An Update for the Worried

Recently, I was having lunch with a friend of mine that said that some readers were concerned about whether or not I am staying in the Episcopal Church. So I thought I might post a missive or rumination on this that might assuage some and strike fear in others (maybe). It is by no means organized.

So, the decision is that, yes I am remaining an Episcopalian. But this decision to remain fully and wholeheartedly Episcopalian comes with some epiphanies for myself and my walk with Christ.

The Epiphanies

I am a conservative Reformed Catholic

So the first epiphany and one in which I am truly grounded after this period of reflection is that I am a conservative Reformed Catholic, what specifically does this mean:

I am Conservative: This was a fundamental realization that I had to process for quite a bit. I am not a fundamentalist or a fanatic, but I am what they call “right of center” on quite a lot of issues. I am “anti-universalist”, meaning that I believe that the only way to salvation is a personal faith in Jesus Christ affirmed and ratified by the Sacrament of Baptism. While I do believe that each religion and worldview has elements of truth, I believe that the fullness of truth about God and his relationship with us lies completely and fully within Christianity. Also, I believe that traditional interpretations of scripture and doctrine should remain normative unless there is clear and convincing reason to reverse or alter such interpretations grounded in the basic dogma and doctrine of the Church. I believe that the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds as well as the Chalcedonian statement on the dual nature of Christ to be fundamental, unalterable codifications of our basic doctrine.

I am Reformed: I am truly and fully a Christian that has been and continues to be influenced by the Reformation and its cardinal precepts: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fidei, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. My affirmation of Sola Scriptura manifests itself in my belief that the Holy Scriptures constitute the supreme rule of faith and practice for the Body of Christ, that they are the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and that they contain all things necessary for salvation. I firmly believe that the Bible is inspired and true. I do not consider it a work of fiction or fabrication. My affirmation of Sola Fidei and Sola Gratia manifest themselves in my belief that no amount of works in and of themselves can atone for our original sin or effect our salvation and that our salvation was accomplished for us by Jesus Christ at the Cross once and for all and that that gift of salvation is offerred to all without respect to any human condition or identity. My affirmation of Solus Christus manifests itself in my belief that Jesus Christ is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. My affirmation of Soli Deo Gloria manifests itself in my belief that the a true Christian is converted and is continually being converted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that a Christian lives not for himself but only for God’s glory, and that the function of the Church is not to glorify individuals but by its works and doctrine to worship and glorify the God that created and redeemed us.

I am Catholic: In addition to being influenced by the Reformation, I also am and continue to be influenced by the great 2,000 or so year old tradition of our Church in worship, doctrine and theology. I believe that Christians have and continue to maintain consensus on key doctrines of our faith and our need to share the Gospel and advance the Kingdom of God on earth. I believe that Christianity is an identity that transcends denominational and traditional lines and is based on our identity as redeemed Children of God. I believe that Christians today continue in the heritage of all Christians who were and all Christians who are to be. We represent the continuing legacy of Christ’s death and resurrection. Furthermore, I also believe that Christianity is most fully continued and represented in the tradition and lineage of Apostolic Succession which represents the universality of the Church and the sacred deposit of faith entrusted to us by the Apostles and our forefathers in the Faith.

I am Committed to the Full Inclusion of Gays and Lesbians in the Church

As a Christian, I think that it is the duty of the faithful to reach out to those who live on the margins of our society and our church and invite them to experience the love of God in Jesus Christ. This duty includes reaching out to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people. I believe that sexual orientation and gender identity are part of the unique identity of every child of God and are inherently unchangeable. The Church should make every effort to include all qualified people in the full life and governance of the church irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity. I believe that it is no less than a Gospel command to invite all people to the abundant life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In addition, the Church must work for the healing of those hurt by its representative and members with a mind to renew their relationships with Jesus Christ and invite them to experience the love of Christ once again. However, this invitation to inclusion and healing does not mean that the Church should affirm or condone licentious or harmful behavior. Scripture teaches clearly against intemperate and selfish behavior and commends to the Christian a lifestyle of mercy, temperance and personal holiness. The Church would do well to resume its moral authority and to invite Christians to a personal holiness of life.

