Rainbow Path of Renewal

Rainbow Path of Renewal

To crown all there must be love, to crown all together and complete the whole. (Colossians 3: 14,15)

This is my good friend, Rev Liz Crumlish, pictured earlier this month at the Gay Pride 50 march in Glasgow.  The combination of her church minister’s dog-collar and the Gay Pride rainbow banner proved to be a strong attraction for many of the lesbian and gay people present.  Liz is married with two grown-up children.  She and her husband have just celebrated their 38^th wedding anniversary.  So, being “straight” makes her support of the gay community all the more noticeable.  Several people hailed her as their role model.


Liz was ordained as a Church of Scotland minister over 20 years ago.  At present she is co-ordinator of the church’s Path of Renewal project, which seeks to change the mindset of both ministers and congregations.  The aim of the project is to take the Christian message of Good News, and practical support, out to their local communities rather than passively hoping that somehow new members will turn up at their church one Sunday.  As you see, Liz certainly practises what she preaches!


This year Gay Pride events around the world added ‘50’ to the title, in commemoration of the Stonewall uprising on June 28 1969 which led to the foundation of the gay liberation movement.  It took place at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.  The Public Morals Squad of the New York police regularly raided gay pubs, evicting anyone who was “not dressed in a manner appropriate to their sex”.  But that night patrons thrown out on the street had had enough.  They began to throw bricks back at the building and were soon joined by many other protesters. News of the riot spread far and wide; within weeks Greenwich Village residents organised activist groups in order to establish places for gay men and lesbians to be open about their sexual orientation without fear of being arrested.  


In 1990, after my daughter Linda had “come out”, I attended a conference entitled Changing Church Attitude?  Speakers were from various Christian denominations as well as from the gay community.  Here are some quotations from the Report on the Conference:


‘The Church of Scotland’s position demonstrates a degree of tight-rope walking.’

‘
To talk of hating the sin and loving the sinner simply adds to the confusion, when the so-called sinner does not recognise the action as sinful.’


‘It is up to individuals, whether heterosexual or homosexual, to decide for themselves what are the limits of responsible behaviour.’


‘My aim is to make Christian churches safe for lesbian and gay people.’  


How glad I am – almost 30 years later – that society in general has become more accepting of gay people, and that Liz and her fellow followers of the Path of Renewal are helping to ‘change Church attitude’!


Back in 1990 there were very few books by or about lesbians.  One, however, had caused quite a stir when it was published in 1985: Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson.  The central character, Jessica, is regarded by the woman who adopted her as specially chosen by God to become a preacher for their Pentecostal church – until she falls in love with another girl and is cast out as a sinner.


 I imagine that young lesbian readers would have had their fears confirmed of becoming marginalised, and of never being made welcome in any church.  However, as I think about that book, I am reminded of a delightful coincidence which made me laugh!


On a wonderful trip to Melbourne in 2005, Linda and I had just arrived at  the rented house she had found on the internet when, on entering the living room,  I immediately gasped in astonishment at the sight of a pile of table mats, the top one of which bore the same ‘Oranges’ design as a tray I had in my living room at home.   

Linda had invited some friends to a meal the next night – lesbian friends she had met on her previous stay in that lovely city. As we all sat down at the table (with me very aware that I was in a heterosexual minority of one!) we spread out the place mats and I chortled with delight to find that half of them showed lemons - a timely little reminder that ‘Oranges are Not the Only Fruit’!

Deo gratias!