa, Asia and Latin America, representing more than a third of Anglican Communion members worldwide, took the unprecedented step this year of severing relations with a SDA Kinship Connection Connections AIDS Foundation Marathon Dear fellow Kinship members, It is with much trepidation that I approach you in this manner. However, putting fear aside, and empowering you to choose, I will go forth and let you know why I am writing this post. I am relatively new to Kinship and have been fortunate to meet several of you. However I had not really shared some exciting news about me. A couple weeks before Kampmeeting, I decided to begin training to run the AIDS Marathon. I am not a runner, neither had I run before. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to help in some way... HIV and AIDS are real real possibilities to me and is something I have to deal with on a daily basis despite all precautions taken, both because of my profession as a nurse and because of being a sexually-active gay man. During the six months of training I will log in more than 500 miles of running. The actual marathon is a little more than 26 miles. The whole idea of such marathon is to raise funds for the research and treatment of AIDS, as well as assisting the victims of this debilitating disease. The San Francisco AIDS foundation helps the thousands of victims within the San Francisco Bay Area with vital services and support needle exchange programs throughout the area in efforts to help stop the spread of HIV. Proceeds will also fund a new initiative to support vaccine preparedness and HIV treatment access in the developing world. I am begging you to reach into your pockets to help me to help the fight against AIDS. There is a huge need here. We are all feeling the pain of it in some way or another. Sponsoring me in this marathon is not just an investment in me, but more so in the community as a whole. That is something you can feel very good about! For your convenience, here is the link (which you may have to cut and paste) to my web page, where you can make your donation online, safely and securely. If you’d rather send your donation via mail, I can mail you a donor form once you reply and give me your mailing address. That way, all you’d have to do is write a check and drop it in the mail box. http://www.aidsmarathon.com/participant.jsp?runner=SF-0866&year=2003 In advance I thank you. This is the biggest challenge I have undertaken (by choice). And as far as self confidence goes — if I can run a marathon — I can do anything! Thank you for reading my post and for your consideration. Hiram Moretta [email protected] diocese that authorizes same-sex blessings ó the Diocese of New Westminster, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Some conservative American parishes had already formed breakaway movements, such as the Anglican Mission in America, which remains within the Anglican Communion but rejects the Episcopal Church. 11 Witness Our Welcome "God's Deliverance is for All" was the theme of the WOW (Witness Our Welcome) 2003 Conference held August 14-17 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Bob Bouchard and Carrol Grady were delegates sponsored by Kinship. The opening meeting was held Thursday evening at Church of the Holy Trinity and featured speakers Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, co-author of Is the Homosexual my Neighbor?; Vance Robbins, a member of the Cherokee Nation and a youth ministries leader in the American Lutheran Church; and Rev. Dr. Janie Spahr, director of That All May Freely Serve which works for ordination of glbt candidates in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Picketed! The 800-plus attendees were met by picketers bearing signs proclaiming, "God hates fags" "You will burn in hell!" etc., and loudly denouncing the evils of homosexuality over a microphone. Some of the "allies" present quickly linked arms and formed a line between the protesters and those entering the church, while singing "We Shall Overcome." One man reported approaching a little old woman carrying a placard with the words, "Sodomy is sin," and telling her, "I agree with you. The way I read my Bible, the sin of Sodom was inhospitality. By the way, what city are you from?" The implication was that the City of Brotherly Love was not being very hospitable! 12 Devotional Most of the time we read this, I imagine we will wish we were the "Bill" in the story. I wonder how the story would shift if we were in the other role. His name is Bill He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very bright.He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a very conservative church. They want to develop ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.One day Bill decides to go there. He has a style and mannerisms that do not fit readily in with the norms of the church. