Lydia Evans

To you, O LORD, I lift my soul

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:52:26 -0400

To you, O LORD, I lift my soul.
O my God, in your I trust . . .

Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.

Psalm 25:1-5

A Letter from the Archbishop (Abridged)

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:26:23 -0400

This morning, the Archbishop of Canterbury offered his long-anticipated reflection on the recent General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Communion, Covenant and our Anglican Future. His summation was thorough, in more than two dozen paragraphs and just under 3,000 words. And as I write, this letter addressed to the bishops, clergy and faithful of the Anglican Communion is, no doubt, being analyzed by astute theological minds across the globe.
But if I were asked by my neighbor to distill Rowan Cantuar’s treatise on the current reality within the Communion, I might paraphrase his remarks like this:
True to form, the Episcopal Church welcomed me in Anaheim. While it was abundantly clear that you desire to retain a certain position within the Communion, a number of your General Convention resolutions are not conciliatory.
Love one another, but let’s be clear about the issue. It’s not about liberty or dignity or even pastoral care. Living in a same-sex relationship is tantamount to adultery. While such persons are in need of pastoral care, the Church will not sanction their actions.
General Convention cannot change doctrine. Living in a same-sex relationship precludes a Communion-wide recognition of sacerdotal or episcopal authority. It doesn’t matter what the Massachusetts State Legislature says -- that doesn’t change the doctrine and discipline of the Church. Neither do your canons.
No province has officially sanctioned open communion or lay presidency. An acceptance of either would constitute a change in Anglican teaching and doctrine.
The Anglican Communion is more than a confederation of churches evangelized by Englishmen. Your presence at the table implies mutual recognition, accountability, and shared discernment. That being said, we do not yet have a Covenant in place.
The Episcopal Church may decide, by her actions, to walk a different path of Anglicanism. This is up to you. Some of your dioceses may not wish to walk apart (and should be free to remain at the Communion table). In fact, a number of your people have indicated that they are with us.
So far, we’ve held it together, but you can’t expect each member of the family to remain silent. It’s not too late. Consider the consequences of your actions.
Again, thank you for the invitation to Anaheim.
+ Rowan Cantuar

