This is what happens when you take pictures at night with a flash in a snowstorm, when you can barely see because the wind is blowing snow in your eyes, and some nutjob has almost mowed you over because he's mountain biking through the drifts, and then you realize that you might also be a nutjob because what are you doing out in a blizzard with your camera anyway? Then your camera runs out of batteries.The Primates Meeting has sort of blasted me. I knew it would be this way - I knew there wouldn't be an affirmation of Gene Robinson or same-sex blessings or anything. But I feel shunned. Seven archbishops refused to take communion with the Episcopal Presiding Bishop. Most leaders of the Anglican Communion (which perhaps appropriately, we call "primates") agree the Episcopal Church needs to cease and desist all liturgical acknowledgment of gay and lesbian people, or they will take action to not be in communion with us anymore. By September 30, U.S. bishops are supposed to have formally declared that they will not allow any blessings of same-sex unions in their dioceses. That's just not going to happen.
I believe in the importance of acknowledging that indeed, we did breach the "bonds of affection" between churches. But we did so in the belief that we were following the will of Christ. And now, I think we're being ignored and shunned ourselves. What about the living faith and witness of Christians in this country (and elsewhere) who see Christ living and acting through people who happen to be homosexual? No one at the Primates meeting has made any space for them, or for the ways the Holy Spirit might be moving through them.
And yet, it feels like some kind of strange gift to be struggling with this issue on an international scale. This is not just an issue in the U.S. A fellow student told me this morning he'd rather not be in communion with the rest of the Church anyway, if this is how it's going to be. I'm not so sure about that - I like that my friend Jon's blog is called, "Small World, Big Church."
It's funny, because my ministry advisor in div school often said that churches are becoming increasingly local. Churchgoers don't seem to be as interested in being a national - much less an international church - as being individual communities. I don't know how to put this together with what's happened at the Primates' Meeting, but it sure does feel safer to me to hunker down in my own church ghetto - as my friend Sharon would say - than to face all this insanity out in the world. H. Richard Niebuhr would be disappointed in me.
Nice picture! I think this is a very hard situation, and it's a case where our polities (and even theologies) are failing us.
ReplyDeleteECUSA was capable nationally of coming to a decision on sexuality much faster than presbyterian or congregational systems. This worked out well nationally, but now you are suffering internationally for the same reason (the church leaders can meet and make a decision that affects everyone).
I think our churches (reformed) are unable to reach concensus and have been thus been becoming more presbyterian or congregational to deal with the lack of unity. I honestly do not know what to do here. When do we coerce unity and how much diversity (liberal or conservative) are we willing to accept?
I think part of the problem is that we lack the friendships we need to facilitate these conversations. While some people have characterized the Anglican challenge as a sort of "revenge of the missionaries," I think the problem may be that our international relationships have crumbled and now we are paying for it. It's much harder to cut off a friend than it is an "international partner" or some such thing. I think the best thing Seabury could do would be to set up reciprocal semesters with some Nigerian seminaries.
Ironically, my dad has joked that he wants to start a "big world small church" blog... Hang in there and may God's blessing be with you in this challenging time.
i feel your pain, dear one. i feel like my silence on the recent developments in the PC(USA) is glaring considering what some would consider the role I have played in them. But sometimes you're just too baffled, too sad, too tired to say anything more. I talked my heart out a year ago (and for the previous four). Sigh. i like the prayer you recently posted. very powerful. very important.
ReplyDelete