I am a Committed Anglican and Episcopalian

One of the reasons that I joined the Episcopal Church was the prospect of being part of the via media, the middle road, the Church that was a big tent. Anglicanism should represent the best of all streams of Christianity. It represents catholicity in its worship, governance and relationships with others, it represents the Reformation through its doctrine and practice, it represents Evangelicalism through its works of mercy and preaching of the Gospel, and so on. I did not join the Episcopal Church to be part of the liberal clique, or to be a social climber. I joined because I wanted to find a Church where both conservatives and liberals could worship and live together as a community. I thoroughly and deeply respect Episcopalians and Anglicans of all stripes and believe that unification through worship is one of the things that makes Anglicanism great.
I am also a committed Episcopalian because I believe in its values of social justice, despite imperfect policy and advocacy. I have trouble with the Episcopal Church because of its growing liberalization. The viewpoint that Jesus Christ is the only way is no longer welcome (as evidenced by the Presiding Bishop’s recent comments), and Christian orthodoxy is routinely attacked by theologians such as Marcus Borg and John Shelby Spong with the apparent endorsement of a significant portion of the Episcopal Church hierarchy,  so a Reformed Catholic like me wonders if there is a place for me in the Episcopal Church. In addition, the Episcopal Church has compromised its relationship with the wider Communion. While the Episcopal Church has done great things in advancing the inclusion of all people in the life and governance of the church, it has made a deliberate choice in its actions in General Convention with respect to its relationship with the rest of the communion. It appears that the Episcopal Church will soon be part of the “federated” tier of the Anglican Communion. While the notion of a two-tiered (“federated”/”covenanted”) communion structure greatly pains me as this will impair our relationships with other Anglicans throughout the world, it may be how we have to live for the time being until the conflict over human sexuality can be resolved.

That’s it for now, this post may be reformatted, revised or changed up a bit soon, but this is what I have for you know.

The Do or Die Moment for the Episcopal Church

I think that Episcopalians are starting to understand just how difficult of a situation they find themselves in. The Blue Book reports to General Convention show distressing numbers. According to these reports, our Average Sunday Attendance has been taking a hit in the arena of double-digit percentages.Where this is troubling is when we compare this to other Christian organizations such as the Presbyterian Church in America (“PCA”), which have shown growth.

So what’s the do or die?

The “do or die” lies in the Episcopal Church’s commitment to evangelism and church growth, more specifically and more theologically its commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our image in this respect was not helped by our Presiding Bishop’s comment which has been perceived with much disdain by our brothers and sisters in Christ. With the General Convention’s dismal commitment to evangelism and church growth, it seems like we are only giving lip-service to our commitment to the Gospel and instead choose to fund pork projects and meaningless exploits in theology.

As I have said to some friends, the Episcopal Church must now decide either to lead its congregations into their graceful and financially responsible closures or make a commitment to evangelism and church growth. If we fail to reverse the trends of decline, the financial and budget problems we faced at this General Convention will be childsplay compared to the problems we will face in 12 years (or maybe sooner).

Some predict that the Episcopal Church is entering a revival and that refugees from the See of Rome who have grown tired from Benedict’s tirades will find safety in the harbors of the Episcopal Church. The reality is that this may be a statistical anomaly that will bolster our membership figures for one or two triennia, but not more.

I think that the truth is that the Episcopal Church is faced with a perfect storm. The coupling of bad theology and a lack of commitment to evangelism are producing the statistical nightmare that Episcopal Church officials are seeing today. Let me explain:

Bad Theology Makes a Bad Message

Our theology is the foundation of the very message that we proclaim to the world. When we begin messing with the basics of our theology and re-forming it to be less offensive or less radical or less whatever, and attempting to sanitize it for the sake of our own image, we begin to affect the very message that we send out to the rest of the world. When we begin to marginalize the very sources that make us who we are, we “[collude] with the pagan empire, deny [ourselves] the sourcebook for [our] kingdom critique of oppression” (N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope p. 219). In other words, we begin to dilute the power of the very message we claim to share with the world.