Through a Glass Darkly

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:50:43 -0400

Episcopalians have always prided themselves on their ability to live and worship together amidst a diversity of opinion, and historians have often referenced the Elizabethan Settlement as evidence that Anglicans “may agree to disagree,” on certain issues. [1] Indeed, this kaleidoscope of interpretation, not unlike the stained glass of her cathedrals, has been the very element which has attracted many of her members.
Anglicanism thrived in colonial America, and the Episcopal Church became “a great Christian body [contributing] to the country a third of its presidents.” [2] In the last fifty years, however, the via media in America has drifted so far left of center that the Episcopal Church is now understood as a place where “it doesn’t matter what you believe.” [3] Known for decades by familiar red and blue signs declaring her welcome to all, the Episcopal Church has slid slowly into insignificance.
Just how did this darling of mainline Protestantism reach the point where she faced an all-time low in membership and a staggering budget deficit?
Inclusivity gave way to affirmation, with an emphasis on social justice to the exclusion of evangelism. In the interest of casting a wider, more inclusive net, TEC leadership began to marginalize more moderate and conservative voices, resulting in an exodus of members and a substantial decrease in diocesan giving. Ultimately, the break with centuries of Anglican tradition, coupled with a greater emphasis on trial liturgies, brought an end to common prayer. And ironically, the departure of conservative leadership led to a perception of greater theological homogeneity within the Church.
As a result, diversity of interpretation has been replaced with theological innovation. The Anglican symphony of voices has been overshadowed as Episcopal leadership seems to speak with una voce, in a bitter lament to move beyond the paternalism of B033 and forward to equality. In fact, the passage of the moratorium in response to the Windsor Report was such strong medicine to many in the Church that, in the last three years, they have begun to whine like children confined to their rooms by their global guardians. Imperialism has reared its head, with church leadership noting their significant financial support to the wider Communion. So much for Matthew’s exhortation to give in abscondito. [4]
But while insiders continue to laud the denomination’s historic breadth of interpretation and progressive social message, the Episcopal Church is increasingly viewed as a curiosity to outsiders. Each General Convention brings with it a new round of clarifications regarding church polity. While their latest gathering in Anaheim welcomed the Archbishop of Canterbury, actions of convention failed to heed Rowan Cantuar’s warning to avoid “decisions in the coming days that could push us further apart.” [5] To wit, in a recent letter to Anglican primates, the Presiding Bishop stressed the importance of direct communication “about our different cultural and ecclesial contexts,” in an effort to “prevent any misunderstandings.” [6] Likewise, in a letter addressed to members of the Episcopal Church, Katherine Jefferts-Schori characterized coverage of GC 2009 in the secular press as “misinterpreted or exaggerated.” And the correspondence continues with a record number of clarifications issued in the last week.
But these epistles come after the fact, as bishops and deputies passed legislation effectively repealing B033, the 2006 moratorium on consecration of gay and lesbian persons to the episcopate. 2009-D025 re-affirmed the Church’s 2000 recognition that its baptized members include “same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships characterized by fidelity, monogamy . . . and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God.” [7] In addition, D025 “affirmed that God has called and may call such individuals to any ordained ministry.”
While both the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies maintain that “General Convention has not repealed Resolution B033,” their interpretation of D025 fails to diminish the impact of another Act of Convention -- the passage of C056 authorizing the development and use of liturgies for same-sex blessings. [8] While the language is once again suitably vague, the intent is clear. The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music is authorized to “collect and develop” liturgies, with bishops encouraged to “provide generous pastoral response” through their assent to such blessings. This local-option interpretation is confirmed in the final resolves of C056 with an exhortation to “honor the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality” and a further encouragement of members “to engage in this effort.” [9]
How does the Anglican Communion really view the actions of the Episcopal Church? And given the common theological and liturgical heritage of Anglicans, why must TEC work so hard to be understood by the wider Church?
Good questions, but the answers depend on whom you ask.
First, reports coming out of Anaheim have centered on two resolutions -- D025 and C056 -- both carefully crafted and written in the nuanced language often used to describe the actions of the Episcopal Church. The headlines of American newspapers, albeit provocative, have also been surprisingly accurate. Ironically, the media’s hasty appraisal of GC 2009 has given the Church a new weapon in her public relations arsenal, with leadership claiming once again that Episcopal polity has been misunderstood. Insisting that no canonical impediment exists to the consecration of individuals in same-sex relationships, Gay Jennings, chair of the committee charged with recommending D025, argued that the “constitution and canons . . . do not preclude gay and lesbian persons from participating” in all three orders of ordained ministry. [10]
Not surprisingly, Integrity is claiming victory on two fronts, by moving TEC beyond B033 and “forward on equality for the blessing of same-sex unions.” [11] However, in a joint letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Katherine Jefferts-Schori and Bonnie Anderson maintain that “General Convention has not repealed Resolution B033.” [12] But this cannot be a case of both/and. Both Integrity and the leadership of TEC appear to be putting a rosy spin on this story.
Continued forbearance within the Anglican Communion may hinge on the global interpretation of D025. Just last May, when asked how a move to countermand B033 would be received, Rowan Williams responded that “action to negate that resolution would instantly suggest to many . . . that [TEC] would prefer not to go down the route of closer structural bonds and . . . mutual responsibility.” [13]
While N.T. Wright, Rowan Williams, and others in the Communion have continued to urge restraint, Dr. Jenny Te Paa, an international visitor to the General Convention in Anaheim, encouraged bishops and deputies to move forward, billing her delegation from New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Ghana, and Kenya as representing “the true Global South.”
In her remarks, Te Paa, the dean of an Anglican theological college, described her province of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia (ACANZP) as the only jurisdiction to have been officially censured by the Anglican Consultative Council, following their 1992 constitutional change establishing a three tikanga church. Te Paa’s church was thus divided into three culturally-segregated streams of Anglicanism along what critics “claimed were ‘dangerously unprecedented racially prescriptive lines’.” [See note 14 for her 2005 remarks following the drafting of the Windsor Report.]
And it was at this point where Te Paa saw an historic parallel between ACANZP and the Episcopal Church. While some in the Communion questioned the proposal’s lack of theological grounding, the New Zealand Church moved forward in 1992, seeking to redeem a “legacy of grave injustice toward minority indigenous peoples.” Ever the advocate for change, she urged members of the House of Deputies now to follow their “contextual spiritual conscience . . . [in order to] live justly and in good faith with others in the Communion.” [14]
In a similar vein, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, as the Primate of Southern Africa, referred to homosexuality as “a pastoral, secondary problem,” noting that the Communion ought to concern itself with the Millennium Development Goals rather than “what Gene Robinson may be doing or not doing.” [15]
But although Te Paa and Ndungane have been strident voices in equating same-sex blessings with civil rights, they remain minority voices within the Anglican Communion. Both share an emphasis on liberation theology and, while professing the need for autonomy-in-communion, they have continued to urge the American church to push the envelope in matters of human sexuality.
Was B033 repealed in Anaheim?
Ted Gulick says no. Tom Wright says yes. Katherine Jefferts-Schori says not yet. Sam Candler says maybe. Jenny Te Paa would say it’s high time.
Consider the amount of legislation calling for the repeal of B033 -- more than a dozen resolutions argued specifically that the actions of GC 2006 imposed an extra-canonical restraint on bishops and standing committees. Clearly understood to address the repeal of the moratorium, all of these resolutions, with the exception of D025, were ultimately discharged as having already been acted upon by the convention. [16] In fact, the chair of the Committee on the Dispatch of Business was aware of the potential impact of D025. Prior to the convention, Jim Simons, a priest in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, had said that he preferred to see B033 stand “for the sake of the communion, for the sake of wider fellowship,” and he cautioned against the adoption of a church-wide liturgy for same-sex unions. [17]
But while D025 has been widely interpretated, there has been little ambiguity on the intent of C056. On the communion-wide impact of legislation authorizing the development and use of liturgies for same-sex blessings, Dan Martins, a clerical deputy from Northern Indiana, predicted that “this convention has abrogated every positive gesture it has made toward the Anglican Communion since 2003. Everything we did three years ago in response to the Windsor Report is down the drain.” [18]
Returning to their dioceses this week to interpret the actions of General Convention, some bishops and deputies will attempt to downplay the impact of D025 and C056, while others will declare that TEC has moved out of the grayness of B033 and into the light of marriage equality.
The Very Rev. Sam Candler, dean of the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta and chair of the committee that presented C056, termed it “an elegant blend of theological care, ecclesiastical breadth and pastoral generosity.” [19]
In a recent pastoral letter, the Rt. Rev. Edwin Gulick, bishop of Kentucky and interim bishop of Fort Worth, acknowledged “the very nuanced nature of these resolutions,” and noted the Presiding Bishop’s observation that “the moratorium enjoined upon us by the Windsor Process would not be lifted until a diocese elects a gay or lesbian person to the episcopate and that person is consecrated.” [20] Thus, Gulick interprets the repeal of B033 as embodied in a future act, rather than in D025.
Across the pond, theologian and Bishop of Durham N. T. Wright responded strongly to the passage of D025, noting that “the House of Bishops . . . has voted decisively to allow in principle the appointment, to all orders of ministry, of persons in active same-sex relationships,” . . . [marking] a clear break with the rest of the Anglican Communion.” Wright suggests that members of the House of Bishops made an informed decision, terming attempts to justify their actions as “cynical double-think.” [21]
But proponents of C056 point to the rise in the legalization of civil unions in America, seeking to portray access to same-sex blessings as a legal entitlement. Mike Angell, an Episcopal seminarian, clearly understands the impact of C056, and looks forward to officiating at the weddings “of friends -- straight and gay” following his ordination. Referencing his belief in marriage equality, he maintains that he “would have felt limited and compromised blessing hetero couples but not gay couples. It's an issue of justice." [22] Likewise, an observer at General Convention expressed curiosity at the need to pass legislation, noting that “you’re not asking for anyone’s approval of something that you’re entitled to.” [23]
Others in the Episcopal Church, however, have begun to see the state of the denomination more clearly. This renewed sense of clarity has brought with it a desire to affirm ties with the See of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion, as well as a continuing commitment to the Covenant process. By the close of convention, nearly three dozen bishops had signed the Anaheim Statement, described by The Living Church as a “letter of dissent to the actions of the 76th General Convention [and which] pledged the bishops’ fealty to the requests made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the 2008 Lambeth Conference, the primates' meetings and ACC-14 to observe a moratoria on same-gender blessings, cross-border interventions and the ordination of gay and lesbian people to the episcopate.” [24] It is important to note that, of the 34 signatories to date, 26 are diocesan bishops, representing nearly one-quarter of the bishops having jurisdiction in the Episcopal Church.
Deputies in Anaheim faced the harsh reality of a $23 million shortfall in their triennial budget and the necessity of eliminating 20% of the staff (37 out of 180 positions) at the Church Center. [25] Institutional maintenance threatens to subsume evangelism and mission. While the budget deficit has been a wake-up call to some, others attribute TEC’s financial challenges to the current economic state of affairs. An astute observation was made that, because the Mission Funding office is now focused entirely on the archives project, the Church has “effectively declared that the glories of the past are worth preserving, but that there is no hope or vision for the future.” [26]
Our inability to see clearly in this life is readily acknowledged in Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth. He writes, “for now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.” [27] But while our temporal vision is somewhat veiled, we have been given a guidebook, as well as a guide, for the here and now. And we aren’t the first such pilgrims to wrestle with spiritual questions. Led by the Holy Spirit and the God-breathed word, earlier generations faced similar decisions and looked beyond their time and circumstances.
The Episcopal Church has become mired in her own polity, expecting discernment to arise from our legislative process -- a system which attempts to settle matters of theology within a body of impatient laity and clergy. In struggling to discern matters of human sexuality, we have begun to dispense convenient answers to very complex questions. All too often these days, the Church, taking her cue from cultural contexts, seeks to provide a pastoral response by reconsidering questions settled long ago. But as Christians we are called to be long-suffering and to look beyond our horizons -- to reflect on centuries of Anglican teaching and tradition, and to listen carefully to our brothers and sisters in Christ -- before we dare to move forward.
Just yesterday, a Birmingham clergyman reiterated that “the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman as defined in Holy Scripture is the standard set forth by God. Likewise, . . . the ordained ministry is to be confined to those who submit and adhere to this standard.” [28]
And in his pastoral letter to diocesan clergy, the Bishop of South Carolina echoed this position, maintaining that “if blessing same-sex unions is morally wrong now, it will be morally wrong in the future.” [29] Frank Limehouse and Mark Lawrence are two of many voices in this Anglican symphony. And yet, the General Convention has once again refused to listen.
These are matters of eternal import, and in preaching a gospel of inclusivity and affirmation, the Episcopal Church imperils future generations. Will we heed the call of the saints and take the long view, or will we continue to put our needs before those of the Anglican Communion?