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-grayhair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy,everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, “What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. “Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read.” Speakers and Music Featured Diversity Conference planners had taken great pains to be ethnically inclusive, not only with musicians and presenters, but also with music, which included everything from contemporary, charismatic and gospel soul to classical, traditional and folk. "Some of this was a stretch for me," says Carrol, "but I also enjoyed some lovely new hymns from other cultures and from the gay/lesbian experience." A choir of "crème de la crème" musicians led the worship music at each service. Friday night the Transcendence Choir, made up of eight Black transsexuals, was a sensation. For those who got up early enough, each day began with a number of Breakfast Bible Studies to choose from. Carrol attended one led by Chris Glaser, gay author and former Presbyterian minister. Breakfast was followed by the morning worship service. Mari Castellano, a lesbian Latino pastor, spoke Friday on peace, liberation of oppressed minorities and sharing of the earth's resources. The speaker at Friday night's worship service was Yvette Flunder, pastor of City of Refuge Church in San Francisco which specializes in an HIV-AIDS ministry. Saturday morning's worship featured Steve Rohr, September 2003 motivational speaker and co-moderator for the ELCA's (Lutheran) National Council of Churches Young Adult Ministry Team. He told his moving personal faith story as a gay man. Unfortunately, both Bob and Carrol had to leave before the Sunday morning 11:00 worship service, where Rev. Troy Perry gave the homily. He is the founder of Metropolitan Community Churches, which has grown to 300 congregations and 44,000 members over the past 35 years. Plenary Session A forum on racism was the subject of the plenary session Friday morning. The welcoming movement, and in particular the WOW2003 coordinating committee, has come to recognize and face its challenges to be more aware of the need to welcome and involve people of all colors, ethnicities, cultural and linguistic heritages. Committee members reported on various aspects confronted during the planning process and the audience was invited to contribute to the conversation. Abundance of Workshops Available It wasn't easy deciding which of the 36 afternoon workshops to attend! Carrol chose two movies. "Trembling Before G_d," presented the difficulty gay and lesbian Orthodox and Hasidic Jews have in trying to integrate their faith and their sexuality. In the discussion afterward it was noted that they find hope in the biblical concept of "wrestling or arguing with God," as found in Abraham's attempt to persuade God not to destroy Sodom, Jacob's wrestling with the Angel until he received a blessing, Moses' arguing against the destruction of the Israelites, etc. The second movie was "This Obedience" about the ordination of ELCA pastor Anita Hill. Surprisingly, it was a small Minnesota church in America's heartland that engaged in this act of ecclesiastical SDA Kinship Connection disobedience and started a debate within the denomination that still rages. The strong faith and dignity of Anita and her partner were evident throughout the film. Two especially poignant scenes during the bi-annual church-wide assembly were when the former Presiding Bishop, during whose tenure a requirement of celibacy for glbt clergy had been adopted, spoke of the growth in his understanding and his hope that this would soon be reversed, and when the youth delegates wept in dismay over the negative vote. Resource Center The large resource center featured exhibitors from 21 denominational groups, 13 specialized ministries, 12 educational institutions, 5 advocacy groups and 9 music and art ministries. Kinship and Someone to Talk to shared a space here for their handouts. The Shower of Stoles Project of the ELCA (Lutheran) denomination, a collection of stoles from glbt pastors who were forced to resign because of their committed relationships, was hung from the balcony around the resource room. Bob encouraged Carrol to buy anything that would help in her ministry, and the following resources are now available through her (as soon as she finishes reading them!): When Husbands Come Out of the Closet by Dr. Jean Scharr Gochros (based on her research project), The Truth Shall Set You Free by Sally Lowe Whitehead (wife of a gay man), The Slow Miracle of Transformation by Mary Lou Wallner (a mother's story with foreword by Mel White and promos by Philip Yancy and Peggy Campolo), Inclusion: Making Room for Grace by Eric H F Law (Episcopal priest), Both Feet Firmly Planted in Midair by John J McNeill (former Jesuit priest), and This Obedience (video about Anita Hill's ordination). movies, and a dramatic presentation was scheduled for Thursday and Saturday night. Carrol opted for a PBS video, Family Fundamentals, on Thursday night. It followed the stories of three families - Baptist, Mormon and Roman Catholic - to show how parents