A funny thing happened on the way to the altar. In examining life more closely, they rediscovered each other. That rekindled the spark which had once ignited their married life. Wonder of wonder and miracle of miracles, they fell in love with each other again.

For the past six months, we have been praying together for discernment and guidance. It finally came on Wednesday when they walked into my office, holding hands and giggling like schoolchildren, and said, "We want to be married again."

"Wonderful!" I exclaimed, "But, wait! You already are married!"

"Oh, of course we are," he said.

"Legally," she said, finishing his sentence the way some lovers do.

"We want to be married again for the first time," he said.

"This is new. The old has passed away. It’s in that box of old pictures," she said.

"We want this new relationship blessed by the church and our family," they said.

The Prayer Book service of Renewal of Vows or The Anniversary of a Marriage would not do. "Those vows have been broken. That marriage is dead. There’s nothin to renew or bless that was in the past. This is about a fresh start. A new beginning. We are legally married. What we want is to bless and celebrate what is new."

"How ironic," I said, somewhat astonished, after he finished reading and their lovers’ gaze confirmed their common thought that the words had been written just for them. "That is from a poem by Adrienne Rich — who just happens to be a lesbian."

It was then that he said, "You know, I think I understand why people get so angry with you about blessing relationships."

"Really? Why?" I asked.

"Because we’ve got so much to learn from you about the difference between marriage as a civil right and marriage as a rite of the church. Now that’s an irony," he said, "that touches something so deep it’s bound to produce a strong reaction."

I suspect he may be right. I know that I’ve learned about wealth and generosity from the privilege of ministry among the poor. Much of what I know about living a w/holy life I’ve learned from drug addicts and prostitutes who have died of AIDS. And, the notions of liberty and freedom take on an entirely different meaning when viewed from behind prison bars.

Truth be told, at first I resented those lessons and teachers, so I missed most of what was being taught. It’s humbling to find that the privilege of higher education can only take you so far in life. That humility often grates against the ego’s need for superiority and that can translate into the need for oppression — keeping someone lower on the ladder than you so you can feel secure in your own place in life.

I have given up trying to predict what will happen to the Episcopal Church when we gather in Minneapolis for our General Convention from July 30 to August 8, 2003. One thing is certain: We will deal passionately as well as legislatively with the issue of whether or not to develop a rite of blessing for lesbian and gay relationships. No matter what side of the issue you happen to be on, I suspect the words of Adrienne Rich will become to us a psalm.