Notes:
1. This is a term commonly applied to the attempt to end religious divisions brought about during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. The Elizabethan Settlement included the Act of Supremacy (1559), which affirmed England’s independence from the Church of Rome, and the Act of Uniformity (1559), a bill allowing for both a subjective and objective belief in the Real Presence in the Communion.
2. William Murchison, July 22, 2009.
3. Floor debate, House of Deputies, July 15, 2009.
4. Matthew 6:3-4 -- “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
5. Remarks by the Archbishop of Canterbury, July 9, 2009.
6. Letter from the Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts-Schori, July 15, 2009.
7. D025: Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion.
8. Joint letter addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury and signed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, dated July 15, 2009.
9. C056: Liturgies for Blessings.
10. Gay Clark Jennings, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Ohio, served as House of Deputies chair of the World Mission committee in Anaheim. Her remarks to AP writer Rachel Zoll are quoted from a Washington Post article which appeared on July 14, 2009.
11. Integrity Achieves its Goals at GC 2009, July 17, 2009.
12. Joint letter to Abp. Rowan Williams, signed by Katherine Jefferts-Schori and Bonnie Anderson and dated July 15, 2009.
13. Remarks on May 12, 2009 following a meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council.
14. Dr. Jenny Plane Te Paa in her remarks to the House of Deputies on July 11, 2009. Appearing before this body for the first time, Te Paa qualified her participation on the Lambeth Commission by noting that, while working on the Windsor Report, she was unaware of the unique polity of the Episcopal Church. In considering her charge to the HOD, it is helpful to review her remarks to the Province IV Synod (TEC) in 2005. At that time, Te Paa indicated an understanding of Episcopal Church governance, maintaining that the TEC canons were not violated in the election and consecration Gene Robinson. She did, however, characterize their disregard of Lambeth 1.10 as “regrettable [as] they did so knowing many people in the Anglican Communion would be distressed by it and would not accept it.” Dr. Jenny Plane Te Paa has been an outspoken member of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia, or ACANZP.
15. Archbishop Ndungane in a Washington Post article, May 13, 2006.
16. Resolutions filed in Anaheim which called for an explicit repeal of B033 included C007, C010, C015, C024, C033, C036, C039, C054, C087, D013, and D025.
17. Jim Simons is a parish priest in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. A seven-time deputy to General Convention, he serves on the Council of Advice for the President of the House of Deputies, as well as President of the Standing Committee in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
18. Dan Martins is a priest in the Diocese of Northern Indiana. A deputy at the convention in Anaheim, he has been active in the Covenant movement, a group of evangelical-catholics seeking to renew the via media of American Anglicanism.
19. Sam Candler, Dean of Atlanta, in the July 18, 2009 issue of the Convention Daily.
20. Bp. Gulick in a pastoral letter to the Diocese of Fort Worth.
21. Tom Wright in The Americans Know This Will End in Schism, The Times (London), July 15, 2009.
22. Mike Angell, a seminarian at VTS, quoted in the Washington Post, July 18, 2009.
23. Quoted from Integrity interviews, Day 9.
24. The Anaheim Statement has been signed by 34 bishops, with 24% of TEC’s diocesan bishops as signatories.
25. Sources for this information include “Pared-down Episcopal Church Is Looking to Grow through ‘Inclusivity’,” from Laurie Goodstein in the New York Times on July 18, 2009, as well as an article which appeared in Center Aisle, a General Convention publication of the Diocese of Virginia, on July 17, 2009.
26. Discussion within the House of Deputies.
27. 1 Corinthians 13:12.
28. Birmingham (AL) News, letter dated July 21, 2009 and signed by the Very Rev. Frank Limehouse, dean of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in the Diocese of Alabama.
29. Pastoral letter written by the Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence, Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina.

