Power and Priviledge

After a lengthy and deep conversation with Mark concerning his coming out story, Nora shares her reaction: “…I feel disoriented and depressed.  Then I feel rage.  Injustice has a price: it exacts itself in a specific human history, specific flesh.”  The group talked about our parallel struggle in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) concerning ordination…over ten years after Gallagher has published her book we are still in the middle of it!  There are 173 presbyteries in our denomination and 87 votes are needed to pass changes to our Book of Order to allow lgbtq ordination and service in the church.  As Joy shared, this has been a debate across decades much like the ordination of women to positions of elder and minister of Word and Sacrament (pastors).

Think about women’s ordination…it was a group of men who pushed the limits, challenged the existing paradigms and sought the goal of ordaining women.  While women could state their cases, it was men who had the power to vote for or against this change.  It is a significant thing that occurred on behalf of women (I don’t want to discount that at all), but at the same time, it is important for us to examine the power and privilege that comes into play during these discussions.  In this instance, men possessed the power and privilege to determine the fate of women’s ordination.  Now we are in the midst of another conversation, this time about lgbtq ordination, and these two elements are factors once again.

Let’s return to the book for a moment here.  Mark discloses his sexuality to the council as they are determining whether or not to call him as a rector in the church.  Mark says this: “When the Trinity job came up, I talked to Anne Howard…about whether or not to disclose my sexuality to the search committee.  She didn’t think it was necessary.  One of the differences between being called as a rector and as an interim is that in the case of a rector, the focus is much more on the person.  In the case of an interim, the focus is more on the parish.  I told her that at the same time, I wasn’t going to hide my sexuality.  I was going to live my life as honestly and as sensitively as I knew how.” (95)

Nora’s experience in hearing Mark’s story placed the issue in flesh right before her.  She couldn’t disconnect herself from the injustice that affected him…she had a face, Mark’s face, to make it real.  Of course she was angry, depressed and saddened!  She could no longer turn away or disengage from his story and the stories of so many others who were kept from ordination.

• How are people who possess power and privilege in the church to be a part of this conversation?  Why is it important?
• What is it like to be a person who does not possess power and privilege (if this describes you)?
• Do you feel equipped to have conversations about LVPC’s open and affirming position with friends, coworkers, family members?  What makes it tough or hard to do so?
• Although our denomination ordains women, there are still discrepancies between men and women in the church.  Although the nation has elected an African American man as president, there is still racial injustice in our communities.  These are only two examples of many…  How can a victory still show us that there is more work to do?  How can we keep ourselves attune to injustice?