are turned against their gay and lesbian children by their fundamentalist Christian beliefs - an indictment of Christian communities that would rather divide families than support them in this difficult situation. Saturday night's Doin' Time in the Homo-No-Mo Halfway House with Peterson Toscano was in turn hilarious, sad and inspiring. Toscano, a superb actor, played five different roles as he took the audience on a tour of a 12-Step Christian program that attempts to save men from the snares of homosexuality through bizarre rules, a masculine resuscitation regime and brain numbing reconditioning, 95% of which, he said, actually happened to him during his seven years of attempting to escape from homosexuality. In his role of preacher, he tells of how Jesus called Lazarus to "come out" of his closet-tomb. This opportunity to interact with and learn from both allies and glbt people of many different Christian backgrounds, who are working to make their churches more inclusive, was a valuable and inspiring Entertainment A diverse offering of concerts, 13 Andrea Talks About HAD’s Beginning “If only one person doesn't lose her/his faith…” Andrea is the founder of HAD, the group for GLBTI people with a Seventh Day Adventist background in Germany. In this interview with Ruud Kieboom, our European editor, she shares her journey. It all started when I received a letter from a girlfriend from school, in which she wrote telling me that she is a lesbian. I had to find out in a dictionary what it meant: "lesbian" and "bi-sexuality" and "homosexuality". I answered her in a letter in a way anyone would do who has not had to deal with these issues. A lot of preaching that it isn't right to be that way, that it should not be and, and, and... She didn't appreciate my reply and stopped contacting me. But, it didn't end there for me. At that time (1980's) there was a discussion-forum "Teestube" going on in the city of Darmstadt in Germany, where young people met to exchange thoughts about current events and issues. I turned out to be the first within the SDA-circle to speak about this hot item "Christianity and Homosexuality". There were only two Christian books I had read at that time from a Christian bookstore - books however that I would never use again 14 nowadays - and quoted from them. In this Teestube was room for only 15 people and on that particular evening a guest from another SDA-congregation in Stuttgart was present. He was moving restlessly in his chair and suddenly said: "I cannot let the discussion end like this... I am gay". He then started to tell us what it meant for him, to be gay and how he lives with his orientation. We were all very touched. Afterwards I was very shy to meet him; I was so impressed, but it was all so strange to me, so different, so exotic. I know the fear you feel when you have never dealt with this theme before and think that it is difficult from a moral and biblical point of view. Life went on and I started to work as a secretary in our SDA school in Darmstadt, Marienhöhe. I had very good contacts with some of the students. So it happened that I found out about this guy who made funny hints and particular remarks, that made me conclude that he was gay. I had harsh conversations with him, it really was a fight with words sometimes. We cried together, we laughed together; I learned everything what there is to know; uncensored he described to me what sex is like between males. This is how I lost my shyness regarding this topic. In the year 1991 an article was published in the Adventecho, the Adventist magazine for Germany: "Nowhere to quench the thirst ". It was a story of an ex-gay man who got 'cured' by prayer, got married and had three children. He was happy that he has not been discriminated against by his congregation. My thoughts were that now every congregation would believe that it is possible to get cured! But I didn't overlook the thoughts where he said: "My feelings aren't over yet! I still have to pray a lot, to fast often..." and so on. It was so clear to me: he had learned to live differently, he tried to live differently, but wasn't 'cured' yet. Being cured means that you are free, that no forbidden feelings are left. So I wrote a letter to the editor that was returned to me with the request to work it out into an article about help to homosexuals. "Me??" I was completely stunned by this! For many days I wondered what to write, I was not an expert on this matter; only had my human feelings! Finally I decided to turn my letter into an article entitled "Homosexuality, a theme about humans". I made pubic my address to start a discussion group. I received letters from lesbians and gays within the church, but also from brothers and sisters that were pretty harsh and made my stomach turn around. But it strengthened me in my thoughts, because I thought, who would react like that... I look at this this way: You will recognize them by their fruits. When there is no love behind it - even when it is out of fear - it cannot be