In the Episcopal Church, it seems that all manner of poor theological conclusions are let to fly and to carry currency. Recently, a nominee to the Episcopate authored a revision of the baptismal liturgy which removed all references to atonement and to repentance and sin. The Bishops of the Episcopal Church also recently has refused to discipline a Bishop who has openly denied the bodily resurection of Jesus Christ and has openly denied the teachings of the creeds. These two are but an example of the doctrinal trends that are occurring that need to be stopped if the Episcopal Church is to stop its hemorrhage of membership and Sunday Attendance.

Let me make clear that I am not advocating for fundamentalism or of an extreme swing in the other direction. What I am advocating for is the generous orthodoxy that is classical Anglicanism. This Anglicanism is codified in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral and in the Creeds. This form of Christianity does not dilute or eliminate central doctrines that are accepted by all Christians such as the atonement and the resurrection of Christ and that affirms that the Holy Scriptures are the ultimate rule of faith and practice for Christians. The message of Christianity it is pure form is unique and starkly differentiates it from other religious paths. Among our uniquenesses is that our salvation is dependent on our history. We are saved by what Jesus did for us and not necessarily by Jesus taught us. Doctrine is important to us because the fundamental truths of our faith (should) produce a proper understanding of justification by faith and not by works.  Pastor Tim Keller said in a lecture “When someone says ‘doctrine doesn’t matter’ that is a doctrine, the doctrine of justification by works. It is salvation through advice, and not salvation through what has been done.” (What is the Gospel, The Gospel & Heart Conference, 9/2003).

Doctrinal correctives and discipline are necessary if the Episcopal Church is to present a coherent message to the rest of the world. Again, unity is not uniformity, however there must be minimal agreement so that we can agree on what we will present to the world about us and our story as God’s people. Stories about our contribution to world relief and our commitment to environmentalism wax empty and meaningless unless backed with the message of our understanding that our redemption and transformation by Jesus is what drives us to do these things. I will not rehash the basics of the Gospel here for you, but the Episcopal Church can and should enforce some doctrinal unity by way of reinforcing the primacy of the Book of Common Prayer and Scripture in our life as a community.

With a solid doctrinal foundation, we begin by removing the second roadblock to Episcopal Church growth by reinvigorating the commitment to evangelism in the Episcopal Church beginning with making the Gospel something we can be proud of instead of an identity that we hide in the back closet of our personal lives.

 

Christians Come Out:  Recommitting to the Great Commission

 

It is no secret that one of the greatest fears of every Episcopalian is the word “evangelism”, that thing that requires us to go out and share the faith. For some Episcopalians, being a Christian is something to be hidden, a guilty pleasure, but not something you tell friends about. But wait a minute, is this biblical teaching about what Christians ought to think about themselves and their message? For other Episcopalians, evangelism means doing all manner of “outreach” including fundraising for the developing world, solving the AIDS crisis, the Millenium Development Goals, and so on. Although these are noble deeds in and of themselves, this is not what the scriptures and the prayer book demand of us. Scriptures don’t recommend evangelism as a spiritual pursuit, they demand it and require it as a central part of Christian life.

Sadly, the Episcopal Church has not done very much to replace the image that many converts to the church have of the evangelist: a rageddy man walking about town screaming at people telling them that they will burn in hell forever, or (no disrespect intended), Tammy Faye Baker. The reality is that the evangelism the Gospel asks of us is not this “in your face” kind of evangelism. It asks us to live the Gospel and to be ourselves and to be open about our Christianity, and to be prepared to share the message when we are asked to do so.

Part of the fix is re-introducing the concept in our churches and actively encouraging a rediscovery and reconnection to the essentials of the Gospel. Many need to re-connect with the basics of the faith (and perhaps find Jesus themselves) first. Instead of funding meaningless theological studies and inquiries, General Convention ought instead to fund nationwide efforts to re-connect Episcopalians to the fundamentals of the faith and to invite non-Christians to listen to the message and to see that God makes sense. Our Australian counterparts have demonstrated a strong commitment to this and in Sydney are engaging in a multi-million dollar campaign to encourage Anglicans to connect with 10% of all inhabitants of Sydney this year. In addition, we must also invite Episcopalians to become comfortable with sharing the message and replacing the “bad” image of the evangelist with an evangelist who shows God’s love and by funding projects to train all Episcopalians , not just clergy or other lay professionals,on how to share the message with others.