Bermuda’s Special Relationship with Canterbury

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:21:12 -0400

Did you know that Bermuda is considered an extra-provincial diocese? And while Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Venezuela have, at times, been considered extra-provincial to the Episcopal Church, Bermuda is actually extra-provincial to the See of Canterbury.
Originally colonized by Anglicans in 1609, the early 17th century saw nearly a dozen parishes established by the British. Under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London until 1813, the churches in Bermuda came under the Bishop of Newfoundland up through the first quarter of the 20th century. Since 1925, Bermuda has been under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In addition to the Cathedral in Hamilton, pictured above, there are 13 parishes on the island of Bermuda.

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What Happened in Anaheim?

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:40:46 -0400

There were 457 resolutions filed prior to the third day of the recent Episcopal General Convention in Anaheim, each of which required a specific action by the General Convention (or by an identified person or agency of the Episcopal Church). Resolutions are numbered consecutively, with a prefix designating origin. “A” resolutions are those submitted by Committees, Commissions, Agencies, and Boards and listed in their Report to the 76th General Convention (The Blue Book). “B” resolutions are submitted by bishops, “C” resolutions may be submitted by dioceses or provinces of the Church, and “D” resolutions are those submitted by deputies. Resolutions dealing with Appointments/Elections or Special Orders of Business are prefixed, respectively, “E” and “X”.
Individual resolutions are assigned to committees, often undergoing substantial revision before reaching the House of Initial Action (HIA). Depending upon where a piece of legislation is in the process, bishops or deputies may be asked to take one of the following actions: adopt, adopt with amendment, adopt with amendment - floor changes, adopt substitute, concur, refer to a CCAB, discharge, reject, or recommit. The Resolution Status Report, a spreadsheet published daily during convention, allowed bishops and deputies to follow legislation through the process. Many resolutions received concurrence from both houses -- becoming Acts of Convention -- although some were discharged (having been addressed by another resolution), and a number of others were referred to an interim body for further study.
The Resolution Status Report (Final Version) is now available. While the 27-page report, can be difficult to navigate, here’s a general rule: if the listing for a resolution contains a ‘C’ (under ‘action’ in the last column on the far right), then it received concurrence in its final form. Note that ‘C/Rsc’ means ‘Concur with referral to a CCAB’. For an explanation of the codes used in this report, click here. To view an individual resolution in both original and final forms, visit the Legislative Database.
From Appendix C of the Bishop and Deputy Handbook, this chart offers a visual representation of the General Convention Legislative Process:

Gender Expression: Men in Skirts

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:59:53 -0400

Yesterday afternoon in the House of Deputies, we had a short discussion on resolution D012: Support of Transgender Civil Rights. In a nutshell, this legislation supports non-discrimination based on gender identity or the expression of one’s gender identity. In addition, the Episcopal Church is asking Congress to designate physical violence perpetrated on the basis of a victim’s gender identity or expression as a hate crime.
There is never any reason to treat anyone in a demeaning manner -- much less to subject them to physical harm -- for any reason. Period. But I was compelled to share with you a tremendous fallacy in the reasoning of one deputy in the afternoon debate.
Several deputies rose to speak to the resolution, one of which was Mr. Chris Ashley, a lay deputy alternate from the Diocese of Massachusetts. In essence, Deputy Ashley informed the House that he is chromosomally male (tmi!). He also testified that he enjoys wearing his kilt around the Boston area, and he termed the wearing of his kilt as an “untraditional expression of male gender.”
Deputy Ashley could not be more mistaken. No one believes for a minute that a man in a tartan kilt is “expressing his femininity.”
Mr. Ashley has confused gender expression with cultural identity. The kilt is an expression of Celtic and Gaelic identity, with tartans seen Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Normandy, the Isle of Man, and regions of Spain and Portugal.
And the deputy from Massachusetts may also be unaware that those who desired to express their cultural identity in the mid-18th century faced tremendous oppression and discrimination by a number of official acts:
"Any persons within Scotland, whether man or boy (excepting officers and soldiers in his majesty's service), who should wear the plaid, philibeg, trews, shoulder belts, or any part of the Highland garb, or should use for great coats, tartans, or parti-coloured plaid, or stuffs, should, without the alternative of a fine, be imprisoned for the first conviction for six months, without bail, and on the second conviction be transported for seven years."
The Act of Abolition, 1747
These restrictions represented the government’s interference in an apparently harmless personal matter, with the prohibition of what amounts to an ancient national costume of the Highlanders. For this reason, it was viewed as “an act of mere wanton and insulting oppression, [and] intended to degrade them.”
The Act of Abolition infuriated the Scots and they dug in their heels. Finally repealed in 1782, the nullification of the prohibitions brought great rejoicing in the North, with a proclamation issued in Gaelic and English (below):
“Listen Men.
This is bringing before all the Sons of the Gael, the King and Parliament of Britain have forever abolished the act against the Highland Dress; which came down to the Clans from the beginning of the world to the year 1746.
This must bring great joy to every Highland Heart. You are no longer bound down to the unmanly dress of the Lowlander.
This is declaring to every Man, young and old, simple and gentle, that they may after this put on and wear the Truis, the Little Kilt, the Coat, and the Striped Hose, as also the Belted Plaid, without fear of the Law of the Realm or the spite of the enemies.”
So perhaps we have the makings of another resolution in there, or at least the addition of “cultural identity and expression” to the Canons. We’d have to adopt a Special Order to set time aside specifically for debate. Bonnie Anderson, the President of the House of Deputies, has done a good job in maintaining control over these last days.
However, if we put cultural identity and expression on the floor for debate, we’re apt to have trouble keeping the Scots and the Brits from killing each other -- and, at any moment, the Irish might join the fray. Maybe we should send it to a Standing Commission for further study.

