This weekend is going to be a rather stressful one here in Pasadena. James Dobson, of "Focus on the Family" fame, is hosting a conference he calls "Love Won Out," this Saturday at Pasadena's First Church of the Nazarene. It's described as "a dynamic one-day conference addressing, understanding and preventing homosexuality."
Oh, and Mr. "God Hates Fags" himself, Fred Phelps will be here, too.
The First Church of the Nazarene claims that he's coming to [b:385df4237d] protest[/b:385df4237d] the conference, not be a part of it. Go figure.
Information on the conference can be found
here. However, if you're a particularly sensitive soul, I strongly recommend that you [b:385df4237d] don't click it![/b:385df4237d]
Click
this link instead. It's the entire run-down on what my church and several other groups in the Pasadena/LA area are doing in response to Dr. Dobson, Rev. Phelps and their cronies.
Events at All Saints begin Friday evening at 6:00 with a "sign party," where you can make picket signs in preparation for Saturday. Then at 7:30, there's a candlelight vigil called "Love Embraces All." Speakers and music are promised, and the vigil will go from All Saints to Pasadena City Hall - not a long way, really, just a walk around the block.
Here's the plan for Saturday as the "Love Won Out" conference is going on:
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After much discussion and fear of arrest and harassment, the PFLAG group decided not to "picket" directly in front of the First Church of the Nazarene. They felt it was too inflammatory and they were not comfortable with the possibility that some of the attendees or supporters would confront them with biblical text that they could not refute nor appropriately respond. Instead, it was decided that they would use the old "Burma Shave" approach and have parents and families staggered along the large median strip on Sierra Madre Boulevard with signs simply stating "We love our gay son/daughter and so does God". We were affectionately calling this the "Parade of Parents". The PFLAG parents generally get the biggest applause and lots of tears flow when they march by in the gay pride parade and if the attendees of this conference are GLBT persons who are questioning their faith and relationship with God and their families, this demonstration of support and love will be powerful. A PFLAG member had contacted Mel White of SoulForce for input and suggestions. He was very forthcoming with information and will be used as a telephone/e-mail resource as needed. Someone was contacting the Pasadena Police department today to get their input on standing in the median versus the sidewalks all the way up Sierra Madre Boulevard.
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I imagine updated information will be available at the vigil.
Sunday morning is when Fred Phelps plans to picket All Saints Church. Thanks to some "persuasion" from the counter-terrorism unit of the Pasadena PD, Fred is now saying he'll only be there from 8am to 9am. Here's the official All Saints position on how he is to be treated:
[quote:385df4237d][b:385df4237d][i:385df4237d]Quote:[/i:385df4237d][/b:385df4237d]
Our task is now to ask our church and the larger community to practice holy restraint. I do not want anyone or any group to plan actions on that morning to counter the presence of Phelps - that only empowers him and puts us in a vulnerable position.
Instead, we will let our silence and our worship be the appropriate action and we will trust the [Pasadena] PD to provide a safe structure for the church to congregate within.
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All Saints Church is located at
132 N. Euclid Avenue in Pasadena. If you want to come join the fun, you'll be more than welcome, whether you're a devoutly religious person (of any faith), an atheist or anything in between.
Show those 'phobes what the Holy Spirit is [b:b4d9fcda56] really[/b:b4d9fcda56] about! 