 

The Moment for Revival

 

I don’t doubt that a revival is coming soon. We are already seeing its beginnings outside of the Episcopal Church. Growing numbers of young people are finding faith in Jesus. In the Episcopal Church, if we wish to take part in this revival of faith we must return to the basics, we must return to the faith which has been handed down to us in generations past. We must also be able to present a coherent message that shows that we are not only a diverse church, but one that is committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we do so, we can become an important part of the coming revival and inject our unique Anglican approach into the future of Christianity as we help advance the Kingdom of God on earth.

 

 

Heresy of the P.B. and The Nature of Salvation

Today I wonder if I can continue being an Episcopalian. No this isn’t just one of those angry moments, this is one of those watershed moments again. No, it’s not about gay blessings, it’s not about being welcome in the church, it’s about an even deeper, more fundamental issue than that. The heresy and cancer of universalism has reared its ugly head again and it needs to be answered head on. Unexpectedly, +Katharine’s words about the error of being totally focused on individual salvation has provided fuel to the cancerous universalists who are now taking this to mean that all individual salvation and all that the claim that the Church, that is the mystical Body of Christ contains in it the fullness of God’s self-revelation to mankind are null and void.

I do not believe that all religions are of equal worth (see my previous writings about the grand error of Universalism), I do not believe that non-Christians (i.e. those who have not yet accepted Christ as Lord and Savior) will enjoy eternity in the presence of God. Nor does the mainstream of Christianity. Only a minority do. I would remind and admonish the Presiding Bishop that our very Baptismal covenant reinforces and accepts the tenet of individual salvation: “Do you turn to Jesus Christ as your savior and Lord?” the prayerbook asks us. I agree with +Katharine that individual salvation should not be the sole focus, but it is indeed a focus. St. John quotes the Lord when he says “whosoever believes in me will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This notion of individual as well as corporate acceptance of Christ as our savior and Lord is repeated over and over again in the New Testament as well as in the liturgies and traditions of oru Church and is not a matter to be trifled with on a whim. To suggest anything else is heresy and a perversion of the very Gospel itself.

 

The Bishop of Rome, Benedict XVI, articulates the balance of individual and communal hope as follows:

 

Our relationship with God is established through communion with Jesus—we cannot achieve it alone or from our own resources alone. The relationship with Jesus, however, is a relationship with the one who gave himself as a ransom for all (cf. 1 Tim 2:6). Being in communion with Jesus Christ draws us into his “being for all”; it makes it our own way of being. He commits us to live for others, but only through communion with him does it become possible truly to be there for others, for the whole. In this regard I would like to quote the great Greek Doctor of the Church, Maximus the Confessor († 662), who begins by exhorting us to prefer nothing to the knowledge and love of God, but then quickly moves on to practicalities: “The one who loves God cannot hold on to money but rather gives it out in God’s fashion … in the same manner in accordance with the measure of justice”[19]. Love of God leads to participation in the justice and generosity of God towards others. Loving God requires an interior freedom from all possessions and all material goods: the love of God is revealed in responsibility for others[20]. This same connection between love of God and responsibility for others can be seen in a striking way in the life of Saint Augustine. After his conversion to the Christian faith, he decided, together with some like-minded friends, to lead a life totally dedicated to the word of God and to things eternal. His intention was to practise a Christian version of the ideal of the contemplative life expressed in the great tradition of Greek philosophy, choosing in this way the  “better part” (cf. Lk 10:42). Things turned out differently, however. While attending the Sunday liturgy at the port city of Hippo, he was called out from the assembly by the Bishop and constrained to receive ordination for the exercise of the priestly ministry in that city. Looking back on that moment, he writes in his Confessions: “Terrified by my sins and the weight of my misery, I had resolved in my heart, and meditated flight into the wilderness; but you forbade me and gave me strength, by saying: ‘Christ died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died’ (cf. 2 Cor 5:15)”[21]. Christ died for all. To live for him means allowing oneself to be drawn into his being for others. — Spe Salvi §28 [Emphases mine]

 

The Bishop of Rome succinctly synthesizes our church’s tradition and doctrine on this matter.  He clarifies the importance of the individual relationship with Jesus Christ and how this in turn impacts our communal salvation.