Current Variant of C056

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:29:54 -0400

The House of Bishops thought they had a bright idea Wednesday. They considered a motion to discharge C056, ultimately voting it down. Instead, they adopted legislation directing the SCLM to “collect and develop theological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same gender relationships -- not a great idea!
Here we go again.
C056: Liturgies for Blessings passed the House of Bishops today with floor changes and heads to HOD tomorrow for concurrence.
CURRENT VARIANT
Resolution: C056
Title: Liturgies for Blessings
Topic: Liturgy
Committee: Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music
House of Initial Action: Bishops

Proposer: Diocese of Missouri

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That the 76th General Convention charge the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music with development of liturgies of blessing for same-gender commitments to be presented to the next triennial General Convention in 2012 for inclusion in "Book of Occasional Services"; and. be it further
Resolved, That in the meantime the Ecclesiastical Authority of each diocese may authorize for use in the diocese liturgies for blessing same-gender committed relationships of enduring love, mutuality, and fidelity; and be it further
Resolved, That, with respect to such blessings, no bishop or clergy of this Church or any other person acting on behalf of this Church shall be required or expected to perform an act contrary to a deeply-held position of conscience.

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge the changing circumstances in the United States and in other nations, as legislation authorizing or forbidding marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian persons is passed in various civil jurisdictions that call forth a renewed pastoral response from this Church, and for an open process for the consideration of theological and liturgical resources and liturgies for the blessing of same gender relationships; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops, collect and develop theological, and liturgical resources and design liturgies and report to the 77th General Convention; for further action; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops, devise an open process for the conduct of its work inviting participation from provinces, dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are engaged in such theological work, and inviting theological reflection from throughout the Anglican Communion; and be it further

Resolved, That bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further

Resolved, That this Convention continue to honor the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality; and be it further

Resolved, That the members of this Church be encouraged to engage in this effort.
Read the original resolution here.

Weather Forecast for today’s HOD

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:22:43 -0400

The weather forecast for Wednesday afternoon in the House of Deputies:

dense fog with intermittent downpours
of red ink expected
especially between 2:30 and 3:30.

The 2010-2012 triennium budget will be presented by PB&F (Program, Budget, & Finance) this afternoon. At last count, PB&F was still dealing with a budgetary shortfall of $14 million. Scroll down to see what they said.
According to Episcopal Life on Monday, “the committee said that it began its deliberations last week with an approximately $24 million gap between projected income and projected expenses. That amount included $15 million less in income than originally anticipated.
Also, look for a reduction in the diocesan asking, currently 21% of diocesan income (above the first $100,000). Be sure to bring an umbrella (or a shovel). Read the original resolution here.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Chair of the Committee on Dispatch, Jim Simons, called for the passage of a special order to allow the House to vote on the presented budget on Thursday afternoon. After this vote, we were joined by the bishops (hence, the Joint Session) and here’s what happened at the Joint Session of the HOB/D for the presentation of the 2010-2012 Budget by the chairs of the Standing Commission on Program, Budget & Finance.

“death will be reflected in this budget . . .
. . . but there will be resurrection.”

In her opening remarks, the Presiding Bishop asked the assembly to “hold those closely who will be wounded by this budget.” She noted that the budget for the 2010-2012 triennium is likely to reflect the scarcity of the Church, rather than the abundance,” along with the moving down of mission as a priority. Noting the restructuring of the Church Center and the loss of staff positions, Jefferts-Schori predicted that to some this “will feel like a heart attack.” She said that “death will be reflected in this budget . . . but there will be resurrection.”

One of the chairs referenced the “paying of legal expenses for [litigation] from short-term reserves.” In addition, deputies heard that this budget is a result of an attempt to crafting a new look for TEC -- what the Episcopal Church should be doing now . . . to enable ministries more effectively, to include the MDGs.

One interesting development: the standard exemption increased to $120,000, while the asking percentage from each diocese was stepped down over the next three years: 21% in 2011, 20% in 2012, and 19% in 2012.

The bishop chair of PB & F, Bishop Andrew Smith (CT) described the stepping-down of the asking percentage, along with the increase in the standard exemption, noting that these changes may allow the Church to better fulfill her mission.

He also noted that:

✤ short-term reserves are ordinarily available at the end of each year for extra or unexpected expenditures, however,
✤ short-term reserves -- virtually no uncommitted short-term reserves at the end of 2009
✤ the EC authorized the payment of legal expenses in support of dioceses, plus the first meetings of CCABs, from the short-term reserves
✤ assistance to dioceses in their reorganization (beause the short-term reserves will be unavailable)

The chair referenced John 15, noting that while Jesus is the True Vine, and we are to abide in Him as He abides in us, there will be pruning.

Committees, Comissions, Agencies, and Boards
✤ interim bodies will receive training for the conduct of virtual meetings
✤ less in-person meetings funded in 2011
✤ nothing in budget for 2012 meetings

General Convention
✤ can no longer sustain a 10 day convention
✤ proposes a substantially reduced budget for GC
✤ the next GC produced will be 2 days shorter
✤ Blue Book and other documents will no longer be available in print (on line only)
✤ money in budget for Wi-Fi in both Houses

Church Center Staff
✤ There will be staff cuts and elimination of some programs
✤ Canonical mandates will be maintained

The budget resolution, to be acted upon in Thursday’s session, sets funding policy for the upcoming triennium. The chair noted that, in addition, this resolution reminds the GC that the Executive Council and the Joint Standing Commission on Program, Budget & Finance have fiscal responsibilities during the triennium.

In anticipation of taking questions regarding the budget, the House was reminded that there are three main sections of the budget: Canonical, Corporate, and Program (Mission). The mood in the House was exceedingly somber in anticipation of the budget distribution. At previous conventions, the distribution of the budget was accompanied by a lively and thematically-relevant song played over the microphone. This year, the house was treated to a semi-dirge, instrumental version of (appropriately)
God of Grace and God of Glory
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage
for the facing of this hour
for the facing of this hour

During the Joint Session, in which the full budget was distributed, various questions were addressed regarding funding priorities, program reduction, and restructuring. (I’ll touch on those in the next entry) Then each deputation had a photo-op with their bishops. On the lower right, Bishop Lawrence may be seen paying careful attention to the opening remarks of Rt. Rev. Andrew Smith (CT) and the Presiding Bishop.

