Greenbelt 2007 Day Three

I was too wiped out to post anything last night. Actually happy wiped out. Good day that ended with friends at the Organic Beer Tent. I did miss the Hymn and Beers though.

On the third day I didn't get to see as much, but I did hear two talks. Another by James Allison and one my Mark Yaconelli, which was particularly moving and helpful for me. It was about failure and loss and what you do when you feel at the end of yourself, broken. It actually reminded me of an important spiritual lesson I learned at one of the most desperate moments in my life when everything unraveled. It reminded me that sometimes the best comfort is no comfort at all, rather to allow myself to feel the pain, to sit in the loss and grieve it properly.

My interview with Premiere Radio went well and was a lot of fun because author GP Taylor was also interviewed and their was a Catholic clergy member in the London studio. I hope I didn't sound too snippy, but after I related some of my ex-gay experience, the clergy member said something like, "Well, in the Catholic Church we do not condemn a homosexual orientation. The only problem is when someone engages in homosexual activity. What do you think about this?"

It was early (thus my voice being so low Alex) and I was on auto-pilot and I blurted out, "I think you are asking people to become Eunuchs, to box in their sexuality. We have seen how this has happened in the Catholic Church, that when you box in your sexuality, it comes out in all sorts of inappropriate ways."

After that I had an interview with Greenbelt Radio. I also learned that that show they asked me to add had been slated for Centaur, the LARGEST indoor venue. It is HUGE and not at all suited for the sort of work I do with my plays. I need an intimate space where people can be focus on the small actions on the stage.

I thought ab0ut it through day and decided that I will do an extra show, but instead of a complete performance, I will do a highlights show where I can do excerpts from all my shows. This will help hold the audience and if something doesn't work, I move onto another bit.

Thinking of doing the gAy,B,C's from Queer 101 as well as Chad's fantasy date with Lorca. I want to do a scene as Marvin, either when Brother Ralph "falls out in the Spirit" or when Marvin casts the demons out of his computer. I will do the opening of Homo No Mo with Chad and Vlad (always a crowd pleaser when Vlad says "Focus" in his unique way) and that may be it except for the Identity Monologue.

Then right after that I head over to the 11-14 year olds area where I will lead a Bibliodrama. Maybe the passage where Jesus casts out a herd of demons into a herd of pigs. What does that story mean???? Is Jesus some sort of Anti-pork, Jewish sorcerer and activist?

OUTerSpace, the new LGBT group at Greenbelt had a LOVELY service, the highlight of which was when a woman, who had recently been forced out of her church as worship leader because she is lesbian, spoke to the group. She said that she knows that God loves and and in fact, God likes her. And then she gave a simple but sincere encouragement to others who feel marginalized in their churches and families. Amazing how many people I met who just came out or are barely out.

The day ended at the Organic Beer Tent where I passed a HUGE test. It involved two very athletic straight young men, one hugging me, a bit smashed and begging me to come to their tents to continue the party. The Holy Spirit (in the form of Auntie Doris from Ship of Fools) helped me hold my ground. I remained in the Beer Tent and the boys took to their party without me. Phew.