This is but one example I have seen of church leaders speaking to appease political or cultural special interests in stead of speaking the very truth of the Gospel itself. It is of utmost importance that we as believers speak with a balanced and proper understanding of our traditions and doctrine and to teach the truth of the Gospel in love and not to speak falsehoods and heresy to please our hearers.

 

It is my sincere hope that the Presiding Bishop was simply misunderstood. But if not, it will be very difficult for me to remain in communion with her See that at this point would be actively denying a central doctrine f the Church.

R.I.P. Rite I

               Funny enough, I’ve found myself at home with the language and rhythm of Rite I (the “traditional language” version of services in the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer) as well as in what I consider to be the Formulary Rites (those based largely on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer). Though Elizabethan English is beautiful and has a particular aesthetic that I enjoy very much, it’s not necessarily that which has put me at home in Rite I. It’s the posture of the worshipper, in fact it is the whole attitude of worship in Rite I. Compare if you will the General Confession of both rites (Rite I’s is substantially similar to that in the Formulary Prayerbook) :

 

RITE I [ Traditional Language ]

Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep,
we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts,
we have offended against thy holy laws,
we have left undone those things which we ought to have done,
and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
spare thou those who confess their faults,
restore thou those who are penitent,
according to thy promises declared unto mankind
in Christ Jesus our Lord;
and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

 

RITE II [ Contemporary Language ]

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

 

Most of my more “liberal” friends complain that traditionalist liturgy is more transactional than modern theology. But I would actually beg to differ. Rite I (the above confession being only a brief example of a pattern throughout the rite) carries with in a fully developed and rich doctrine of sin that is anything but transactional. It acknowledges our inherent fallenness and imperfections. It acknowledges the nature of sin itself: “We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desire of our own hearts”. In fact the modern confession sounds to me more like a business letter than a heartfelt song of penitence to the Father against whom we have sinned and specifically calls on God to give us the grace to live a “godly, righteous and sober life”.  The doctrine of sin is important to understand. It is much more than plus points and minus points, it is our depravity and our inborn condition.

 

In Rite I, the worshipper is placed in his/her right place, at the foot of God’s throne. When worshipping in this rite, one finds oneself caught up in worship, honoring and glorifying our Creator and seeking out His mercy. As I’ve said to some people, I have a slight allergy to Rite II and “Contemporary” liturgies because they tend to (though not always) undermine the idea of worship and lift up the idea of entertaining the congregation. Relevance and palatability often come at the expense of retaining reverence for God and a properly developed understanding of our relationship to Him.

 

The unfortunate thing is that these ancient rites are not going to survive into the next prayerbook revision in the United States. In Canada and the UK, these rites have been undermined by the introduction of alternative service books. I see a glimmer of light though in that there is  a resurgence in the popularity of traditional worship and that there is a growing interest in Rite I. But alas, Rite I will probably fade into history along with us who so value its richness and theological depth. Requiescat in Pace Rite I. We will miss you.

My One and Only Post about General Convention

I’m a bit disillusioned, or dare I say a bit fearful about this big machine, the effective primate of the Episcopal Church that is going to be awakened in a few days time. From my observations of the 2003 and 2006 incarnations of it, I saw a lot of infighting, and jockeying, but I could simply be mistaken. This year promises to be a Convention that has serious consequences, but also one that can be a crucial turning point for our Church as a whole. This will be my one, and only post about General Convention.

In 2006, the General Convention passed resolution B033, which effectively barred the consecration of any openly gay, non-celibate bishops and the creation or promulgation of any rite to bless same-sex unions publicly. At this Convention, we are about to see the showdown to see if this resolution remains in effect, is repudiated, or replaced with something that has either more or less teeth. The prospect of either of these options will no doubt upset someone. IntegrityUSA (of which I am a member) has already begun their rhetorical and lobby campaigns. So, I’m expecting a huge fight, that really we don’t need to be involved in and one that I really don’t want to hear about. I will refrain from opining on B033 and its fate, because at this point I think it’s immaterial.