You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:58:50 -0400

In a salute to religious pluralism, the House of Deputies rejected C069, a resolution affirming “the uniqueness of Christ in the United States multi-faith society” and exhorting Episcopalians to “offer examples and commendations of good practice in sharing the gospel of salvation through Christ alone with people of other faiths and of none.” See the research report on C069 prepared by the Episcopal Archives. More extensive legislative research indexed by committee is available here.
And then, at the end of this morning’s session, a group of ecumenical and inter-religious guests was led into the HOD. More than 20 visitors, representing Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha’is, and Sikhs, were introduced by Bishop Christopher Epting, deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations. Deputies then heard from the Rev. Dean Nelson, bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The visit concluded with an Abrahamic blessing offered by cantor Mark Saltzman, Congregation Kol Ami, Los Angeles; Mu'athin Ben Yousef, the Islamic center of Southern California; the Rev. Peter Rood, rector, Church of the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Diocese of Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, these guests present a stronger witness to their own faith than the Episcopal Church does to hers. While our postmodern culture has challenged our Abrahamic brothers and sisters, they have remained faithful to authoritative teaching. Likewise, the Orthodox churches have resisted change. But the Episcopal Church has increasingly been viewed as a bellwether for progressive Protestantism, insisting on liturgical innovation and doctrinal revision.
On Tuesday morning, Minnesota deputy Sally Johnson referred to Monday’s passage by the HOD of a substantial revision revision of Title IV, the canons governing ecclesiastical discipline, highlighting “an increased balance in our polity to bring priests and lay people into the discipline of bishops.”
But this canonical watershed is more likely to weaken denominational discipline. While Episcopal bishops have historically acted with more restraint than members of the House of Deputies, even they could not enforce the disciplinary canons against Walter Righter or John Shelby Spong, who were each charged with ordaining a practicing homosexual. Although the presentment against Righter was signed by 76 bishops, the 1996 Trial Court of a Bishop resulted in an acquittal.
Based on the actions of the last four General Conventions, one might wonder what led 76 bishops to believe that the charges against Righter would stick. They were encouraged, in part, by the Port St. Lucie Statement of 1977, in which members of the House of Bishops declared that “the ordination of an advocating and/or practicing homosexual would require the Church’s sanction of such a life style, not only as acceptable, but worthy of emulation. Our present understanding of biblical and theological truth would make this impossible.”
In addition, the 1979 General Convention had adopted A053, a resolution which, in part, affirmed “the traditional teaching of the Church on marriage, marital fidelity, and sexual chastity as the standing of Christian sexual morality . . . Therefore, we believe it not appropriate for this Church to ordain a practicing homosexual, or any person who is engaged in heterosexual relations outside marriage.”
In response to Spong’s 1989 ordination of a practicing homosexual, the Presiding Bishop and his Council of Advice repudiated the action, maintaining that, “short of action by the General Convention, [A053] is the stated and authoritative position of the church at this time.” Read the Righter Presentment and the 1990 statement of Edmund Browning here.
How have we reached this point? In Fundamentals of the Faith, Peter Kreeft noted that “it is more convenient and comfortable to have a foggy faith because in a fog you can never be sure you have lost your way."
Not to mix metaphors, but, at this point, I’m afraid the Episcopal Church couldn’t find her way out of a paper bag.

Five Minutes with Dr. Jenny Te Paa

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:23:13 -0400

Actually, we spent at least twenty minutes together when Dr. Jenny Plane Te Paa addressed the House of Deputies on Saturday afternoon. She spoke to a gathering of more than 800 deputies from 100+ dioceses. She talked and talked and talked . . . and I listened.
But if I had a few minutes to really talk with her, (perhaps stuck in an elevator), I would begin by asking,
“Why the long face, Dr. Te Paa? Christ is risen!”
Honestly, I’ve heard her message before. I hear it each time she speaks.
The glass is half full -- nay, empty.
On Saturday, she prefaced her comments by announcing that, in inviting this group representing New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Brazil, we were bringing into our midst “the true Global South.”
That got quite a chuckle. The full text of her remarks may be found here.
In the last decade, Dr. Te Paa has occupied a unique place in the Anglican Communion. She is the first lay, indigenous, and single woman to be appointed as head of an Anglican theological college. Dean of Te Rau Kahikatea (College of St. John the Evangelist) Theological College in Auckland, she has also served on a number of communion-wide bodies (including the Lambeth Commission).
A native New Zealander, Jenny Te Paa was the first Maori person to complete an academic degree in theology from the University of Auckland. Her Master’s Thesis focused on the negative impact of embedded structural injustice on the theological education of Maori students between 1843 and 1990.
She professes a commitment to peace and justice, and I suspect this is her real passion -- the alleviation of oppression of indigenous peoples. But, in the number of times I’ve heard her speak, I’ve never witnessed true passion.
This is what I’d like to say to her:
“Tell me your story. Tell me about Christ at work in your life right now. Tell me about a time you led someone to Christ.”
Instead she rises to greet the House and stretches her two minutes into twenty. She and her global colleagues at the podium speak of oppression, exclusion, and curative rape in the Anglican Communion.
And as she concludes, I feel as if I’ve been pushed into the mud.
I remind myself that we live in a fallen world. Still, I grow weary of the sum of global sin being blamed on the Church. Dr. Jenny Te Paa cloaks us all in sackcloth and ashes. And I’m sorry for the generations of oppression, marginalization, and exclusion of Christians throughout the world. I can relate as I have felt marginalized as an orthodox Anglican in the Episcopal Church.
But I long to hear her tell a new story. Given the chance, I would say to her:
“Dr. Te Paa, I want to see Jesus. Tell me the Good News of Christ. Lift up your heart to our God. Proclaim the wonders of His Name.”
Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed.
Alleluia!

Time Left on the GC 2009 Clock

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:32:22 -0400

The clock is ticking and little has been accomplished at General Convention. The House of Deputies was in session for three and one half hours this afternoon, and it was like treading parliamentary quicksand. The debate on D025 was punctuated by numerous attempts to amend and divide the legislation, all of which failed. To top it all off, in one of our last votes today, the House passed legislation which would seek to reverse the damage done by portions of scripture and liturgy which are perceived as offensive to Judaism.

The days are beginning to run together. Oy vey!

