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3rdragonIt's not one of the stories I tell, generally. However, the other week I mentioned it to my mother, who found it hilarious and then made me tell it in Adult Sunday School the next week. And I thought that it is, perhaps, a story worth telling.
A bit of background, first. When I was a child, perhaps eight years old, there was a great hullabaloo in the broader Mennonite denomination over the fact that my church was welcoming openly gay and lesbian members. My general feeling on the matter was composed of three parts a) I thought grownups were less elementary-school-playground in their interactions, but apparently not, b) how can they kick us out when we're the FIRST Mennonite church in the country? If anyone kicks anyone out, shouldn't it go the other way around? and c) all of the grownups are very upset about this.
This is one of my four main memories of that time.
Most of the politics of the thing went over my head, but I was aware that this large-scale adaptation of You Can't Play In My Sandbox was going on because the people in the conference didn't like some of the people at our church. I knew who the conference didn't like, and I knew that the conference didn't like them because they were women married to women or men married to men. However, I didn't get it. I knew those people, and they were good people, nice people: completely unobjectionable people. I really couldn't see how the conference people could take offense at them. Now, mind you, there were some other people in the congregation, people that I would've been able to understand if the conference had decided to dislike them . . .
The only one of those people I recall well enough to identify? The then-pastor's wife.
In other things going on in my life more recently:
- I made mozzarella and it was a success, but not as amazingly wonderful as I had hoped. I will try again with more salt and fattier milk.
- Contra dancing is excellent, but terrifying drivers are terrifying.
- I am at Smith for the next few days. If you are here and would like to see me, call my cell phone or ask in Seelye B5.
A bit of background, first. When I was a child, perhaps eight years old, there was a great hullabaloo in the broader Mennonite denomination over the fact that my church was welcoming openly gay and lesbian members. My general feeling on the matter was composed of three parts a) I thought grownups were less elementary-school-playground in their interactions, but apparently not, b) how can they kick us out when we're the FIRST Mennonite church in the country? If anyone kicks anyone out, shouldn't it go the other way around? and c) all of the grownups are very upset about this.
This is one of my four main memories of that time.
Most of the politics of the thing went over my head, but I was aware that this large-scale adaptation of You Can't Play In My Sandbox was going on because the people in the conference didn't like some of the people at our church. I knew who the conference didn't like, and I knew that the conference didn't like them because they were women married to women or men married to men. However, I didn't get it. I knew those people, and they were good people, nice people: completely unobjectionable people. I really couldn't see how the conference people could take offense at them. Now, mind you, there were some other people in the congregation, people that I would've been able to understand if the conference had decided to dislike them . . .
The only one of those people I recall well enough to identify? The then-pastor's wife.
In other things going on in my life more recently:
- I made mozzarella and it was a success, but not as amazingly wonderful as I had hoped. I will try again with more salt and fattier milk.
- Contra dancing is excellent, but terrifying drivers are terrifying.
- I am at Smith for the next few days. If you are here and would like to see me, call my cell phone or ask in Seelye B5.
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no subject
Date: 23 Sep 2010 02:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Sep 2010 06:53 pm (UTC)I take it you'll be there?
no subject
Date: 23 Sep 2010 02:54 am (UTC)Terrifying drivers
Date: 1 Oct 2010 06:24 pm (UTC)