Nearly every State in the Union has had trouble in passing their budgets on time because many legislatures have had to decide just what to cut (and a lot had to be cut in a lot of places). Now it’s the Episcopal Church’s turn. Fr. Nicholas Knisely of Entangled States wrote:

Between the economic meltdown and the lack of commitment to evangelism and youth ministry, the Episcopal Church is at present a rapidly aging, increasingly cash strapped entity. From what I’ve been told, there’s a 23 million dollar gap (perhaps now 30 million) between what has been asked to be funded by Convention and what income is expected to do that funding. And since a goodly chunk of our triennial budget is spent on health care, support for missions, and missionary dioceses, we really don’t have a lot areas where we can cut without significant pain.”

The Episcopal Church cannot afford the excesses of General Convention for 10 days every 3 years, the grand bureaucracy, nor can it afford any luxuries when it is threatened with ever lower membership figures, ever lower giving and ever aging membership. We have now an opportunity to see the writing and the wall and change course, or we can stick our heads in the sand and come up for air 3, 6, or 9 years later only to find our church in ruins.

The Church (i.e. the whole mystical Body of Christ) will never die. The Holy Spirit will ensure that. However, our particular denomination can. Hopefully with every committee and every department facing some cuts here or there, we will wake up and realize that there are two things we need to do now:

Evangelize

No, not “mission focuses” or “mission partners”, not development, not building or repairing buildings, evangelism. We may lose assets in the next few years including precious buildings, departments, organs, and seminaries, and staff but that is the cost we will have to pay to survive. But, evangelism done in a way that embraces our “merely Catholic” identity will reverse the course. Evangelism is like kryptonite to many in our denomination. They find the whole idea of inviting someone into a relationship with Jesus that can redeem them, transform them and save them to be utterly and completely repulsive. This is an atittude that we need to correct rapidly. We need to get over the bad experiences we’ve had with evangelism, and move on with the work of Christ’s Church.

Part of this, of course, is clarifying our identity. Right now, to the rest of the Christian world and indeed to the public we are known as the “every heresy flies” Church, or the “proud to be a heretic” denomination. For goodness’ sake, we have laics and clerics running around denying wholesale the ancient creeds and the authority of scripture, we have laics and clerics who deny that Jesus died for our sins, we had until recently a Muslim Priest and just barely avoided consenting to the consecration of a Buddhist Bishop. This “everything goes” attitude that is the image of the Episcopalian is but a perversion of our true Anglican identity. I’m not advocating for theological totalitarianism, but I am advocating a change of course to show that we are a denomination that is truly committed to maintaining the historic, apostolic Christian faith restated for the 21st Century and fulfill our promise in the Baptismal Covenant to “continue in the apostles’ teachings”. Part of doing this involves a commitment to a better public image, and to stricter discipline of those who openly contradict or undermine the historic creeds or dogmas of the Church which are the essential foundation for all of our theology both theoretical and practical.

Trim Down Expenses

Funding for General Convention has increased by 10 – 15% this year. Other expenses in other departments except for Evangelism and Outreach have gone up in the last few years. In order for us to survive our “lean” years, we have to trim down the size of the bureaucracy we all work with. Granted, we are a hierarchical denomination and that in and of itself necessitates some level of bureaucracy, there have to be ways that we can trim it down to the bare minimum. Could General Convention discussions and CCAB meetings be done over the internet or teleconference? Could we do hearings, etc. online? Meeting only in person to conduct votes and last-minute debates? Could we maybe do General Convention once every 4 years instead of 3 years? … Is there a way to trim down the size of 815 to a level that keeps us going but doesn’t bankrupt us? I don’t want to sound like a radical, but right now, the only absolutely necessary things are Church Pension Group, Evangelism, Communications, Vocations and maybe Youth and Young Adult ministry. These four areas need to be strengthened and supported with serious funding so that we can establish the foundation of our future. These are of course suggestions, but the General Convention needs to seriously reflect on what we value as a Church and how long we want to survive into the future.

