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Trinity Episcopal Church Hattiesburg, Mississippi A Letter to the Parish: The Good Episcopal Boat September 30, 2007 Go To Trinity's Home Page

     A few weeks ago, a parishioner wrote to me with concerns about the Episcopal Church. I was so grateful to hear from this person directly, and over a several day period, I prayed and thought about how to respond. Eventually I wrote a letter, and before I sent it, I shared it with a small group of our parish leadership. At their urging, I will share a modified version of that letter with you. It seems especially appropriate to do this today following the House of Bishop’s Meeting in New Orleans last week.

     The letter begins, "I sincerely and deeply thank you for writing to us on the back of your pledge card your concerns, worries, and frustrations about the Episcopal Church. I am very grateful to you for taking the time to speak candidly. I know there are many people at Trinity who share many of your concerns, but you took the time to actually speak with me about them, which is refreshing and so very welcome. I am grateful to you. I want to take just a few moments to respond to you. But I want you to know from the outset that I don’t intend to defend what some of the leaders of the Episcopal Church have done or to take exception to what you wrote. I want to honor and respect you particularly because you courageously shared your deepest concerns with me.

     "I very much hear your anguish when you write, 'I am not sure I want to be a part of a denomination that says Jesus is not the only means of salvation.' I guess that this stems from the quote by the Presiding Bishop that appeared in Time magazine a little over a year ago. All I can say is that the Presiding Bishop is often the one person the press asks when it wants to know what the Episcopal Church says. But in reality, she is one Bishop in the House of Bishops, and many other Bishops in the House do not share her opinion. Because of the peculiar nature of the polity of our church, there are many voices that need to be heard, including the House of Delegates in order to really understand the position of the church on anything. Unfortunately, the collective voice is seldom sought out by any but the most diligent of reporters.

     "The issue of the scriptural basis of moral behavior that you wrote about is probably the most contentious of all. Good and faithful people have come down on opposite sides of the issue of homosexuality, with both sides quoting from one passage of the Old Testament or another to condemn homosexual behavior, or quoting from passages of the New Testament to point out that adherence to certain Old Testament purity codes is not essential to salvation.

     "In another Diocese that wrestled with issues about sexuality following General Convention 2003, I watched many anguished people stand before a crowd of somewhat unsympathetic antagonists and say to the Bishop and to the delegation that attended General Convention 2003, 'What has happened to my church? Where is moral authority? I just don’t understand how you could have done what you did.' And my heart went out to everyone who found themselves in the position of wondering whether everyone was just using scripture for their own personal agenda or benefit; proof texting when it suited their purposes. In the end I realized that very intelligent and faithful people had honest differences of opinion about the sum of what Holy Scripture had to say, and that the issue was not going to be resolved by throwing Bible verses at one another. What was needed is a willingness to stay in dialog with one another, pushing at each other, testing the validity of one moral point after another.

     "I sincerely believe that it is only through a kind of Holy Listening, that the Holy Spirit will allow us to achieve mutual understanding and respect, and to really hear God’s voice in this and other matters. In this vein, I am reminded of the story in Acts where the Apostles were before the council and gave their testimony, which enraged the council members.

     '…A Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the [Apostles] to be put outside for a short time. Then he said to [his fellow council members], "Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men.

For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you … if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them-- in that case you may even be found fighting against God"!' (Acts 5:34-39).

I for one, want so very much for all of us to stay in our denomination and work through this until the Holy Spirit makes it clear to us all where we need to be.

     "You are absolutely right that the Episcopal Church does seem to spend a great deal of time trying to be politically correct. However, over the years, I have come to believe that it is the ethos of Anglicanism at the root of this perception. That is because our tradition is one of seeking the middle way. That is not to say that we will compromise at any cost to be politically correct, but rather that we seek unity through consensus. Some of the ways we achieve unity can be seen in the Prayer Books used throughout the Anglican Communion. Although not every book contains the exact same words, structures, or forms of prayers or even the same rites, they are unmistakably Anglican. They achieve unity, even though they do not necessarily conform to a single set of standards. I see that as the real beauty of the Anglican tradition: being able to embrace diversity and seek unity.

     "So as we struggle with the issues of sexuality, female Bishops, the authority and autonomy of Bishops, and what it really means to be an Anglican, we are really defining what we mean by unity. In June 2006, Archbishop Rowan Williams wrote this about Anglican unity:

     'The reason Anglicanism is worth bothering with is because it has tried to find a way of being a Church that is neither tightly centralised nor just a loose federation of essentially independent bodies – a Church that is seeking to be a coherent family of communities meeting to hear the Bible read, to break bread and share wine as guests of Jesus Christ, and to celebrate a unity in worldwide mission and ministry. That is what the word ‘Communion’ means for Anglicans...

'Of course it is possible to produce a self-deceiving, self-important account of our worldwide identity, to pretend that we were a completely international and universal institution like the Roman Catholic Church. We’re not. But we have tried to be a family of Churches willing to learn from each other across cultural divides, not assuming that European (or American or African) wisdom is what settles everything, opening up the lives of Christians here to the realities of Christian experience elsewhere. And we have seen these links not primarily in a bureaucratic way but in relation to the common patterns of ministry and worship – the community gathered around Scripture and sacraments; a ministry of bishops, priests and deacons, a biblically-centered form of common prayer, a focus on the Holy Communion. These are the signs that we are not just a human organization but a community trying to respond to the action and the invitation of God that is made real for us in ministry and Bible and sacraments … There is an identity here, however fragile and however provisional.'[*]

     "The Episcopal Church is definitely in a state of flux right now, and as many of you read my article in The Tidings that was just mailed, I compared the Episcopal Church to a boat. I sincerely believe that the Episcopal Church is a good boat, and she has weathered many storms. She has had some timbers replaced, and many of her sails have been patched. Some might say that she is no longer the same ship she once was. Perhaps that is true. But I maintain that she is a good ship, one that is rich in God’s Spirit, and is a safe place where all people may be together in the presence of God. She may have some holes that need patching, and perhaps some correctives are needed in structure and direction, but I maintain that it is better to use our plurality of views and diversity of thought to work on her together rather than jump ship or fall into the tumultuous sea of congregationalism.

     "Many people in the Episcopal Church are engaged in a process of discernment. They are asking the really tough questions. They are wondering whether the Episcopal Church can remain their church home. It is a hard time for many people. But I want you to know something, and I mean this with total sincerity. I am here to support you and your family as you continue this struggle, and I will fully support you if you choose to leave the Episcopal Church. I know that that will be one of the hardest decisions you will ever make, and I want you to know that I will honor and defend your decision to do so.

     "We are all on a spiritual journey, and we need to follow the path as it is revealed to us. I hope and pray that you find your way to a sense of that peace that surpasses all understanding, no matter where the path leads you."

___________________________
[*] http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/sermons_speeches/060627%20Archbishop%20-%20challenge%20and%20hope%20reflection.htm

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Copyright © 2007, William G. Stroop - All Rights Reserved.
27 September 2007

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