Jo Inkpin Blog - Blessed Imp

Dear Toowoomba... It's ok to be me

21/3/2022

My years in Toowoomba were both full of wonderful things and also wrestling with the need to come out publicly in my authentic gender. So it has been good to reflect again on this as I responded recently to the invitation to share in the Make Visible project developed by artist Shannon Novak with the support of QAGOMA. This aims to grow support for the LGBTQI+ community in Queensland, Australia by making visible challenges and triumphs for this community. One of the satellite sites and partners is USQ at Toowoomba, who asked me to write a short letter, headed 'Dear Toowoomba'. They also invited me to be a part of the Launch of the project 'Its' ok to be me' at USQ and to share in a panel on ways forward. I hope my contribution may be part of contributing to the further maturing of a city with so many fine features and people, but still with a little more work to do in fully celebrating and empowering all its people. It has also reminded me of the many people (and a wonderful dog!) I miss in Toowoomba and its achievements and potential...

a priest for those who have no priest

14/3/2022

Presiding at this weekend's nuptial communion (aka eucharist aka, for some, the mass) was particularly powerful and poignant for me. Partly this was as, for the first time since their deaths, I used my parents’ communion set (chalice photo here - so wonderful in the context yet emotional on my heart - and partly as I was doing so as the nearest those present could have to a (Roman) Catholic priest. For it is part of the little miracle of my existence these days that I can sometimes be ‘a priest for those who have no priests’ or stand occasionally in the place of those who would like to exercise their priesthood fully (for all), but who are not allowed to by their Church...

celebrating equal marriage in Sydney

13/3/2022

Such a great joy to preside at this wedding today (with communion too), in such a beautiful special setting - and, in this case, finally beating the pandemic (restrictions, postponements, and one of the grooms getting COVID-19 just a couple of weeks ago!) plus the wettest start to a Sydney year on record.
#lovetriumphs #loveislove #reasonstolovetheunitingchurch

Pitt Street creativity

13/3/2022

A beautiful time at Pitt Street this morning, thanks to the contemplative creativity of our wonderful team today - a lovely and much needed oasis of refreshment in these times during this season of Lent. We do love the very best of our Reformed heritage - but I guess we rarely do plain ‘plain’ at Pitt Street

making visible and returning our hearts

13/3/2022

Loving the creative hearts beginning to appear from folks at Pitt Street - here are a few examples (my current favourite being a fellow trans person’s ‘Love’ heart - as I know that comes from a deep journey ) - part of our #returningourhearts Lenten theme, as part of ‘repairing the breach’.

reconnecting with an angel

6/3/2022

Everyone needs angels in their life! I had an old friend join me this morning to share the joys and struggles of growing ‘beloved community’. Angell comes from (Angell Town) Brixton, and was born out of the world of the Brixton riots/uprisings, in the darkest days of the Thatcher years in the UK - aka my ministry formation years. They took on the name of Michael (after the death of the Brixton priest who guided and inspired me back then)- and today we added the name Arch (think bridges and rainbows) for ‘repairing the breach’ of love in our world and ‘returning our hearts’. So now they are Arch Angel Michael - albeit without a flaming sword (other than that of the Spirit), though they’d love one of the rainbow light sabres from Sydney Mardi Gras last night.
See further my Reflection here.

what happens when green ordinands 'fall'?

6/3/2022

Should any green ordinands (aka ministry formation students) ‘fall’, where do they go? I sent thankful video greetings across the globe this weekend to my best man, at my wedding, celebrating a significant birthday landmark - cheers Chris - and it set me reflecting on what has happened to my immediate generation of would-be clergy…

prayer of blessing for Sydney Mardi Gras and other LGBTIQ+ celebrations

19/2/2022

A Prayer of Blessing for LGBTIQ+ Celebrations
by Josephine Inkpin, written for Sydney Mardi Gras 2022

Kaleidoscopic Spirit,
You dance among us
in a glorious riot of expression,
embodying afresh the generous love of Jesus,
and all who have embraced love at the heart of being.
Bless all who gather at this time to celebrate
the gifts of sexual and gender diversity.
As you have inexhaustible pride in your rainbow children
so may we have such life-bearing strength
in ourselves and in one another.
Touch our lives and bodies with your transforming Love,
shining light where there has been darkness,
bringing healing where there has been hurt,
and making visible what has hitherto been invisible.
Inspire us to deeper intimacy and interconnection,
opening up the closets of all that remains damagingly repressed,
and leading us along fresh pathways of hope
to a more joyous and glittering future for us all.

Our Equal Voices open letter to Church leaders after the RD Bill debacle

19/2/2022

on the gruesome times of religious discrimination 'debates'

19/2/2022

Recent weeks have been some of the hardest of my life in Christian ministry. Discussion of the Religious Discrimination Bill proposals fell into another debacle in the midst of concerted opposition and some brave Liberal backbenchers who stood out against the Bill's cruelty in the face of approaching election pressures. The political use and abuse of transgender people, especially school children, was particularly monstrous. Coming on top of several years of similar controversy and very slow positive changes in Churches, the pastoral burdens and spiritual impact was hard to bear. Thankfully, in the Uniting Church at least, opposition to the form of the Bill was expressed from the top clearly and positively. Particularly encouraging was the UCA President's Pastoral Letter which opens up possibilities for real progress, especially in addressing the deficit in transgender and non-binary care and celebration. In general however, there is such a long way to go and the 'gruesome week' demonstrated that amply. Media outlets, notably ABC's The Drum (see, for example, the clip on YouTube above) and the Guardian Australia (see article here) were kind enough to interview me and share some of my LGBTIQ+ faith perspectives, which I know are so vital to so many.