So,  now, these are the reflections that I want to share before General Convention, and the only ones that I will share. I have decided to maintain a comment and news blackout on General Convention until the end and go about my work as a disciple and pray that it all goes well.

Pax.

Are We Committed?

“But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you – see that you excel in this act of grace also”
–    2 Cor. 8:7

In the days when today’s passage was written, the believers in Judea were suffering tremendously and were very poor. In response to this poverty, St. Paul undertook a great collection to assist these believers in their time of need. The churches outside of Judea contributed funds, and Paul made special mention of the church in Macedonia. According to St. Paul: “they gave according to their means, as I can testify” (2 Cor. 8:3).
After sharing this example of the Macedonian Church, St. Paul turned his attention to the believers in Corinth. As our “theme verse” today reads, St. Paul asked them to excel in this effort of giving, just as they excelled in speech, in knowledge, and in their faith.
After reading the passage, you may be thinking that this is going to be another one of those Stewardship things. Not quite. Actually, today’s message is being addressed to our GLBT Christian friends, especially as we are approaching one of the potentially most tempestuous times in the life of our Church: General Convention. This passage of scripture is an opportune place for us to stop and reflect as we march ever closer to the Convention.
In 2 Cor. 8:7, we encounter the phrase: “see that you excel in this act of grace also”, this phrase ins in the form of a command, but let’s read on a bit: “I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine” (2 Cor. 8:8). This was not merely a Bishop of the early church commanding people to do something. This was an encouragement to take the opportunity to demonstrate their own love and commitment. As we all well know, true love is not content with mere talk, but also in deeds.
So what does all of this have to do with the GLBT community and the General Convention? Well, I think that the question that St. Paul asks of the Corinthians in this passage, is one that is also being asked of the GLBT community today: Is our commitment to the Church genuine? Is our love of others truly genuine?
When people ask me who I am, or how I identify myself, I say that I am first and foremost a Christian. As believers and followers of our Lord, our identity is grounded not in our gender, our sexual orientation, our race, or anything, but our identity as God’s chosen people (cf. Rom. 6:4, Gal. 3:28, 2 Cor. 5:17, 1 Pet. 2:9-10).

In our conversations about inclusion, making all the sacraments and sacramental rites available to all are rightly disposed for and desire them, we must return to this key fact : our identity as Christians is grounded solely in Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
Gay and lesbian people have brought to our Church many gifts including new and bold interpretations of our scriptures and traditions, and have in many cases reinvigorated parishes throughout the Episcopal Church that otherwise would have faded into history. As the Corinthians, we often excel in our faith, our speech and our knowledge. But is our commitment to the rest of the Church genuine?
In recent weeks and months, the debate about the place of gay and lesbian people in the Church has heated up in preparation for General Convention. I find the tone of the debate to be more about rights and carving out a place in the Episcopal Church for gay and lesbian people than it is about the Gospel itself. I realize though that not all GLBT people side with these opinions.
Nevertheless, the question of our commitment to the Church and love of others is a pertinent one. So let me bring up something. In the Blue Book (reports to the General Convention from various committee), we found that our overall membership and Sunday attendance is decreasing (into double digit percentages). We also find that our Church is aging rapidly, and many church institutions are facing big budget cuts, which will affect our overall work and mission to our communities. My question to you is what are we as the GLBT community of the Church going to do about that?
Our commitment to the Gospel means much more than our activism at General Convention, our networking with clergy  and lay leadership in order to achieve our goals in the Church, and in our desire to obtain what is “rightfully ours” in receiving the sacramental rites of Matrimony and in being eligible for consecration to the Episcopate, or in writing vitriolic rhetoric about people on the other side of the debate and labeling their actions as mere politics.
In real terms, our commitment to the Gospel means living fully the terms of our Baptismal Covenant. Respecting the dignity of every human being means loving people like the deposed Bishop Robert Duncan, who in good conscience felt that he could not be Episcopalian anymore, or the people of Christ Church Anglican here in Phoenix who left Christ-Church of the Ascension. It also means engaging in the Gospel mission of “go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19-20, my paraphrase).
Part of “winning” our participation in the sacramental rites of the Church includes earning our proverbial keep as Christians. As St. James said: “faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). We have seen this principle at work right here in Phoenix. As Integrity@Trinity engages in its ministry to the Cathedral parish and to the diocesan community through our faithful service and our committed witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have gained respect and credibility in our communities. Integrity, and other GLBT movements in the Episcopal Church and our sister churches would gain much respect and credibility if their work was not so much rhetoric, and political posturing as it is about sharing the love of God with others.
So how do we do this? How might we reach out? There are lots of ways the GLBT Christian community can reach out and serve their communities. We should make special efforts to be present to our communities and make genuine contributions to our common life and work, and not just those that advance our own causes.
St. Paul’s advice is simple: “For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person have, not according to what he does not have” (2 Cor. 8:12). Start small by joining a Bible Study, coming to a movie night, or by volunteering to serve in various capacities in the parish and by regular (daily) prayer and reflection on the Holy Scriptures. People start to notice when you begin being part of the community and living the values of the Gospel in your life.
Take some time to reflect on this passage a bit, and on your own commitment to the Church and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what this means for you and how you might begin to live out that commitment in your life. Have a blessed week.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all
– 2 Cor.13:14