More Paperwork, Please

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:08:15 -0400

But not to worry. We are told that the General Convention Office has reduced its paper use by more than 50% over the last 18 years (from 2 million imprints in 1991 to just over 890,000 in 2006). The Episcopal Church has contracted with the George Fern Company to ensure that this convention is “green.”
For example, in the exhibit hall, booth and aisle carpeting is made from recyclable fiber and backing. The use of natural gas forklifts and handcarts to move freight in and out of the venue will contribute to better air quality.
In addition, while Deputies wear the traditional red badges, Visitor and Exhibitor badge holders are made from NatureWorks polymers, a renewable and sustainable plastic made from corn sugars and certified as compostable.
Since the last convention, TEC has made a substantial contribution to NativeEnergy to offset carbon emissions. This effort has contributed to building a new Native American wind farm as well as supporting the production of renewable energy produced in real-time on a farm in the Midwest.
Ah . . . I feel more environmentally responsible already.
Here’s a tongue-in-cheek piece on stewardship of creation at GC 2009.

Are you kidding?

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:12:33 -0400

I’m not making this up.
While I understand the distinction between our Christian and/or legal names and our personal preferences regarding nicknames, etc., I don’t understand why it is necessary for the Episcopal Church to conform to the ENDA to this extent. In fact, another resolution (D032: Non-Discrimination in Lay Employment), proposed by Dr. Louie Crew, acknowledges that “the Church is generally exempt from federal employment discrimination laws, and those of most states and localities.”
Furthermore, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act addresses those individuals legally employed in our churches, dioceses, and institutions. But truly extending this ethos into the life of the Church would require these changes to be applied to all facets of parish life, including membership.
CURRENT VARIANT
Resolution: D090
Title: Inclusive Church Paper Work
Topic: Inclusive Language
Committee:
House of Initial Action:

Proposer: Diamante A. Tavolaro

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That this 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church recommends and encourages all bodies of The Episcopal Church to adapt forms to be fully inclusive of all people: by including lines not only for one's legal name, but also for one's preferred name as well as one's gender identity and pronoun preference.

EXPLANATION

For the second General Convention in a row, the Episcopal Church is considering legislation pertaining to transgender people. Resolutions include changing Canon III.1.2 and III. 1. 3 to include "gender identity and expression"; supporting transgender civil rights; and supporting a fully inclusive ENDA (Employment Non-discrimination Act). This resolution extends into the life of the Church the respect and recognition of transgender people conveyed by these other resolutions, by calling for a small but significant change in forms. This resolution would add four lines to Church forms: legal name, preferred name, gender identity and pronoun preference.

The addition of preferred name to legal name would benefit many people. A person's legal name could be William, but he might go by a middle name. For transgender persons, the "preferred name" line can facilitate respectful treatment even if they do not have the financial means to legally change a birth name to one that reflects gender identity.

The choice to write out one's gender identity (one's inner sense of oneself as a man, a woman, or another gender category), rather than the restriction of the categories "male" or "female" from a multiple choice dropdown menu, would significantly facilitate the ability of transgender people to access and take their place within the life of the Church.

Similarly, the ability to choose the pronouns by which one is referenced deeply impacts transgender people's experience on a very concrete level, moment by moment. The imposition of pronouns with which one does not identify can be experienced as profoundly dehumanizing.
Read the whole resolution here.

UPDATE: Regarding this provision as a pastoral solution for those who may not “have the financial means to legally change a birth name to one that reflects gender identity,” I’ve located another resource which clarifies the legal procedures in the United States and Canada for name/gender change on birth certificates and legal documents. A state-by-state listing of requirements (including Canadian provinces) may be found here. In most cases, change in gender requires documentation from a sexual reassignment surgeon. A number of states allow name changes in order to better reflect perceived gender identity in the absence of surgery. However, it appears that most states charge a nominal fee for this service -- most around $20 (with South Carolina at $39). For this reason, I don’t think a lack of financial resources can be used as a rationale for this resolution.

Another new piece of legislation, D089 -- Invitation to Receive Holy Communion, represents a renewed attempt to institutionalize the practice of Open Communion. Read it here.

Huh?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:41:15 -0400

On Tuesday afternoon, Michael Battle’s introduction to Ubuntu presentation included this slide. I still don’t get it. Is this an interpretive dance called “Searching for Wholeness”? After closer study, I’ve come to see three figures in this human pretzel.
Just what is Pilobolus? According to their website, they are an American dance company known for “its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration.” And based on their work, they may qualify as the official dance troupe of TEC. But this tangle of limbs does not represent, for me, the body of Christ. Yes, it’s provocative, but it’s also really disturbing. Not only does it look uncomfortable, but it depicts an unrealistic quest for intimacy. Because it’s not the community who completes us, but Christ alone. Only in Christ can we find wholeness. Only in Him can we experience true joy.
Why do we look all around for fulfillment? We search in every direction, seeking healing from one another. And we ask the community to meet our needs -- to resurrect our faith and to renew our strength.
Try looking up for a change.
Father, pour out your Spirit upon your people,
and grant us a new vision of your glory,
a new experience of your power,
a new faithfulness to your Word,
and a new consecration to your service,
that your love may grow among us,
and your kingdom come;
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint Benedict’s Prayer Book

What I Heard: Rowan Williams Urges Restraint

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 18:06:39 -0400

This afternoon, the House of Deputies will meet as a Committee of the Whole for a facilitated conversation on 2006-B033. While this afternoon’s session is not intended to debate issues, it’s likely to be offered in the Episcopal media as an expression of the mind of the house. Though members of Integrity are anxious to cast B033 aside and move forward with further innovation, the 76th General Convention would be wise to exercise restraint -- especially in light of Rowan Williams’ plea for restraint.
This is what I heard him say. At this morning’s convention worship, the Archbishop of Canterbury offered a meditation on a portion of John’s gospel. But before addressing the text, he spoke simply and directly on the reality of strained communion:
“Of course I am coming here with hopes and anxieties -- you know that and I shan’t deny it. Along with many in the Communion, I hope and pray that there won’t be decisions in the coming days that could push us further apart.”
BabyBlue has the full text as well as streaming video here.

