From Episcopal Cafe:
We received this email from Bishop Robinson this morning:
I am writing to tell you that President-Elect Obama and the Inaugural Committee have invited me to give the invocation at the opening event of the Inaugural Week activities, “We are One,” to be held at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, January 18, at 2:00 pm. It will be an enormous honor to offer prayers for the country and the new president, standing on the holy ground where the “I have a dream speech” was delivered by Dr. King, surrounded by the inspiring and reconciling words of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. It is also an indication of the new president’s commitment to being the President of ALL the people. I am humbled and overjoyed at this invitation, and it will be my great honor to be there representing the Episcopal Church, the people of New Hampshire, and all of us in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
+Gene
Read more here.
8 comments:
In other news, +Gene has also been tapped by the Obama administration as Secretary of Commerce!
< / sarcasm >
As I said over at my place, the tragedy is that no one even knows there is an Inaugural Week much less an opening ceremony for it. But the whole world will see that homophobe pretend to pray on behalf of the nation.
Oh James, I don´t know about that...the only, yet beautiful memory, I have of the Clinton/Gore Inauguaration (that I was thrilled about) was exactly the OPENING events on the Mall in Washington D.C. as they strolled about holding hands with their wives and waved to everyone...remember the U.S. Airforce flying over and saluting the President and Vice President elect? It was one of the most inspiring political moments I´ve ever seen...can you imagine how many folks will be watching this Sunday both in person and on TV? WOW...nope, this is exactly the recipe for better UNITY!
James, Sunday Jan. 18 is (in honor of my birthday---j/k!) a Huge, Big, Shooooooowwwww! (Beyonce, Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Stevie Wonder, etc, etc, etc). It'll be noticed, trust me. [Esp. on MTV, where the fact that the invocating clergy is gay is, like, a Big Whoop of a Story. Good for that crowd to see that entertainment and (non-fundy) God CAN go together!]
James, how incredibly opposite we think! LOL.
Believe me, +Gene will be opening for some of the hottest musicians in the world--many themselves activists on social issues--and the place will be PACKED.
This isn't just ANY inauguration, THIS is the inauguration of Barack Obama, opened by our own Bishop Gene Robinson.
I hope, James, that if you reflect on the importance of this you will feel much better about it.
I literally sat down and cried when I realized it was true.
JCF, I thought that it was all for my birthday, the 19th!
David; you'll be 19????? :)
Here's the full line-up:
Inaugural Opening Concert at the Lincoln Memorial
The 2009 Inaugural celebration begins with a star-studded concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, January 18 at 2 p.m. The event will be free and open to the public, kicking off the most open and accessible Inauguration in history. It will be presented exclusively by HBO 7:00-9:00 p.m. ET on an open signal so that Americans across the country with access to cable, telcos or satellite television will be able to join in the Opening Celebration for free.
The event will include an incredible lineup of celebrities. Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington. The Rt. Reverend V. Gene Robinson will give the invocation. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed.
http://dc.about.com/b/2009/01/13/inaugural-opening-concert-at-the-lincoln-memorial.htm
[I'm guessing +Gene's invocation will be carried live by the news channels ~2PM, *before* HBO gets exclusive rights to the headliners at 7PM? (OCICBW) I'm glad the HBO portion will be free, however.]
Post a Comment