Is Honoring Tradition A Bad Thing?

In the Episcopal Church we tend to get overheated in discussions about whether we ought to keep a tradition or just simply ignore it. On my part, I tend to get a bit annoyed when the liturgy of the Mass is changed so as not to “offend” certain types. Like Joseph Campbell (who although quite a liberal thinker threw quite the fit when the Roman Catholics changed the liturgy in the 70s), I believe that the Mass is endowed with deep and powerful symbolism that we, the heirs of this great tradition of liturgy have no business changing at a whim.

But, it’s even beyond this, I also tend to get annoyed when Episcopalian Christians tell me that the Bible is fiction or that belief in the historic and apostolic Creeds of our Church is an optional matter. Truly, this for me is a crisis that we need to overcome. If we always approach tradition as “a bunch of men who were finding every way they could to oppress women and minorities and create structures of exclusion”, we will never begin to appreciate the depth and the richness of the tapestry that have been woven by our Fathers and Mothers of the faith over the last 2,000 or so years. It is this lack of appreciation, respect and reverence for the great Tradition of the Church that, I think, will eventually cause the Episcopal Church and all mainline denominations to fail unless it is rapidly corrected.

As a gay man, I certainly do have issues with quite a bit of the tradition that I as a full citizen of God’s Church have inherited from my faith ancestors. But, I don’t see the need that folks have to disparage, deconstruct and dare I say, destroy the value of this sacred deposit of faith as some have. Further, I don’t see the need for this tendency to sanitize the writings to the point where they become meaningless and worthless. I tend to take the approach of Conservative Judaism which says that we will accept the interpretations of scriptures handed down to us by our Fathers and Mothers in the faith, unless there is sufficient, rational grounds for us to change that interpretation. Tradition is what informs the way forward for us and reminds us of the pitfalls and errors we tend to make as fallen, sinful people.

Let me first be clear, I believe in the fact that the Holy Scriptures constitute the ultimate rule for faith and practice, and that all that is necessary and appurtenant to our salvation is contained in them (Article VI of the Articles of Religion, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). But, as a catholic-minded Episcopalian, I also believe that our tradition has a significant role to play in the life of our faith. I, for one, believe that there is a reason that our tradition is the way it is with all of its follies. The tradition teaches us the salient and poignant truth that no matter what we do to muck it up, the Holy Spirit ultimately guides the weaving of the tapestry which is our great Christian tradition. The tapestry of tradition was woven not to create a pleasing image for future generations, but rather to show the image of Christ crucified for us. Just as taking apart an ancient tapestry to re-weave it would be a great tragedy, so too it is when we choose to unravel the threads of the magnificent tapestry of our tradition.

Let me not be heard to say that tradition is an idol we ought to worship, nor let me be heard to say that tradition is absolute.  But, why abandon the teachings which have driven our ancestors and continue to drive us into the future? Let’s not re-do the Holy Spirit’s work that was already done many years ago, but instead, let the Holy Spirit work through us as we continue to weave and as we continue to join threads to continue the tapestry of Christianity well into the future.