Bishop Gene Robinson: “We are . . . the gay church”

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 16:40:55 -0400

The bishop of New Hampshire addressed a lunchtime gathering of The Consultation on Tuesday in an effort to rally those who wish to move beyond B033 and forward with marriage equality in the Episcopal Church.
George Conger writes that Robinson offered a strategy: focus on the “moveable middle.” Frankly, I find Gene Robinson’s focus on labels to be at cross purposes with the General Convention theme of Ubuntu.
Read more in The Living Church.

Don Evans appointed to Episcopal Archives board

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 10:45:10 -0400

During the Wednesday morning business session, HOD President Bonnie Anderson announced her appointment of Donald Evans to a six-year term on the board of The Archives of the Episcopal Church. Don is the founding principal of an investment real estate firm in Charleston. A communicant of St. Philip’s Church, he also serves as a trustee of the Canterbury House in the Diocese of South Carolina. Personally, I have been blessed beyond measure by Don’s love and support in the nearly 30 years we’ve been married. He is a wonderful man and a godly father to our three children, and it will be my pleasure to support him in this new ministry.
The National Archives of the Episcopal Church
This Episcopal institution has been in the news in the last few months because of their recent purchase of an entire block in downtown Austin, Texas at a cost of $9.5 million.
The archives is the official respository for the church’s papers, electronic records, photographs, memorabilia and artifacts. Having outgrown leased space on the campus of the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest, the holdings of the archives include over 18,000 cubic feet of documents, books, audio and visual records documenting the work of the Episcopal Church in the United States, Africa, and Asia, as well as Central and South America.
The Mission Research and Archives Center
According to archives director Mark Duffy, the proposed Mission Research and Archives Center will not only bring historical resources under one roof, but will provide “a place for Episcopalians nationally to gather and to study, reflect on and feel proud of their heritage.” At a total cost of almost $40 million, the five-story facility will offer up to 70,000 square feet of archival storage and administrative space within walking distance of St. David’s Church in downtown Austin.
The fine print
Don Evans was not involved in the negotiation, purchase, or sale of the Austin parcel.

“We are a Hexidecimal Church”

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 08:12:30 -0400

The Episcopal Media Hub is up and looks to be a handy resource during General Convention. For those of you who use the Dashboard application on your computer, it may seem a little familiar. For example, if you click on an item in the legislative agenda box, a window with a Quick Look at that specific resolution will appear (and will recede again when you click in a different location).
Even if you were present in the Tuesday afternoon session, the opening remarks of Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori are worth another look. Visit the Media Hub and listen carefully to what she says. Has anyone counted how many times she uses the word “crisis”?
She also makes it clear that TEC is not a national church -- rather, she describes us as a hexidecimal church. Hmmm . . . so we are an amalgam of bits, bytes, and nibbles based on a radix of 16. See more here. Or perhaps she meant that we are a 256-color rainbow as in the RGB web color system. If I have an opportunity, I’ll ask her for further clarification.

Welcome to Pacific Standard Time

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 06:42:32 -0400

I went to bed last night at 9 pm PST/12 midnight EST (after getting up in Charleston at 4 am for my early flight). I woke up first this morning at 3 am PST, then 5:20 am, and finally 6:30. But I did get 9+ hours and ultimately woke up feeling great!

On Mail, Tutu, and Ubuntu

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 10:35:16 -0400

With election as a convention deputy comes a tremendous amount of mail -- albeit less this time than in previous years. While there is not as much mail via the U.S. Postal Service, the frequency of communication has increased, with candidates for various elected positions using e-mail to spread the word.
One poor soul, upon accidently receiving a broadcast e-mail invitation (accompanied by attachments in English and Spanish) to consider a particular candidate for the Church Pension Fund, responded vehemently: “Please remove me from your email list, I don't know who you are, I'm not a member of your church, I do not intend to be a member of your church, and I'm not interested in the information you have to send out...” Oops!
Still, by the time convention rolls around, each deputy has been sent a goodly amount of propaganda information. This year’s offerings have included the 807 page Blue Book (which is actually maroon), the annual reports of several church institutions, DVDs from a few affinity groups, and a copy of Michael Battle’s treatise on Ubuntu.
Having saved the last item for the long plane flight to Anaheim, I plunged in after take-off from Atlanta. The author of Ubuntu: I in You and You in Me writes as one tutored in Christian non-violence and spirituality by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Ordained by Tutu, the Rev. Dr. Michael Battle served a parish in South Africa prior to his appointment as a dean at VTS. Currently Canon Theologian of the Cathedral Center in the Diocese of Los Angeles, he introduces the concept of Ubuntu as “a way of discovering self-identity through interdependence.” Know thyself through community, if you will.
But, as you might imagine, there’s much more at work in this small book. Right now, I’ll limit myself to two areas: self-identification and reconciliation.
In considering an application of the principles of Ubuntu to the Western church, the author focuses on the need for a reorientation of self-identification. That is to say, is our identity defined by what we are not? Drawing on his experience in South African parish ministry, he challenges the reader to identify himself not by gender, skin color, or sexual orientation, but to see himself communally.
“When we go into our closets and pray alone,” he says, “we do not talk to ourselves.” Rather, he says, “we acknowledge a community already present with us.” In short, Battle maintains that Christians are fundamentally individuals who are related in Christ.
To Anglicans, this should not be such a radical idea. After all, each November we celebrate All Saints’ Day, remembering that mighty cloud of witnesses who have gone on to claim their eternal reward. For us, the Church is not merely a contemporary community but a body of believers past, present, and future.
In addition to his exploration of the African ethos of community, the author devotes a major portion of the text to reconciliation as “the primary mark of a Christian.” Indeed, this has been a primary focus of Battle’s work.
In this volume, he exhorts the reader to apply the principle of Ubuntu through a time of self-examination, confession, and reconciliation -- reconciliation with God and with one another. And he invokes a familiar idea here. The interdependence of humanity is not unlike the way in which “the butterfly’s wings in Japan [affect] the hurricane in Belize.”
I agree. And I am reminded that the actions of General Convention do not exist in a vacuum. We have seen the ripple effect across the Anglican Communion for years.
So it seems to me that the author’s argument in Ubuntu: I in You and You in Me is one more reason for TEC to exercise forbearance in moving ahead and away from B033.
More on Ubuntu later.
  