right. Something is wrong with that. A group was formed, first by exchanging addresses. The first contacts were through me; I tried to figure out who suited best to whom, I wanted to bring people into contact with each other. A few months after I started this, two guys sent me a card, telling me they had started living together, hehehe!! It wasn't my purpose, but I wasn't upset about it of course! They were very happy. I can't believe that I have made it to here, despite all the difficulties with school — and September 2003 ignores us, warns against us. That's why we always invite pastors on our meetings, so they get to know us. It is a pity that it is not allowed to talk about this in the church. The church tries to make us an "non-dangerous" group by ignoring us completely and not responding to any of our attempt for making contact with them. A lot of things have changed in the last ten years. Many things have become non-issues, even in the church. My hope and desire is that someday, homosexuality will become a non-issue as well. churchleaders! When I was 12 years old I lost my father because of a tumor in his brain. He was only 35 years old. My sisters were 10 and 7 years old, my mother 36. We tried everything that is written in the Bible: Healing prayers, anointing, fasting, everything, everything! We believed strongly that he would be healed again. Yet he died. Churchmembers visited us and said to my mother: "Your faith probably wasn't strong enough", loud enough for us children to hear! That was a key-experience to me, since then there is nothing worse to me than judging someone's faith by someone's own observations only. Regarding homosexuality, it is the same to me. When lesbians and gays tell their story and tell that they are praying, fasting and faith didn't help, that they are still homosexual, and it is not believed by the pastor, they will have no chance. This is not only an issue with homosexuality, but with many other problems, people face in their orientation. You have to trust someone's feelings, when you don't understand these feelings yourself or cannot imagine them. The first years I was the leader of the group, which was an advantage in contacts with churchleaders. SDA Kinship Connection Since I'm not a lesbian, there were no walls to break down to talk to me about the issue. As long as it was profitable to the organization I did it with joy. One day one of the members said: "Churchleaders are not interested in us. When talking about homosexuality they only want to talk to you!" That was the time for me to withdraw as president. I could help them no longer. My last conversation with churchleaders didn't do any good. Now one of the groupmembers is president. I still work with the group as a treasurer. But to be honest, my role as a leader hasn't stopped yet; I can't stop it, even when I have tried so often. My goal? If only one person doesn't lose her/his faith because of the support given by this group, I have reached my goal. That is the most important thing.To be a group where you feel OK, where you are accepted for who you are, and in which you can be open. One person's faith can be of help, an encouragament for others... and for me! That's why I can't leave: HAD in one way or another is "my child" my friends can always count on me! I believe that in the future we have to work together with other groups, in order to have a greater outreach. SDA-leaders in Germany PFLAG From Ren: http://www.pflag.org/press/030528. html The founders of our chapter here were a minister, his professor wife and another teacher. All three would come to spend several hours with us. Those became the most well attended meetings. They sometimes would spend four or five hours here. That included our potluck meal. Joyce, Ira, karen and I went to one of their organizational meetings. . . I doubt that I missed more than one meeting a year. They have lending libraries for parents of lgbti's here. A gay psychiatrist still holds a rap session once a quater for al who need it. He used to to this once a month when they had meetings twice a month. I urge people to go because, after a few sessions parents feel a little different. If they quit more that half come back after a few months. I have met SDA parents at these meetings. I have met students that I had taught with theirr parents. It is a part of this community. 15 It Is Great To Get Together! It is great to get together All we friends, from near, from far Came to share with one another Things that matter, things that are. (chorus) Many were the ways we traveled Yet, so far we have arrived When we leave this place, departing, May our hearts be satisfied! God loves me, He surely loves you! ‘Tis the truth we must believe! He has given us the wisdom, This to know and to receive. (chorus) Many were our roads and byways Yet, so far we have arrived When we leave this place, departing, May our hearts be satisfied! Words and Music by Ed Vieira Kinship Kampmeeting, Cherry Valley California, July 7-14, 2002 16 September 2003